Millville, New Jersey-based LaMonica Fine Foods was deemed an essential business in order to help keep grocery store shelves stocked with fresh, frozen and canned seafood amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like many others, President Daniel LaVecchia and VP Michael LaVecchia of LaMonica were faced with making decisions about continuing business while worrying about the safety of their employees and their families. They quickly implemented updated safety precautions in order to lessen the chance of exposure to COVID-19.
These precautions included requiring all individuals to wear a mask while on the property, cancelling all “in person” meetings, hourly disinfecting of public surfaces and enforcing 6-feet social distancing protocols. They have continued to stagger shifts and reduce the number of people in the building by allowing several employees to work from home.
During this unprecedented time, LaMonica not only filled all of the orders it received, but it created and invested in developing some new items, including a variety of new-breaded seafood items for both food-service and retail; a new line of gourmet canned seafood soups; and a line of microwavable frozen seafood entrees. All these items will be introduced later this year.
LaMonica Fine Foods has been in the seafood business since 1923. Today, its fourth generation of family members operate the company. In addition to being the largest hand-shucking plant with more than 200 employees, the company also maintains a state-of-the-art packing facility. It is vertically integrated from boat to customer – retaining the quality and control throughout the processing, packing and delivery of its finished product. All clams are caught from the pristine waters of the Atlantic Ocean, then landed, processed and packed in New Jersey.
