At a Glance
Citrus and Allied Essences & Trilogy Flavors have spent decades supplying essential oils and custom flavors worldwide. But with aging systems and a lean IT team trying to keep pace with rapid growth, they partnered with SC&H to fully outsource IT and build a modern, scalable tech stack.
Key Results
21 vendors
managed by a single, accountable partner
Zero disruption
across 8 streamlined processes
6 systems
modernized to replace legacy tech
Client
Industry
Manufacturing
“SC&H has become like a right hand for us to help guide us on what we should be looking at next.”
Richie Pisano
General Manager, Citrus and Allied Essences
BEFORE
Outgrowing Legacy Systems & Processes
Leadership didn’t have the time or desire to manage an internal IT team
Legacy systems and infrastructure struggled to support a growing multi-company organization.
Rising customer expectations, cybersecurity risks, and regulatory requirements increased pressure on the business to modernize.
Leadership needed an experienced technology partner to help prioritize investments, strengthen operations, and prepare for future growth.
THE PROCESS
Stepping In as a Full-Service IT Partner
Managed both companies’ entire IT functions, providing ongoing strategic leadership and everyday technology support.
Developed a long-term technology roadmap aligned with business goals across both organizations.
Modernized core systems, infrastructure, and cybersecurity capabilities to improve reliability and support future growth.
Guided major technology decisions, including ERP selection, managed services, and operational process improvements.
THE RESULTS
A Technology Foundation Built for Long-Term Growth
Technology that supports the business
Modernized systems for the specialized needs of the flavor and ingredients industry now support growth, customer expectations, and increasing complexity.
Less time spent juggling IT demands
Leadership can focus solely on running and growing the business, instead of managing day-to-day technology challenges.
One, trusted partner for what’s next
Citrus & Trilogy relies on SC&H to provide ongoing guidance, support, and expertise as new opportunities and challenges emerge.
By The Numbers
8 years
of continuous partnership
300 tickets
resolved monthly, on average
220+ employees
supported across 5 locations
21 vendors
managed by a single, accountable partner
Zero disruption
across 8 streamlined processes
6 systems
modernized to replace legacy tech
THE STORY
Building the Ingredients Behind Everyday Products
Founded in 1933 by Charles and Josephine Pisano, Citrus and Allied is a leading supplier of essential oils, aroma chemicals, and botanical extracts used by flavor and fragrance manufacturers worldwide.
In 2007, the Pisano family expanded into the flavor industry by founding Trilogy Flavors, a sister company that develops custom flavor solutions derived primarily from spice extracts. Together, Citrus & Trilogy support the creation and production of trusted, everyday products their customers rely on.
Growth Created New Technology Demands
By 2017, the organization faced a challenge common among long-standing family businesses: the systems and processes that had supported decades of success needed to be modernized to keep pace with growing business needs.
“One of the benefits, and also one of the downsides, of being a family-owned and operated company is that people stay their whole careers which does not allow us to gain outside perspective or leverage best practices as they evolve in the business environment,” said Michael Moscato, Chief Financial Officer. “When the industry starts changing, there’s less knowledge about doing things differently than the way it’s always been done.”
Their legacy technology and limited internal IT resources were struggling to meet evolving customer expectations, cybersecurity threats, and regulatory requirements.
“We were spending a lot of time trying to manage a small internal IT team and our help desk. And, we don’t have enough expertise in managing IT, ensuring staff are trained, and providing educational opportunities for their, and our, growth,” said Michael.
Citrus & Trilogy knew they needed an external technology partner to lead their IT transformation and build a scalable technology foundation for the future.
The Decision to Fully Outsource IT
The companies decided to outsource their entire IT function to SC&H, trusting our tech experts to lead:
- Infrastructure modernization
- Cybersecurity enhancements
- ERP selection and implementation
- 24/7 Help Desk services
- Facility expansion support
- Ongoing strategic IT leadership
Today, SC&H’s Help Desk resolves 250–350 tickets each month, so Citrus & Trilogy’s team never has to think twice about day-to-day IT issues.
“We couldn’t keep having a revolving door internally on a help desk,” said Michael. “SC&H can provide a career path that we just don’t have access to, because we’re not a technology company. We need technology to do our business, but we’re not in the business of technology.”
Through a combination of long-term planning and hands-on execution, SC&H helped the organization modernize its technology environment to support continued growth. That includes implementing 6 new applications to replace outdated systems, decommissioning 3 legacy servers (with more on the roadmap), and managing 21 application vendors.
“SC&H did a lot of infrastructure work that most people would never know we had done to help modernize things in the background,” said Richie Pisano, General Manager and fourth-generation Pisano. “It’s been hugely impactful.”
More Time to Focus on What They Do Best
As major technology initiatives were completed, Citrus & Trilogy could spend less time worrying about technology challenges and more time focused on the business. Especially since the partnership included a single point person, Hana Tankersley, SC&H’s Manager, Technology Advisory, for Michael and Richie to communicate with.
“I don’t want to reach out to a bunch of people,” said Michael. “I want to reach out to one person, and have that one person, Hana, feed it back to us. That’s what our partnership has enabled me to do. If I have an issue, I know where to go.”
When a huge thunderstorm blew through Maryland and knocked out many businesses’ power, Michael and Richie saw firsthand how seriously SC&H takes managed partnerships.
“I got a call at 10 o’clock at night from Hana. She says, very calmly, ‘We have a little bit of an issue. I just want to let you know that the lightning strikes last night wiped our servers out. Xavier and Jeremy are already on site. I just wanted to give you a personal call and update you,” said Michael.
“Her number one concern was making sure we were online for the next day. That is what a true business partnership looks like.”
A Trusted Tech Partner for What Comes Next
Today, SC&H continues to manage every aspect of Citrus & Trilogy’s IT functions: evaluating new opportunities, strengthening cybersecurity, modernizing critical systems, and addressing the technology challenges that come with growth. What began as a single project in 2017 has evolved into a full-service, eight-year partnership spanning every corner of the company’s technology operation.
“SC&H has become like a right hand for us to help guide us on what we should be looking at next,” said Richie.
With a modern technology foundation in place and SC&H managing their everyday technology needs, Citrus & Trilogy can now concentrate on growing their businesses and serving customers around the world.
“SC&H has implemented all the systems we need, so now we can really focus on our ongoing business in the flavor and ingredient industry,” said Richie. “And as our businesses evolve and expand, we know that we can continue to rely on SC&H to help us determine what we need to do to address future growth pains.”
