Marc Antony Foods tries comeback with new owner

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Dec 27, 2002 by Bartlett, JoAnn

SYRACUSE - Marc Antony Foods is open again. The Syracuse company suffered a fire in 1999, and went out of business the following year. But 41-year-old Bill Francey bought the business in October and plans to make it a success.

Francey says he had been looking for a manufacturing business to purchase. He was a project engineer with The Eraser Co., Inc. in Mattydale for 12 years. Francey says buying Marc Antony Foods "is just the right fit" for him. "I understand supply and demand," he says. "I know [about] vendors and the costs of parts. It relates directly to my background."

The business was formerly owned by Rudy and Barb Arcidiacaono, who opened the doors in 1977. Twenty-two years later, the fire put them out of business. Francey says the couple tried to start the business up again, but due to health problems, shut the doors in 2000.

Francey says the products, which include Italian sausage, salami, and soppressata (another type of sausage), in all their varieties, "are the best in the business. It's a top-quality product." He sells his product, "mainly to food-brokers. It's [also] sold in specialty shops and delis."

With his engineering background, Francey says he is wellprepared to meet the United States Department of Agriculture's regulations and recordkeeping requirements.

He bought all the corporate assets on Oct. 1 for $225,000 and invested an additional $100,000 of his own money for working capital. He plans to generate sales of $400,000 in the first year, with a 10 to 15-percent increase in the second year. The 9,000 square-foot plant produces about 80,000 pounds annually, which is a combined total of all products. There are five part-time employees.

Marc Antony Foods is located at 1632 Hawley Ave.