Walking around our 50,000 square foot warehouse, can be a bit overwhelming to even our owner, Gary Roccaro. He’s come a very long way since the business began in 1974 out of the family garage with one 8’ Kevinator brand chest freezer. When you would remove any item from the freezer, you had to replace the weather stripping to its rightful place or the freezer would build up frost and be very difficult to open again.

The main objective of his mother and father was to help pay the home bills by making weekly trips to the Hunts Point Market to buy the needed supplies for their two fast food stores, hopefully saving some hard earned dollars. Gary and his father used the family's 3 speed 1970 VW bus and removed the back seats to make the trips to the Market and back again to Staten Island. The back of the bus was loaded with cardboard to place atop of the frozen items to keep them colder and block out the sun on the return trip back to the Island. They worked in the fast food stores in the evening.

They had several friends who owned similar restaurants and fast-food stores who asked them to pick up items as well, since they were making the trip. They were urged to “add a little something onto the cost for your trouble and gas”. Before long the trips to the market increased and our base of friends and products grew. Having originally stocked about 20 items (one or two of each) in our garage, you can see how overwhelming it is now to view over 3,000 items stacked six tiers high. Maximum operates 24 hours straight during the week. Gary was originally the salesman, accounts receivable, purchasing agent, customer service and truck driver all in one. Whatever it took, that’s what he did! If you’re a supplier, you know Gary as that shrewd, tough as nails, negotiator. If you’re a customer, you know Gary as that light hearted, funny, honest guy who treats you like he did when his parents were starting out in the garage. He’s maintained friendships for as long as he’s been in business – almost 30 years. We still have a few of our original customers with us since their inception. Some of the original stores have changed hands but are still on board. All of them added to our current customer list, which has grown to over 1,000 today. We stick with the basic philosophy that has helped this company grow. The theory is to grow our company by adding one new customer at a time, offering the best quality for the most competitive price and the best possible service we can. This seems to be working for us. Our refrigeration is computerized, and state of the art. We are the Largest Distributor of Lamb Weston branded products in the entire tri-state area. We are fast becoming a force to be reckoned in the Fresh Poultry Industry. If you’re a small hot dog stand or a 100 store chain, we want your business. No customer is too big or too small.

Sounds like the story of the boy who walked through the snow uphill to school 5 miles away. However, it truly is a real “Success Story”. Gary has built his company with hard work, devotion and friendships. With our knowledgeable Management Staff, 100 full time employees, we have continued to help him grow, and we’re not stopping there, we’re moving ahead!

We’d love for you to tour our facility for yourself. Please feel free to stop by and visit us anytime you are in the Linden, New Jersey area.