Made in Oceanside: Olli Salumeria LLC.

If you ever wanted to know how the sausage is made, look no further than Olli Salumeria Americana LLC. Olli Salumeria, a Chamber member, is a company dedicated to producing salami with modern methods honoring Italian tradition, right in Oceanside’s backyard. That is what his company does and who they are, says the company’s founder and president, Oliviero Colmignoli. Olli was born and raised in Rome into a family of salumi, or salami makers. As a boy, Olli spent plenty of time at his grandfather’s prosciutto and salami factories, and by an early age he picked up a lot of knowledge about how to cure various meats. He assisted his family with their salami-making business in Richmond, Virginia as a young man in the 1980’s. “You could not import meats to America at that time,” Olli says. In 2000, Olli joined his grandfather’s company and started learning the traditional techniques of creating an everlasting salami filled with history, tradition, patience, and quality. He launched his own salamimaking venture in Virginia in 2010 and then settled right here in Oceanside in 2015, expanding his company into a much larger facility. The quality of Olli Salumeria salami is directly affected by three main factors; meat, ingredients, and method of production, which they have perfected over the years. He incorporates into his meat mix more than four generations of artisanal, slow-cured history based on old family recipes and continues to sustain the process that has proved to provide a flavorful, healthy, and clean salami. Olli says it just takes simple ingredients and time. “Our salami making takes a unique and old-world approach to all three of these factors. In doing so, we have created a product that we believe in and has a tangible difference from more traditional salami found in America,” Olli says. With Olli Salumeria, the company aims to create an experience that recreates what a person would eat in Italy. This experience is a fresh-tasting salami that is sweeter with a less acidic taste, Olli says. “We do a method that has been used for thousands of years, but we can tweak it for the safety of the consumers,” he adds. “We don’t take short cuts.” The salami’s casing is covered in a powdery dusting of benign white mold, which is removed before eating. This is a “good” type of mold, which helps cure the salami and fend off bad bacteria. The pork is ground and then cooked at a very high temperature which makes it easier to dry and is less acidic. They also ferment it and keep a higher Ph, which makes a difference in the quality and flavor. It’s a salami that had time to develop its complex meat flavor through a slow-cure, gluten-free production cycle, flavored with spices and culture. The factory produces salami in many shapes and sizes. Their products include Olli snacks, 6-ounce chubs, antipasto, pre-sliced, and 5-pound bulk sausage. Whether you are in the mood for something spicy like chipotle or subtle like a genoa or even something more unusual like a black truffle infused Tartufo, Olli doesn’t disappoint his home or business customers. Other savory salami varieties available for wholesale or retail: Genoa: Genoa salami is simply seasoned with just salt and white pepper, allowing the flavor of their premium pork to shine. Sopressata: Sopressata is a robust salami flavored with whole black peppercorn and garlic. Napoli: Napoli salami is smoked over applewood giving it a complex, hearty flavor. Toscano: Toscano salami is seasoned with fennel pollen conveying a slight, licorice-like aroma. Calabrese: Their spicy calabrese is seasoned with cayenne pepper and paprika,

Pepperoni: Pepperoni is Olli’s classically American salami. Hot Sopressata: This is a spicy salami seasoned with garlic, red pepper, black pepper, paprika and red wine. What sets Olli apart from other salami makers is his respect for animal husbandry, sustainable farming methods, ensuring the hogs are vegetarians, and that there are no antibiotics or nitrates, or nitrites added. The salami is made from high-quality pork that comes from pasture-raised pigs raised on family farms. The color of the meat is a deeper mahogany color as compared to the more pinkish colored pork in which you may be familiar. “Yes, it costs more to run a business this way,” Olli says, “but we get a better meat out of them.” Because of OIli’s product quality, he was able to get his product into Whole Foods nationally within just 9 months of being in business. However, Olli says the first two years of business were difficult. “2015 and 2016 were hard. We had new costs, new overhead, new labor force. It was hard, but we persevered. In 2017, things started to change, and we started growing,” he says. His advice to other entrepreneurs is: “Don’t be scared at the first setback, but keep going.” You can now find his delicacies behind the deli counter and as local restaurant fare. When the company propelled into the snacking category in 2017, making salami, cheese and cracker packs for grocery stores and Allegiant Air, that was a game changer. Their charcuterie boards help their home consumers make entertainment easier with a pack of his own salami, imported Greek olives, and cheese. They are launching a new product line this month. Now, he has invested in modern technology such as robotic machines to move the salami from one section of his factory to another as part of the curing process. “The reason we invested so much on automation is so we can spend our money on the technology and quality of our meats and other foods,” Olli says. He also has invested in his people to develop and train them for success in his business, treating them like family. “As we grow, we want to see our employees grow, too,” he adds. Recently, The Student Opportunities for Career Awareness and Learning, or SOCAL, a joint project of the San Diego North Economic Development Council and the Carlsbad, Vista and Oceanside chambers of commerce, spent the morning with Olli and his staff Claudia Torres from human resources, Food Quality Control Director, Garrett Walsh and Raw Food Manager Nicole Angel to create a secondary school career exploration video that highlighted the company. The project, funded by a grant from Supervisor Jim Desmond, aims to inform students and those in career transition of unfamiliar professions and what educational path they might take close to home. Olli believes in encouraging youth to follow their professional dreams and believes in training new and current staff in his family’s traditional and modern salami-making methods. “We don’t expect people we hire to have the experience, and we can train them. We just want them to love the work as much as we do,” Olli says. Olli also prides itself in being “American made.” His meat, spices, raw ingredients and packaging are all made locally. Even the Olli Salumeria product labels are made right here in Oceanside with a local business. “We are made in the U.S., but with Italian style.” The company’s packaging isn’t hand-wrapped, but therein lies the secret to the taste and texture of their salami, Olli says. “Our equipment seals each salami inside the airtight translucent film that keeps the salami fresh – in the store and at home. It keeps the salami from slowly drying out and getting hard and unpleasant to eat while it’s in a store waiting to be purchased. OK, packaging secrets may be divulged, but don’t ask Olli to share his family recipes for his salumi. The recipe may be kept secret, but the intention of his products is not. “We are a family business that creates good food and convenience without sacrificing quality,” Olli says. “My family is not just selling salami— We are selling an experience. It’s like putting you in Italy with a good glass of wine, some cheese, and friends.” Olli Salumeria Americana, LLC is located at 1301 Rocky Point Drive. You can learn more about them at https:// www.olli.com/.

Ribbon Cuttings

UEI COLLEGE

UEI College is a career college that trains employment ready candidates in Electrician Technician, HVAC Technician, Automotive Technician, Dental Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Office Specialist, Pharmacy Technician, Business Office Administration, and Criminal Justice. Campus President, Alex Poyuzina, J.D., MATL, cut the ribbon with Mayor Esther Sanchez, Councilmember Peter Weiss, Fernando Hernandez on behalf of Assemblymember Tasha Boerner Horvath, Scott Ashton, CEO of the Oceanside Chamber and members of the community. UEI College has been providing career education in the North County since 2010; however, we are excited to now be part of the Oceanside community.

STUDIO ACE

Studio ACE is an arts education nonprofit organization with a mission to enrich lives through Arts, Community, and Education. They opened their first physical studio space in June 2018, and proudly celebrated the opening of an additional 1000 square feet of classroom space in September 2021, allowing them to bring even more arts education opportunities to the Oceanside community. The grand opening also marked the unveiling of ACE’s new classroom mural, donated and painted by Oceanside artist Michael Summers, titled “Be Kind”. Stop by to see the new space, visit the ACE Art Shop, and find out about upcoming classes!

BLESSED AND BOUJEE BOUTIQUE

Did you know “Boujee” means luxurious in lifestyle, yet humble in character? Blessed & Boujee Boutique inspires women to be strong and independent and encourages them to shop confidently! Owner Amanda Marie created this one-stop fashion boutique to meet all women’s needs. Amanda as a plus-size woman has struggled with her weight all her life. When she found attire that made her feel amazing, she knew she wanted other women to feel confident in their skin too! She wanted them to feel as excited as she did the first time a dress fit perfectly. And that’s how Blessed & Boujee Boutique was born! This New Boujee Boutique offers lingerie, accessories, shoes, fun gifts, and stylish clothing for all women including those “Blessed with Curves”!