Chef Boy-Ar-Dee

Chef Boy-Ar-Dee. Industries of Milton. , Undoubtedly, the most famous family in Milton's industrial history was the Boiardis , brothers Hector, Paul, and Mario. The Chef Boiardi Food Products Company was established in Milton in 1938. In an effort to help non-Italian Americans pronounce his name, Company president Hector became the world-renowned "Chef Boy-Ar-Dee." , The three Italian immigrants were from Piacenza, Italy. Hector Boiardi came to America at the age of seventeen. He conceived the idea of the commercial food-packing business in his restaurant, Il Giardino d'Italia, which he opened in 1924 in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1929, when patrons began taking his savory spaghetti sauce home with them in paper cartons, the chef conceived the brilliant idea to manufacture his spaghetti dinner on a large-scale, so that a greater number of food lovers could enjoy it. He rented a tiny room above his restaurant, and with a small supply of raw materials and packaging supplies, the chef began his spaghetti business. , About a year and a half later, it became necessary to move to a larger kitchen and hire several assistants to fill the overwhelming number of orders from Cleveland and surrounding areas. , The Milton Chamber of Commerce and the Milton Borough Council were instrumental in working with Boiardi to bring his operations here. Purchase negotiations moved quickly, and after acquiring the former Susquehanna Silk Mill, Boiardi established the Milton plant. Meanwhile, the entire valley was canvassed for large-scale food growers. Meetings were held in school buildings and community halls throughout the area to negotiate agreements between growers and Boiardi’s representatives. Contracts for over one thousand acres of tomato land were signed. , Hector Boiardi was president of the Chef Boiardi Food Products Company. His brother Paul was vice-president and brother Mario became Hector's assistant in charge of kitchens. Carl Colombi was secretary-treasurer. , Within a few years, business skyrocketed, then during World War II the company was awarded contracts by the federal government to produce rations for the armed forces. The plant was given the Army-Navy E award for war production efforts. After eight years of business in Milton, in early 1946, Hector, Paul, and Mario sold the famous Chef Boy-Ar-Dee plant to American Home Foods, a division of American Home Products. ConAgra now owns the Milton operation. , The brothers became millionaires from the sale of the business and moved on to other ventures. Hector was instrumental as fundraising chairman and a major financial contributor of the Evangelical Community Hospital of Lewisburg.