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Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, CAS Foods LLC has been producing high-quality bottled curry for a little over two and a half years. We often see its owners, Irene and Ron Castelino, at supplier diversity events across the Commonwealth, and we are pleased to share the story of their rapidly expanding business with you.
1. How long have you been in business?
CAS Foods LLC started in June 2004.
2. How would you describe the general health of your business?
CAS Foods is a young company, financially secure. We are still expanding our product line. We have several products in the pipeline, including spices. We are on target where we should be.
3. What is the greatest strength of CAS Foods? The greatest weakness?
Our strength is we are family owned. I personally know every aspect of my company from ordering products to shipping. I am passionate about curry and it shows. My husband Ron is very involved as well. I am the creative person; my husband is the business person. We are a dynamic team. I am also proud of our online presence with www.casfoods.com.
Our weakness is our advertising. We have been fortunate to accomplish so much but advertising plays a key role and we have a strategy.
4. What products can currently be found in over 20 local and national retail location, including Charlottesville-area Kroger stores. Do you plan to expand to additional markets, and how do you plan to manage your growth?
Yes, we are in negotiations with other grocery stores to be in the Mid-Atlantic region and the Northeast. Our products sell extremely well in Northern Virginia and the northeast. We will also continue to sell in specialty stores. Our distribution line is in place for large orders to be direct shipped to warehouses.
5. Which if any, professional or networking organizations do you have membership with? Would you recommend any of them to other businesses? Why?
NASFT is the national organization of Specialty Food. It is respected all over the world. It is the guru of Specialty Food Trade. It hosts 3 annual Fancy Food Shows, has the Specialty Food magazine for the trade industry, the Food Spring magazine for customers and online www.nasft.com. It provides annual awards in every food group and predicts trends within the food industry. It also crosses over to other food related industries. I am proud to have won an award in our first year. It authenticates what
we do.
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