Business profile:
FARM 88 are suppliers of fresh meat, whether it be in cryovac form or portion control for food services, domestic and export markets.
Management Directory:
Frank Porcino Director
Mario D’Ambrosio Director
Frank has 34 years’ experience in the meat Industry starting at the age of 15 as a ‘clean-up Kid’. After being educated by Key players in the meat game at the age of 18 Frank was managing a butcher shop; knowing how to break down beef, lamb, pork, veal and chicken bodies and improve store revenue by 50%.
After becoming Area manager, Frank was educated by a meat buyer who had over 50 years’ experience. He was shown what to look for in the shape & colour formation of beef, lamb & pork bodies. He was able to tell the age of the body by looking at the bone structure and would travel from abattoir to abattoir to hand pick and brand specially selected bodies.
As Chief Operations Officer, on a weekly basis Frank would purchase 650 bodies of beef, 3,000 trade lambs, 350 pigs, 45,000 chickens, also 100 pallets of cartoned meat from large processing plants. With 18 retail butcher shops and annual sales well over 100 million with 450 staff members. With each store being opened, Frank was instrumental in the set-up and purchasing of equipment.
Frank travelled to Frankfurt, Germany for IFFA (the leading International trade fair for meat processing) to learn more about slaughtering, dismembering, processing and ultimately packaging and sales.
Frank travelled also to the Italian Exhibition in Parma, Italy where he gained experience in the importing side of the business.
I have forged a lifelong relationship with these suppliers that still exist to this day.
In 1984, Mario started as an apprentice butcher with the Extra Group, Top Cut Food Industries. During this time he managed 7 different retail butcher shops and stayed with them for 17 years.
In 2001, Mario opened 4 of his own butcher shops and one processing plant. During this time he did all the procuring (for the stores) of beef, pork, lamb, veal and chicken.
He also supplied other butcher shops of meat in their primal form ready for butchers to cut for display. At this time Mario was also manufacturing small goods e.g. ham, prosciutto, salami.
