Mid’s Homestyle Pasta Sauce is a tradition 65 years in the making, when Mideo Octavio first bottled his Nonna’s Sicilian style recipe to share with others. Growing up in Massillon, Mideo kept the connection to his roots by preserving the family recipe and always using the freshest ingredients and kettle cooking the sauce in small batches. While the production plant has evolved through automation and updated equipment, the small kettle-cooked batches are made very much the way Mideo crafted them in 1938. Recently, Mid’s opened their doors to MAGNET, local manufacturers, representatives from the event’s sponsor, Bank of America, staff from economic development organizations (Stark Economic Development Board, Strengthening Stark), Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Stark County Commissioner Richard Regula and others organizations  to showcase their Industry 4.0 initiatives in the first Lighthouse Tour in Stark County. The group learned how an equipment remodel in 2018 allowed the company to make twice as much, twice as fast. Their strategic tactics have helped the business grow 20x in 22 years! 

Plant efficiencies and a talented team allow Mid’s to make 34,000 jars (pasta sauce) to 60,000 jars (pizza sauce) each day. Dedication to quality has propelled the brand from placement in 55 stores in the late 1990s to more than 11,000 stores currently. 

If you are in Navarre, OH, you will smell the delicious sauce simmering from a block away. Look for their new bottle design coming in January 2024! Thanks to the Mid’s team for sharing their story and their Industry 4.0 perspective.