Italian Imports is a small family-owned import business based in St Louis, Missouri that specializes in wholesale and retail olive oil from Italy. 

Run exclusively by several members of the Bono family, Italian Imports supplies wholesalers, retailers, and restaurants in the St. Louis area with olive oil imported straight from Italy. In late 2019, they learned they were required to comply with a new set of Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) regulations and had 30 days to find a solution. 

President Jeff Bono and his father researched the new regulations and realized they didn’t have the staff or resources for FSVP plan creation and implementation, supplier documentation collection, and other compliance requirements.  

Aware that their adherence window was closing quickly, the Bonos reached out to their network for help and a manufacturer they’d worked with since 2007 recommended Registrar Corp. 

“That business network in Italy is so tight, it’s like you’re dealing with family. And if you pick up the phone for a favor, all stops are pulled out and you get a recommendation that they trust,” Bono said. “So, for Registrar Corp to rise to the top and be on someone’s mind, that’s a huge compliment.” 

For almost 5 years, Registrar Corp has helped Italian Imports: 

• Prepare for upcoming FDA inspections. Italian Imports has only had one inspection (2020) since working with Registrar Corp and were able to pass it successfully with a “no action indicated” (NAI). Registrar Corp supported them by developing and implementing a new FSVP plan and handling FDA communication as the company’s Qualified Individual (QI). 
• Manage Italian suppliers. Italian Import’s dedicated regulatory specialist coordinated with their suppliers to gather the documentation needed for their FSVP plan and FDA inspection. 
• Manage supplier compliance. The company uses Registrar Corp’s FSVP compliance software platform, ComplyHub™, to monitor and track overseas suppliers. 

But the biggest advantage, says Bono, is how working with Registrar Corp helps them fulfill a crucial function that keeps them in business. “It is literally my father and I and my wife doing admin. If we aren’t keeping the business running then the business stops. So if we were trying to do what you all are doing for us, we would suffer a revenue hit because we’d need the head count to do that.”