This woman-owned business has deep roots in New Jersey. More than 60 years ago, G.A. Productions introduced Ellio’s Pizza and has maintained its competitive edge ever since. Known for its signature rectangular shape, Ellio’s offers a variety of toppings and packaging options, making it a convenient and popular choice for consumers.

Since partnering with Food Export in 2023, G.A. Productions has entered a new export market and increased brand awareness in multiple regions. With support from Food Export–Northeast’s Branded Program, the Lodi, New Jersey-based company—doing business as Ellio’s Pizza—promoted both its Ellio’s and La Huerta pizza products through advertising campaigns, product demonstrations, sample shipments, in-store promotions, and customized packaging.

These efforts helped secure more than $450,000 in sales to Mexico, gain one new foreign buyer contact, and establish a new distributorship. Notably, this marked the company’s first sale to the Mexican market.

Christopher Beels, Director of Sales and Marketing, noted, “The resources offered by Food Export and the Branded Program significantly increased our likelihood of international success. For example, attending a Focused Trade Mission to Mexico not only allowed us to learn about the consumer landscape, business culture, and regulations, but also gave us the opportunity to network with retailers, distributors, other manufacturers, and government agencies. This helped us engage in more purposeful, collaborative dialogue with potential customers.”

As a result, G.A. Productions successfully commercialized co-branded pizza products for direct export to Mexico, blending the brand equity of La Huerta with the quality and convenience of Ellio’s Pizza. Today, the products are on shelves in thousands of Mexican retail stores, with further expansion expected in 2026.

Food Export uses funding from the Market Access Program (MAP) to help America’s small businesses increase their exports of food and agricultural products. As these exports increase, these small businesses are creating jobs and improving the strength and stability of our agricultural economy. Food Export-Midwest and Food Export-Northeast are non-profit organizations that work in collaboration with their member state departments of agriculture and the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. They offer a wide range of programs and services that help boost America’s agricultural exports.