Santa María della Scala is a small fishing village on the island of Sicily, Italy.
With the onset of World War II many of its inhabitants made the difficult decision to leave homeland and emigrate to other lands, with the great illusion of finding a better future; far from the destruction and poverty in which the war conflict plunged them.
Gioacchino Pennisi was one of those many immigrants who arrived at the port of Mar del Plata, looking for new life projects, as well as the possibility of being reborn in another country. He arrived in Argentina on April 1, 1948 and from 1952 established a modest anchovy salting, which years later incorporated the canning of fish.
With his visionary approach, a vast knowledge of the activity, his leadership qualities and his passion for the challenges Gioacchino Pennisi and his wife, Yolanda Greco, were able to convey to their five children a deep respect for the work and integrated them from an early age to the work of the factory, bequeathing in them the conduction of the company.
Currently, together with the experience and recognized quality obtained in these more than 60 years of business life, Conservas Pennisi has managed to innovate its products and processes by adding modern equipment, packaging systems, cold stores and quality programs, in a set of extensive facilities that allows us to satisfy the requirements of the local and international markets.
CONSERVAS PENNISI
ORIGINS AND PRESENT
The Company was born in 1952 in the heart of the port of Mar del Plata as a result of the efforts of an entire family, making a typical product of the Argentine Sea: anchovies in salted fish. The first year 26,000 kilos were processed and from then on the growth has been sustained. Slowly but surely.
In the course of 1972, the production of canned fish was incorporated in the small facilities that the factory had; infrastructure that today forms a plant of about 11,000 m² composed of advanced technology equipment, hierarchical personnel and offices of modern structure.
From there a Company was erected that, with firmness and dedication to work, progressed uninterruptedly to position itself among the main producers and exporters of the sector.
In 1987 a second property was acquired for processing anchovies exclusively.
During the decade of the '90s, and given the reality of an economy open to imports, Conservas Pennisi continued its development by expanding the facilities, improving its production system and professionalizing its commercial policy, being one of the few that could adapt to the usual changing rules of the market game.
Currently about 100,000 cans of preserves are made per day; products that meet the requirements of national organizations such as the National Service of Agrifood Health and Quality -SENASA-, of the European Union and of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (agency of the United States government responsible for the regulation of food, medicines, cosmetics, medical devices, biological products and blood products). It occurs in the same way with the fulfillment of the requirements for merchandise destined for religious communities or unique ethnic groups such as the “Kosher food”.
In the two industrial establishments more than 300 people trained by the Company and with vast experience within it, make the dream of its founder continue in force.
The raw materials are mostly obtained by the vessels that operate in the port of the city, guaranteeing their excellent freshness and a supply according to the demand of the firm.
455/5000
Today, it was possible to amalgamate the tradition and craftsmanship that marked the origins of the Company with the latest technology and a qualified staff that works to achieve the main objective: to provide fresh, tasty, healthy, safe, ethical, aesthetic food , available to all and under rigorous quality systems to meet nutritional demands as well as the highest demands of customers.
In Argentina, Conservas Pennisi's products are sold throughout the territory and, thanks to their prestige, are chosen for their exceptional quality and quality / price ratio.
CONSERVAS PENNISI
SOCIAL COMMITMENT
With the firm purpose of contributing to sustainable human development - through the company's commitment and trust towards its employees, families and the local community - in order to improve social capital and quality of life, Conservas Pennisi has implemented actions from the areas of Production and Human Resources successfully managing to train and train all its personnel, as well as the incorporation of unemployed and social plan members.
In this last fact, the company was a pioneer in Argentina, a model that was later adopted by the Ministry of Labor of the Nation to train thousands of people who were in conditions of lack or job insecurity throughout the country.
In times when Argentina had the highest unemployment rates in the world - and the most important in its history - the company and the Ministry of Labor, together, generated a training project for two years that allowed access to a professional training to more than three hundred people. Among them, more than 50% of the people who completed the program were incorporated into the permanent plant of the Company, after obtaining their diploma of “Food Handler”.
After this work the INTA Foundation, Union of Commerce, Industry and Production of Mar del Plata (UCIP), among other organizations have given their recognition to the company for its work.
We are aware of having applied the ancient Chinese proverb with criteria: "Give a fish to a man and you will give him food for one day, teach him to fish and you will feed him for the rest of his life." In this way, instead of alleviating the hunger of a day with a gift to those in need, a tool of such value is provided that its fair use will allow it to bring it down throughout life.
As stated in the global norms and standards on Corporate Social Responsibility, Conservas Pennisi seeks excellence not only for its products but also enhances the training and development of its Human Resources, fosters the good working environment, the correct implementation of measures of Health and safety at work, is committed to the community and the environment.
CONSERVAS PENNISI
CULTURAL CONTRIBUTION
The entrepreneurial spirit of Conservas Pennisi seeks to integrate the community as a whole with actions aimed at achieving excellence and generating spaces for cultural development.
This thriving and consolidated company in the market, since its inception has promoted the dissemination of fishing activity and its origins, respect for work and responsibility with society and the environment.
With that clear objective, many of the desires have been shaped into concrete actions.
Fishing, industry and other stories.
The fact of having been born in the port of Mar del Plata - where fishermen and workers in the sector were Italians or children of Italians - motivated one of the members of the Company, Roberto Carlos Pennisi, to carry out a work that narrates this social phenomenon of incredible wealth that was the Italian immigration in the port of the city.
The result of that idea was reflected in 2006 in a book that was first presented in Italy (Argentine Embassy in Rome, in the municipalities of Acireale, Capri, Ischia, Syracuse and Sorrento) and then in Argentina.
“Italians in the Port of Mar del Plata” is based on the lives of those who had to leave their homeland in search of a better future and who, for the most part, were from localities in southern Italy - from the regions of Campania and Sicily-.
The book was declared of Parliamentary interest by the Chambers of Deputies of the Nation and of the Province of Buenos Aires, as well as of Cultural and Tourist interest by the Municipality of Gral. Pueyrredón. Fruit of a hard and systematic work, has given its author many satisfactions and distinctions inside and outside the country.
Author: Roberto Pennisi Mar del Plata. Editorial Atlántida, 2006. ISBN: 9789872272906 // 9872272905 Edited in three languages: Spanish, Italian and English
With the firm intention of paying tribute to the Marplatean fisheries and their pioneers, the façade of the factory located in Hernandarias 3275 was filled with images and colors in October 2014.
A Mural Painting Meeting was held for the participation of students and teachers of Municipal High Schools, assisted by the plastic artist Emilia Leo. The event was named "Juan Mattera" in tribute to a great worker, businessman and industrialist who died in December 2013.
It is not only about beautifying a manufacturing sector but leaving a positive message to all those who travel through that area; exalting ethics, work, responsibility and recognition to those who have done so much for the fishing industry.
Through the walls of the company we have told part of the history of these more than one hundred years of Fishing and Industry of our city, narrating in images from which regions of the world the tireless workers who are protagonists of this initiative emigrated.
CONSERVAS PENNISI
RECOGNITION OF STAFF
When our staff retires, we consider it an excellent opportunity to take stock and review what the work of the people with whom we have shared their life and work development represents.
We are inspired by the Latin origin of the word jubilare, which means expressing oneself with joy, with jubilee. And you have to celebrate it. That is why we annually pause our tasks, meet in the dining room of the establishment and entertain those who retire and close an important cycle to start a different stage and with new personal projects. During the event, we renew the commitment to move forward with the same convictions that stand out to us, with drive and optimism.
Accompanied by family members, symbolic gifts are given to the honorees, evoking anecdotes and leaving room for emotions that play a preponderant role in these events. There is no lack of nostalgia, thanks, laughter and tears.
On one occasion - more than fifteen years ago - a parchment carved in leather to be made by the poet Eduardo Viglietti was handed over to an employee ready to retire. This versatile countryman, a native of General Pirán, has developed multiple activities in his life. One of those trades was that of a fisherman of high-seated boats with a seat in Mar del Plata and, for that reason, he was keenly interested in the destination that had the fruit of his work in our company.
From there was born a special friendship based fundamentally on the admiration that his person generates. A being with immeasurable spiritual wealth, a warm and emotional man. Connoisseur of his land, of his people. As a corollary and testimony of this, he dedicated a poem that reflects and faithfully interprets what work means to us. This literary production accompanies us every day at the entrance door of the anchovy canning factory and we can enjoy it every time we enter to work.
It is a pleasure for us to share with those who visit this website the photos of the awarding of the prizes and the poem that the countryman Viglietti gave us.
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