R.I. Fruit and Syrup.
(Tom Croke)
Company: Rhode Island Fruit and Syrup
Owners: John Mottola and Walter Vigneau
Location: 250 Putnam Pike, Johnston
Type of business: Beverage wholesaler and distributor
Year founded: 1948
Employees: 12
Annual revenues: WND
Almost no one likes the warm weather as much as John Mottola, president of Rhode Island Fruit and Syrup does.
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When the temperature gauge rises, his businesses, which manufacture and distribute flavored syrup for ice cream, slushes and other beverages, rise with it.
“We love it when it gets warm,” John said. “We very much enjoy summer. It’s non-stop, but that’s the way we like it.”
The company first opened on June 30, 1948 – and, according to John, his father in-law sold his first gallon of coffee flavored syrup then.
“My father went to the University of Rhode Island and became a chemical engineer,” said Toni Mottola, John’s wife, who now holds the title of office manager at the family business. “His father was working at a brewery in Providence and he would make lemonade and other syrups for his friends, so I think for my father the natural thing was to follow in his footsteps.”
Serving local restaurants and becoming a Coca-Cola franchise, the company grew steadily over the years. And in 1978, when his father in law passed away, John said, he and his brother-in-law, Walter Vigneau, decided to buy the business.
“I was in the chemical waste management business, when Walter asked me if I was interested in this,” John said. “I decided to go for it.”
Today, the two have separate but equal roles in continuing a tradition started by their father in law.
“Walter does the shipping, receiving and the mixing,” John said. “I do the sales and service.”
It seems to be a successful recipe.
Located along the Putnam Pike on the Johnston/Smithfield line, the building’s white façade hides aisles of warehouse space, and the huge mixing vats that combine the ingredients in each of the company’s 35 syrups. From the basic coffee, chocolate and vanilla, to the more creative flavors like watermelon, lemonade and pistachio the company prides itself on its selection.
“These are all secret family recipes,” John said. “We mix them here. We buy the oils, make the extract and mix them together.”
People seem to love them. So much so that company officials occasionally retail their products to meet the cravings of individual customers, though the majority of the business is wholesale.
“When October hits, we get tons of calls from people wanting to take cases of coffee syrup to a variety Arizona, Florida or other warm places,” Toni said. “We had a couple call us last year from Minnesota wanting to know if we could Fed Ex some. It’s unbelievable.”
But of course it’s done because for John there is nothing more important in his business then meeting the needs of his customers.
“I like seeing the customer have our products and really enjoy them,” he said. “They could probably buy cheaper somewhere else, but they don’t because they would rather stay with us. That says something to me.”
The company has also found success as a Coca-Cola franchise. Rhode Island Fruit and Syrup is one of the few remaining franchises in Rhode Island – and it competes directly with the main distribution branch in Providence.
“We consider that friendly competition,” John said. “We franchised with Coke so long ago that they don’t even do it anymore.”
The franchise permit allows John to go into restaurants and taverns and set up Coke fountains, soda guns and other products. And while the company used to market itself to chain restaurants, it learned the hard way that diversity is important.
“Years ago we used to do all the Burger Kings,” John said. “But when we lost that account to Pepsi, we decided not to do any more chains. When you lose smaller individual accounts, it’s not as bad. But when you lose something like a chain it really hurts.”
John, who has been known to go out and service both his company’s equipment and that of his competition, said it’s his ability to be there when needed that his customers appreciate.
“At 5 p.m. on a Friday afternoon, if my customer needs something, I am there,” he said. “That’s a big thing.”
Toni agreed.
“In the information age that we live in, to call and get a real live person on the phone almost all of the time is something unique,” she said. “We know all of our customers and they know us.”
The company has also diversified in other ways. Soon after buying the business, Toni decide to expand into ice cream accessories like cones, sprinkles, and hot fudge. It’s a product line she said compliments the syrups and flavorings.
“I like to tell people that we sell everything but the ice cream,” she said. “We wanted to be a place where people could get it all and not worry.”
And with so much family running around, one would think it might get a little crowded — not for John.
“Walter and I were friends before this business, we grew up together,” he said. “There will always be loyalty and honesty even if we don’t see eye to eye.”
For Toni, the joy comes in continuing what is now a third-generation tradition.
“It’s a lot of hard work,” she said. “But we take pride in what we do, it’s our family history.”
