Joseph Lanzino, CEO of Silani Sweet Cheese, passed away earlier this week. He was 57 years old.
Silani was formed in 1954 and is based in Schomberg, Ont. Lanzino, the grandson of the original founder, ran the company with his brother and vice president Vince and their cousin Mike Talarico, who serves as company president.
Stefano Plati of Silani says that many in the grocery industry knew him for his “powers of persuasion, willingness to take bold risks, his shrewd instincts and his razor sharp sense of humour.”
In a 2008 Canadian Packaging article, Lanzino spoke about the business, which at that time employed more than 150 people and had an offering of more than 200 different cheese products.
“Canadian cheeses have been making great strides within the international markets and winning many highly-regarded awards—helping put Canada amongst the leaders of the world’s cheese-producing nations.”
He is survived by his daughters Athena, Ida and Cassandra and his five grandsons.
