HAMDEN FIRM IS SNACK SUCCESS

By Linda G. Mele
Correspondent

You notice the aroma wafting out of the International Provisions plant in still in the parking lot. The pungent, but slightly sweet smells drifting from the plant tell visitors there's a whole lot of cooking going on inside. It's all from the company's preparation of a variety of flavored, deep-fried pork skins, sausage and meatballs. Located at the former Howard Sausage Co. at 6 Hamden Park Drive, the company also operates its Food King distribution arm from the same facility. Thailand native Chongdee Leroux and her husband, Charlie, bought the building three years ago from the former occupants. They also purchased the Howard Sausage line at the same time."Chongdee is in charge of the manufacturing and I handle the marketing," Charlie said in between making calls to order pallets of salt, sugar and spices from their suppliers."My father was in the meat business in Thailand and I wanted to try and duplicate what they did there here," Chongdee said.

In 1992, she began by making ethnic snacks, sausage and meatballs in a 2,000-square-foot facility in Bridgeport which were big sellers in the Asian market. She and Charlie got married, bought the Howard operation and moved the business to the 10,000-square-foot Hamden location in 1995 because they needed more space."It was a busy year," Charlie said. According to charlie, the howard products-sausage, fried pork skins, fried pork cracklings (a firmer version of pork skins) and a sausage blend called "Souse loaf" - were well-known and popular throughout the greater New Haven area.
Sal Ferraro, manager of Feraro Foods on Grand Avenue in New Haven, agreed.
"We sell a lot of the souse loaf and people only want that brand. We've tried other brands, but our customers wouldn't buy them," Ferraro said The pork skins also sell well, too, he said, "because there aren't too many companies around that make them the old-fashioned way anymore." Charlie said the International Provisions part of the business should do about $1 million in sales this year, with the expansion of the Howard line, new products in the Asian line and the company's expansion into New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
"We're concentrating on building the distribution arm and on developing new products," Charlie said.
Chongdee is currently refining a recipe she developed for Asian dried beef. She hands out samples of her latest concoction to visitors to critique.
In addition to manufacturing the Howard and International brands, the Food King arm distributes other ethnic foods, such as sweet potato pie, smoked meats, hot dogs, bacon, brisket, fish, turkey, duck, oxtails, tripe, fatback, pork bellies, goat, squid, octopus and neck bones made or processed by dozens of other companies, including some based in Thailand.
"We separated the two parts of company last year and developed a partnership with some companies in Thailand to import and distribute their products in the U.S.," Charlie said. They also do some private label manufacturing and sell direct to individuals and retailers."It's hectic keeping up with all the fronts, but that's how you grow," Charlie said. The actual processing, cooking and packing areas are gleaming white and stainless steel. Depending on what they're whipping up on any particular day, the aromas and sounds assault visitors. A huge machine takes a 60 pound block of frozen pork skins and reduces it to bite-size pices in a few minutes. The spitting oil crackles in huge cooking vats as the pork skins are lowered and the pungent aroma of frying pork and spices permeates the air. While several workers fry the pork skins, others mix meatballs and blend sausage. Chongdee, meanwhile, scurries around overseeing everything or hunkers down to formulate new products."My wife is amazing; she's got so many ideas brewing," Charlie said. And, it's the new ideas that keep the company growing, according to Charlie."We deal with several very different and distinct markets. The Howard products appealto the Hispanic and African-American market because they have that 'down-home Southern flavor,' the International products are geared to the Oriental [Thai, Chinese, Vietnamess and laotian] market and the items we distribute for other companies cross a number of markets, "Charlie said.