A new dairy-grade bottling facility will
allow Sam and Diane Francovich of
Francovich Holiday Nog to significantly
increase bottling capacity and expand distribution
to other states.
Francovich Holiday Nog moved operations
to a 2,500-square-foot facility at 1345
W. Fourth St., also home to Crystal Ice and
Oil. The Francovich family invested $55,000
in improvements that allow the facility to
bottle their heady eggnog blend whenever
they chose, and cold-storage facilities offered
by the longtime west Reno ice company made
for a perfect fit, co-owner Sam Francovich
said.
"All the cooling and refrigeration they
have got right there," he said."It allows us to
control our own destiny because we can bottle
when we want and as much as we want. It
is just a much better situation for us."
The company previously shared bottling
facilities with West-Pack, a bulk-foods packing
plant in Sparks. Francovich said the move
allows for a much higher level of quality control.
"We are a super-clean facility," he said.
"We have got to be just as clean as Model
Dairy."
The new facility also allows the
Francovich family to bottle as much as 3,600
bottles a day, compared to 3,600 bottles a
week at their old location since they could
only bottle once a week.
The move was made with an eye toward
the future as the family hopes to expand its
reach by striking distribution deals across the
country. Currently Francovich Holiday Nog is
distributed by Silver State Liquors primarily
to northern Nevada retailers such as Wal-
Mart, Costco, Ben's Liquors, Smiths, Longs
and several other outlets.
"What we really need is a distributor in
California and one in the Chicago area,"
Francovich said."We need cold-weather climates
eggnog is not big in Los Angeles."
