Manfredi Cold Storage is a family-owned logistics and cold storage company based in Pennsylvania with a second location in New Jersey. The company has been serving the food industry since the 1930s. The company has grown from a small farming operation into a provider of cold storage, repacking, transportation, and logistics services across the United States. The New Jersey location employs 55 people across roles, including technicians, pallet jack operators, shipping and receiving personnel, customer service representatives, warehouse associates, packagers, and quality control staff.
In 2024, Manfredi Cold Storage of Pedricktown decided to pursue SA8000® certification as part of its ongoing commitment to workplace accountability, employee wellbeing, and operational excellence, achieving certification in 2025. Since becoming certified, the company has already experienced positive outcomes across multiple areas. SAI spoke with Steven Fantini II, Head of Human Resources at Manfredi, to learn more about the company’s experience with SA8000 and the impact it has had on both the organization and its employees.
Manfredi made the decision to pursue SA8000 certification as part of its continued growth and commitment to responsible business practices. As relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees continue to grow, Manfredi recognized the need to demonstrate more accountability beyond day-to-day operations of the company. The globally recognized, rigorous, and credible nature of the SA8000 certification was a key reason Manfredi chose to pursue this milestone.
To Manfredi, becoming SA8000 certified is not simply about earning a label, it reinforces the company’s commitment to transparency, ethical operations, and meeting the evolving expectations of stakeholders. Mr. Fantini shared that they see SA8000 certification as a valuable tool to help bridge the gap between employer and employees, by creating channels where concerns can be raised without fear of retaliation alongside ongoing monitoring to ensure that these standards are consistently upheld.
Throughout the SA8000 certification process, Manfredi found the inclusion of multiple surveillance checks to be one of the valuable aspects, as it ensured continuous accountability rather than a single point-in-time assessment. This approach provided the company with greater confidence in the overall certification process. The experience was further strengthened by the auditors, who were described as highly knowledgeable and thorough. Their clear assessment helped the company better understand where its current practices stand, while also identifying areas where additional steps and opportunities could further strengthen and improve its existing systems and workplace practices moving forward.
SA8000 certification has contributed to several meaningful developments at Manfredi, particularly in strengthening relationships with both workers and clients. One of the valuable developments has been the continued growth of the Social Performance Team (SPT), which Mr. Fantini noted has helped create a more open and collaborative environment across the company. Internally, communication with staff has improved significantly, supported by ongoing SA8000 training, regular safety courses, and the SPT, all of which have contributed to a more engaged and informed workforce. In addition, Mr. Fantini noted “Our customers are happier to do business with a company who values the treatment of those who drive the organization in the direction of success in both the vision and mission statement”.
Looking ahead, Mr. Fantini described SA8000:2026 as a positive step forward, particularly because of its more customizable scoring approach, which better supports both new and existing certified companies. Manfredi is working to rewrite and update the company’s existing SA8000 Program Binder to incorporate the new standards so they can transition to an SA8000:2026 certificate in the future.
