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Coworking Convenience, Flexibility and Community a “Perfect Fit” for Purveyor of Authentic Italian Salumeri
HOBOKEN, N.J., Sept. 14, 2021 – For over a century, Levoni has been bringing authentic imported salumeri directly from its Italian farms to tables all over the world. And now that good work is happening from Hoboken’s Mission 50; Levoni recently relocated its U.S. operations to the property at 50 Harrison Street from Brooklyn.
When it comes to the origin of its 300 types of salumeri – fine cured meats – Levoni’s motto is “no compromising”: the company crafts its recipes using only pork from select breeds that have been born, bred and processed in Italy.
When it came to choosing a new location for the company’s offices, there was no compromising either, according to Alberto Morandi, general manager of Levoni America Corporation. “We moved to a coworking space in Brooklyn in 2020 and quickly began to outgrow it,” he said. “Prices in New York are prohibitive if you want to scale your company, so we made a decision to relocate to a more enterprise-friendly state.”
Moving to New Jersey would allow the company to save money on taxes and insurance as well as on rent, he noted. But when it came to finding a suitable coworking location, Morandi was less than enthusiastic about the available options. “I remember scouting Hoboken and Jersey City, and I was surprised by how limited the choices were,” he recalled.
Then Morandi visited Mission 50 in Hoboken – and knew he’d found the perfect fit.
In Search of a Convenient and Affordable Coworking Option
Levoni opened its first subsidiary in North America in 2014, paving the way to bring the best of Italian salumeri to millions of new customers. “The company exported products to the U.S. for over 20 years,“ Morandi explained. “The business grew steadily, and they made the move to open a subsidiary in Norwalk, Connecticut.”
After working as a consultant and spearheading Levoni America Corporation’s expansion for two and a half years, Morandi was asked to join the company full time. He relocated the Norwalk office to Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood, and a year later began the hunt for new coworking space across the Hudson River. What he found didn’t come close to meeting the company’s needs.
Convenience topped Morandi’s must-have list. He and his team frequently bring in product from a warehouse in Sayreville, N.J., and transport samples, equipment and marketing materials to customers and food shows. So, ample parking and easy access to the building were a necessity.
Affordability was also important, as was the size of the workspace. “Places like WeWork and Regus were tiny, with a chair and a desk and that’s it,” said Morandi. “But we’re not a tech company. We don’t just sit in front of a computer all day.”
Built to Support Changing Needs
Mission 50 met all of Morandi’s criteria – and then some. The newly renovated, 80,000-square-foot boutique office building and coworking community offers a flexible environment including shared coworking spaces, privacy pods, private office suites to accommodate individuals or small teams, and traditional, fully customizable offices. A wide range of amenities and a menu of membership options cater to a variety of budgets, team sizes and workplace needs. Members range from solo entrepreneurs and growing startups to seasoned businesses with 100-plus employees.
“Mission 50 is built for companies like Levoni – entrepreneurial in nature, seeking workspaces that accommodate growth and looking for a collaborative community-centric vibe,” said Greg Dell’Aquila, CEO of JDA Group, Mission 50’s developer and owner/operator.
This summer, the Levoni team – which includes account sales manager Lorenzo Regazzini and office manager Addy Hasani – moved into a two-room private suite on Mission 50’s newly renovated second floor. One room serves as an office for Hasani and Morandi, who is currently splitting his time between New Jersey and Italy. The other is used for food prep and storage. “Fewer customers are visiting in person since the pandemic,” Morandi noted. “We needed extra space because we are sending more product for them to sample.”
Mission 50 is designed to offer an integrated environment that fosters productivity and flexibility – the latter of which was a huge selling point for Morandi. “We currently do a few million dollars in sales and have experienced strong growth for the past five years,” he said. “We are gauging the possibility of establishing a factory where we can slice product and sell to U.S customers. If that goal is realized, we will need to add space and make room for additional staff. Mission 50’s many options will allow us to expand without leaving the building.”
A Business Community that Works
The availability of multiple conference rooms – complete with 85-inch electronic Samsung whiteboards and self-contained Zoom video conferencing systems – is a significant cost-saving amenity that allows meetings with Levoni’s top executives, who travel from Italy several times a year, to be hosted onsite. The second floor also has a bar/lounge, espresso machines, shuffleboard, high-top tables, televisions, arcade games and video gaming systems.
“Community strength is essential to helping people connect, build new networks and support each other,” said Dell’Aquila. “We’ve created numerous spaces where people can gather, and are curating a range of engagement experiences that are in line with the needs of our members – whether they want to learn, network or just relax.” Planned programming includes guest speakers, pitch competitions, scotch tastings, guest bartenders, and gaming events.
For the Levoni team, opportunities to connect with and learn from others may be Mission 50’s most valuable perk. “To be successful in this country, we need to understand the habits and way of life of the people here, and it’s a never-ending learning process,” said Morandi. “The space in Brooklyn didn’t have a community feeling. Here, we’ve been talking to people since the very first day. Sharing ideas, moments, an espresso – you can’t do that sitting in an office. And of course, the free beer is a great perk!”
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Photo Caption: Alberto Morandi, general manager of Levoni America Corporation, recently relocated his company’s operations to the Mission 50 boutique office building and coworking community in Hoboken, N.J.
About Mission 50
50 Harrison St., Hoboken, N.J. 07030
Follow Mission 50 on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contacts
Ken Hunter / Maxine Aviles
Caryl Communications
201-796-7788
ken@caryl.com / maxine@caryl.com