American Italian Pasta Company (AIPC) has formed a multi-year strategic alliance with World Finer Foods (WFF), owners of the DaVinci brand of Italian food products. DaVinci is one of the top-selling imported pasta brands in the United States.

Under the agreement, AIPC will become the supplier of the imported DaVinci pasta brand. In addition, WFF will become the exclusive distributor of AIPC's portfolio of specialty and natural pastas, including the Eddie's and Mrs. Leeper's Brands, through its distribution network.

The agreement also offers the opportunity for AIPC and WFF to partner together to offer an expanded portfolio of products (including future innovation) that will flow through either the distributor network or the warehouse delivered network.

Dan Trott, president of sales and executive vice president of marketing for AIPC, noted, "We are excited about this opportunity to partner with a great national brand like DaVinci and to be able to tap into World Finer Foods' very strong DSD network. We are confident that this strategic alliance will benefit both companies with increased pasta sales and profits in the years to come.

AIPC will begin supplying a portion of the DaVinci import volume in April 2005. The companies plan to transition the selling and marketing of the Eddie's and Mrs. Leeper's brands by April, 2005. AIPC will be manufacturing the products at its Pasta Lensi operation in Northern Italy.