1920's to 1960's: Supermarkets
The Durban Family has been in the Meat and Grocery Business for a century (since the early 1920’s). Our efforts in the business have included Supermarkets, Butcher Shops, Distribution, Consumer Product Manufacturing and CPG Advisory. Our origins come from being German Immigrants coming into America in the early 1910’s with a home-base in Akron, Ohio.
The Family Created a Small Chain of Meat Markets in Ohio and Pennsylvania (Eventually Opening Up Stores in California) Peter Durban started a small meat and grocery chain (1920’s to 1940’s) called Durban Meats in the Akron, OH area. As a member of the Volunteer Food Stores Coop, Durban Foods grew to a-number of locations in Canton, OH, Youngstown, OH, Newcastle, PA and other parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana. Peter Durban sold the business in the late 1940’s to move his family to Southern California to re-start the business there as Durban Meats. Peter’s sons and daughters (with the in-laws) continued in the food and meat businesses in different variations.
Durban Meats Southern California: The family sold their stores in the Ohio Valley and decided to relocate to Southern California opening-up new Durban Meats stores. With a-number of locations in the Los Angeles area, we had stores serving the local public up to the mid-sixties.
1960's to 1990's: Meat Distribution
The family had created its own butcher shops and a Meat distribution business that was eventually bought out by Sysco. Our Uncle’s Monte Durban and Tom Eritano and Cousins David, Tommy and Russell Eritano were heavily involved in the meat business over two generations. Tom had a meat business career including working with Zacky Farms (in the Fresno area) ending up opening his own butcher shop. His sons David and Tommy carried on with the family business with a series of butcher shop and meat distribution businesses (including trucking). One of their distribution businesses was successfully sold to Sysco Foods (included meat distribution to area food service customers including the California Prison System).
1960's to 1990's - Certified Grocers
Certified Grocers in Hawaii
Our family was involved as suppliers to Hawaiian Based Retailers since the 1960’s starting with being involved with the Kress and Woolworth stores and evolving to becoming Vice Presidents with Certified Grocers (supplied everyone from Foodland to Times Supermarkets as well most other Hawaiian based supermarket chains). Certified Grocers is now UNFI.
Since then, we have had our own brands as well as brands we are involved with having extensive distribution in Hawaiian Stores since the 1980’s.
1990's to Today
We have carried on in the consumer products business starting with careers with Nestle, Coca Cola, Pepsi and evolving into creating our own brands, becoming co-founders of others (ex Nature’s Bakery) and advising 200’s of start-up, emerging and established brands in North America from our locations in Hawaii, Southern California, Nevada, Texas and North Carolina.
Since then, we have had our own brands as well as brands we are involved with having extensive distribution in Hawaiian Stores since the 1980’s.
From Hawaii to the Mainland - From the Mainland to Hawaii
Hawaiian Region (The Co-Packing Network) is a consumer product incubation and acceleration program that helps brand groups with their expansion needs. We help Hawaiian Brands get into the Mainland for business as well, bring Mainland Brands come into Hawaii.
* We have our own locations in Honolulu, HI; Hilo, HI; Las Vegas, NV and Palm Springs, CA
Summary: The founders have been involved with the Hawaiian Islands (relating to consumer products) since the 1950’s. More recently they are involved with programming relating to Hawaii in a-number of ways (from the home-bases in Honolulu and Hilo).
www.HawaiianRegion.com / www.MahaloMade.com