Mark Oliverio is the owner of Oliverio Peppers in Clarksburg, West Virginia.
Oliverio Peppers was founded in 1972 by Mark’s father, Frank Oliverio. For the first four years, Frank ran the business from his mother’s basement. Eventually, he realized that if he wanted to expand his business, he would need more space. So, in 1976, he purchased an old building in Clarksburg to produce higher volumes of product.
Mark Oliverio has been in and around the business for his entire life. He worked at Oliverio Peppers part-time during college and quickly transitioned to working there full-time after graduating.
Mark purchased the business from his father in 2005 and has great pride in continuing the family business.
In 2011 and 2012, Mark built a new facility with all new equipment so that Oliverio Peppers could produce even more products.
Oliverio Peppers continues to expand its business across the northeast and midwest regions through the Oliverio brand and its private label.
SHOW NOTES:
- 3:24 Mark, take a minute, fill in some gaps from that brief intro and give us a little behind the curtain look into Oliverio Peppers.
- 6:55 What is your 30 sec. pitch for Oliverio?
- 8:15 What are your most popular products right now?
- 10:17 How do you continue to come up with ideas for new products?
- 11:53 (FB Live Q) Are you going to start making fried hot peppers in oil?
- 13:05 What are you most excited about for Oliverio Peppers right now?
- 14:44 What’s your geographic market?
- 16:12 Can you tell us more about your private label?
- 17:01 How did you feel about selling your product without your name on it?
- 18:31 How many employees do you have?
- 18:42 How many jars do you sell per month? Per year?
- 20:03 Can you tell us more about what the process was like to open a new facility?
- 21:29 What has been your best business moment so far?
- 23:35 PWV Commercial Break
- 24:19 What is the long term vision you have for Oliverio Peppers?
- 25:02 What does your dad think about what Oliverio has become?
- 26:24 What’s one of the biggest challenges you’re facing right now?
- 27:57 Has the pandemic forced you to adapt or change any of your food safety protocols?
- 30:15 What is one piece of advice that you’d give to young entrepreneurs/ business owners?
- 31:43 What is one thing that you do everyday that you think contributes to your success?
- 33:00 What is your favorite way to use Oliverio Peppers?
- 33:41 What is one resource that you use in your business that you just can’t live without?
- 34:58 What is one book or podcast that you’d recommend for aspiring entrepreneurs?
- 38:33 Is there anything else you’d like our listeners to know about Oliverio Peppers or your story?
- 39:33 What is the best way for people to learn more about Oliverio Peppers and maybe even get in contact with you?
- 40:38 Outro