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About Colavita
Colavita began as a family olive mill in Sant’Elia a Pianisi in Italy’s Molise region, where generations of the Colavita family perfected the craft of producing extra virgin olive oil and pasta. Over 40 years ago, Colavita was among the first brands to introduce authentic extra virgin olive oil to American kitchens, helping pioneer the category in the U.S. market. Today, under the leadership of CEO Giovanni Colavita, Colavita USA has grown into the largest distributor of Italian specialty foods in the country, representing the Colavita brand along with other leading Italian products such as Perugina, Sperlari, Mulino Bianco and Rio Mare. Still family-owned, Colavita products are now distributed in over 80 countries and remain a trusted leader in the premium extra virgin olive oil category. Visit website here.
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About Giovanni Colavita, CEO, Colavita USA
Giovanni Colavita grew up in southern Italy’s Molise region where the Colavita brand was born. What started out of the Colavita family’s generations old olive mill has evolved into the worldwide brand it is today. During his childhood, Giovanni was surrounded by the family business and participated in all aspects of olive oil bottling and production from a young age. With the future of the family business in mind, Giovanni earned a bachelor’s degree in law from Rome’s La Sapienza, and then an MBA from the SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan. He soon became national sales manager and eventually CEO at Colavita SpA, where he gained the valuable experience that led to his current position as CEO and President of Colavita USA, the company’s USA branch. Under Giovanni’s management, Colavita USA became the largest distributor of Italian products in the country. In addition to the Colavita brand, Colavita USA represents leading Italian brands including Baci Perugina, San Benedetto, Sperlari, Orasi, Rio Mare, Mulino Bianco, and Niasca Portofino, among others. In recent years, the company has expanded its portfolio to further integrate food and wine within the family-owned business, acquiring O Olive & Vinegar, a California leader in vinegars and olive oils, as well as Vitelli Foods, owner of the prestigious Luigi Vitelli brand, recognized as the first Italian brand registered in the United States in 1885. Most recently, the company announced its co-ownership of Panebianco Wines, a highly regarded Italian wine importer, along with DB Wine Selections, a prestigious French wine distributor and importer.
Giovanni and his wife Marisa relocated with their kids to the United States from their home in Italy in 2008. Since his arrival in the USA in 2008, Giovanni has participated in several Italian-American organizations. He has been recognized for his support of Italian products and promotion of Italian businesses in the USA. Giovanni is an esteemed member of the Italian Trade Agency and serves on the Food and Wine Advisory Board of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, as well as the Food Education Fund of Food and Finance High School. His contributions to international business and Italian cultural advancement in the United States have earned him multiple prestigious recognitions. In 2014, Giovanni received the PrimiDieci Under 40 Award, which honors the most distinguished Italian professionals under the age of 40 living in the United States. In 2018, he was presented with the Special Achievement Award in International Business by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) at its annual New York Gala, an event that gathers over 700 leaders and supporters of Italian heritage from across the country. Since 2023, Giovanni has served on the board of NIAF, further solidifying his commitment to fostering Italian-American relations. In 2019, he was honored by the Columbus Citizens Foundation at its annual Gala and Columbus Day Parade in New York, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the Italian-American community.
Over 40 years ago, Colavita was the first company to bring extra virgin olive oil to the kitchens of American families, winning awards and worldwide recognition. Initially pioneered door-to-door back in 1978, this unique "dark olivey green" Colavita extra virgin olive oil made its way into niche retailers like Williams Sonoma, Zabars, Zingermanns and other visionary gourmet stores across the country where the extra virgin olive oil category and craze was born. Colavita was first to market extra virgin olive oil in the USA, and now has distribution in over 80 countries with leadership in the premium extra virgin olive oil category.
Today, Colavita’s sales planning, spending and promotional support strategy continues to support those same brick and mortar retailers where Colavita was born and continues to reach olive oil seeking consumers coast-to-coast. However, Colavita has not overlooked the vital importance of diversifying into the emerging e-commerce channels. The modern generation of consumers in today’s digital age has changed the shopping landscape to include home delivery for ingredients and meal kits. Over a decade ago, Colavita began allocating resources to forge vital and strategic relationships with Amazon and other e-commerce retailers to ensure visibility and accessibility to new consumers learning about extra virgin olive oil for the first time. As a result, Colavita quickly became the #1 extra virgin olive oil in the growing online grocery sector. Colavita was the first national olive oil brand to see the future of grocery in the online retail business and to heavily invest in this segment. Colavita's also forged a major strategic partnership in the online space with Hello Fresh. As the leader in both quality and volume in the booming meal kit space, Colavita’s partnership with HelloFresh has also contributed to the strength of the brand, bringing Colavita's premium, authentic Italian products into the kitchens of millions of Americans.
