PASSION, TALENT AND TIMING
It’s difficult to overlook Greenway’s CEO Jamie D’Alimonte, even in a greenhouse facility so massive the aisles are a causeway of electric carts and bicycles. He appears on the horizon with broad shoulders and a winning smile. It’s 6 pm and D’Alimonte is well into his twelfth hour on the job… and yet he seems almost giddy. When asked how he manages to retain such exuberance, he shrugs his shoulders and shares his secret. “I love it.”
You see there are some people for whom career timing is exquisite – an apex where talent and passion intersect with opportunity. Twenty years ago, a young D’Alimonte was fascinated by computers and the potential that wide scale computerization held. He happened to be spending his weekends working at a greenhouse owned by his uncle, Carl Mastronardi – a passionate master grower. It wasn’t long before Jamie adopted his uncle’s passion and the two became business partners. And an industry known for limited evolution and incremental implementation of technology was about to change… drastically. Timing is everything.
In short order, D’Alimonte and Mastronardi began expanding operations, leveraging technology and computerization every step of the way. D’Alimonte soon revealed a clear talent for both finance and management. Within a few short years, Sunrite Greenhouses and DelFrescoPure® were at the forefront of a rapidly expanding produce industry. Today, as a brand, DelFrescoPure® delivers a variety of world-class tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and strawberries to clients throughout North America. Sunrite Greenhouses owns and operates over 4 million square feet of greenhouse and processing facilities. Along with Mastronardi, D’Alimonte leads a talented team with a shared vision of what a healthy, industry-leading organization should operate like. For most, this is where the story would end – celebrating an astonishing career built on talent, passion and opportunity. But not for D’Alimonte. He’s just getting started.
D’Alimonte and Mastronardi decided to leverage their skills and experience to launch Greenway – a commercial-scale, cannabis growing operation. They’ve assembled an exceptional team and Greenway is well on its way to becoming an industry leader. And D’Alimonte’s leadership doesn’t go unnoticed. According to Greenway CFO Darren Peddle, “Jamie is truly a renaissance man. He can spend part of his day creating magic in the greenhouse, another part reviewing construction designs and somehow find a way to review the intricacies of our financials – and all three hats fit.” D’Alimonte deflects any praise, “If I’m proud of anything, it’s being able to surround myself with world class talent. I’m not the only one around here who absolutely loves their job.” But it’s hard to deny his ability to seize an opportunity at the most opportune time. “The knowledge and technology we’ve developed and harnessed at Sunrite and DelFrescoPure® has just now become ready to be applied to cannabis cultivation. If you asked us if this was possible just a few years ago, we’d have said no. But now… it is. And we’re doing it.” When it’s suggested that timing is everything, D’Alimonte smiles “Sure… timing… twelve-hour days… and an amazing team.”