The art of delivering quality - Colussi Group · The Colussi Group buys Sapori di Siena with its...
Transcript of The art of delivering quality - Colussi Group · The Colussi Group buys Sapori di Siena with its...
The art of delivering quality
Every company starts with an idea: a creative spark which is progressively transformed into a true
and enduring passion, and into the love of a job well done.
At the beginning of the 20th century, my grandfather Angelo had just such an idea and the passion
which enabled him to lay the base for the foundation of the Colussi Group. In hindsight, I can now say that
my grandfather’s selection of the finest grains to produce fragrant bread and to bake Baicoli (traditional
Venetian biscuits) and our famous Gran Turchese pastry biscuits, have inspired the Colussi Group to create a
complete range of products that all feature high quality raw materials, special care in their preparation and
a never ending attention to rapidly evolving consumer nutritional needs.
My grandfather proudly handed down his craftsmanship to my father Giacomo, who in turn has
passed it down to me so that I can continue our family’s vocation: the creation and production of fine,
authentic foods which are fully capable of satisfying the tastes and expectations of the many consumers who
choose our products every day.
Today, the Colussi Group owns some of the most famous brands in the Italian food industry. These
trademarks were chosen not only because of their history, but especially because they highlight our method
of doing business. The cornerstones of our shared modus operandi include a commitment to excellence, a
passion for Mediterranean food culture and the ability to perceive consumer needs in order to translate them
into innovative products. In today’s globalised world and with a noticeable presence in many foreign markets,
our brands have become showpieces of what Made in Italy quality is all about.
The Colussi Group – with its brands (Colussi, Agnesi, Misura, Flora and Sapori 1832), its
people and its products – is growing day after day with the same passion as 100 years ago. Our aim is
to reconcile an approach to successful business with ethics, tradition with innovation, and technical
leadership with creativity.
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A 100-year-old passion
1911
Angelo Colussi, the progenitor of our
family, opens his first small shop in Venice.
At first, the Colussi oven produces only
bread, but later specializes in baking Baicoli,
the famous Venetian biscuits based on an
ancient recipe.
1930s
Angelo’s sons Alessandro, Giacomo and
Alberto inherit the family business and open
the company’s first factory with cutting-edge
technology, which marks the transition from
handcrafted production to industrial
manufacturing.
1950s
While Italy faces a period of
reconstruction and economic recovery,
Giacomo – a man with a strong
entrepreneurial spirit – transforms the
company together with its tradition,
commitment, enthusiasm and love for a job
being well done into a modern factory which
will remain one of Italy’s most important
manufacturing facilities to this day.
1955 sees the launch of Gran Turchese, a
delicious pastry biscuit which will soon win
over generations of Italians and turn Colussi
into one of the best-loved brands in the baked
goods market.
1980s
This decade is characterized by the first
diversification of the company’s products:
new bakery products lines such us toasts
and crackers are added to the traditional
biscuits ranges.
1990s
The company continues to expand its
range of bakery products with the
introduction of oven-baked snacks. Colussi
also enters the pasta, rice and condiments
markets. During this decade, the company
establishes itself as a major Ital ian food
company specializing in the production and
marketing of a full range of high-quality
products that are designed to cater to the
diverse, ever changing needs of consumers.
Since 2000
At the start of the new millennium, the
company is ready to take up new challenges
and conquer new markets. It adds fine pastry
specialties and industrially produced bread
substitute products to its existing range of
items, and increases its presence in foreign
markets. As a promoter of the Italian
culinary tradition and a steadfast supporter of
high quality in all of its operations, the Colussi
Group is committed to fulfilling a mission of
internationalizing and diffusing Italian savoir
faire throughout the world.
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The creation of a leading food group
1996
Colussi buys the Misura brand from the
US multinational Heinz and enters the well-
ness food segment with a brand which is
already well-established and very popular
among consumers.
1997
This year marks the beginning of Colussi’s
important industrial partnership with FoodCo,
which is aimed at entering the merendine (soft
sweet oven-baked snacks) market.
1998
Colussi increases its production capacity
for toasts and begins to export pasta, thanks
to its acquisition of the Audisio brand from a
leading Dutch multinational company (CSM).
1999
Colussi acquires the entire Agnesi Group
(with its Agnesi, Flora and Ponte brands)
from Danone which enables it to increase
its share of the pasta market and enter the
rice market. The transaction also involves the
purchase of a licence for the Liebig brand
for the Italian market, a move which gives
Colussi the opportunity to enter into
condiments business.
2000
To reinforce the Colussi brand, the
Company acquires the control of Colussi
Milano, a company founded by a branch of
the family which is active in the biscuit market.
2001
The Colussi Group acquires Eurico from
Cereol-Eridania Beghin-Say, thus expanding its
presence in the rice market from only
“parboiled” into “white” rice.
That same year, it acquires the famous
Maltagliati pasta brand, the leading imported
pasta in Russia.
2004
The Colussi Group buys Sapori di Siena
with its brands Sapori 1832, Pepi, Tinti, Parenti
and Vialetto.
With this acquisition, the range of products
offered by the Colussi Group now includes
traditional Tuscan confectionary products and
fine pastries.
2006
Colussi buys Albea 90, a company
specialized in the industrial production of
bread.
2007
Colussi takes over Pangram to boost its
presence in Eastern European pasta markets.
That same year, it signs an important
agreement with Del Monte Europe Ltd for the
exclusive marketing of canned fruits and fruit
drinks through modern sales channels in Italy.
2009
Colussi launches the CI Group, a joint
venture with the Russian company Infolink,
with the ambition of consolidating and
increasing its position on the Russian and
neighbouring markets.
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Always doing things well, always doing things better
We nourish our brands and products
with values, technology, research
and innovation to build them strong
and keep them always up-to-date.
What we do is inspired by four
values that are the cornerstones of
our business:
• QUALITY
Our commitment to those who
choose our products. Our guiding
light.
• INNOVATION
Research, development and
dynamism in defence of tradition.
• INTEGRITY
We listen, respond, take action, and
honour our commitments.
• RESPECT
We employ environmentally friendly
behaviours and procedures that will
also benefit future generations.
Throughout our company’s over one hundred
years of activity, our entrepreneurial heritage
has consistently inspired us to do better.
This passion has been handed down from
father to son, along with a capacity to observe
and understand the market, and then provide
consumers with prompt, effective solutions.
The products we offer not only reflect Italy’s
tradition of fine food, but are also tastier and
healthier than ever before, thanks to the use
of long accumulated know-how combined
with advanced technology.
Our strength lies in our enthusiasm. We’re
committed to offering a range of products
that can effectively meet the ever-changing
needs of an increasingly diversified clientele.
With this goal in mind we create new
categories of products and improve upon
existing ones. During the pr ocess, we
operate according to strict standards of
ethics and sustainability so that our
consumers, our staff and our partner
companies always know where they stand.
Our know-how is a heritage which we strive
to maintain and build upon day after day,
so that we can create additional value in all
areas - from production to distribution, from
communication to organization and from in-
novation to the diffusion of the Mediterranean
food culture.
VISION
Through our brands and products, we are
committed to the world-wide diffusion of
Italian know-how.
MISSION
We offer and develop food products that
represent Italian tradition and are typical of the
Mediterranean diet.
We work with passion and dedication to
ensure quality and excellence, in order to
offer a complete range of products that can
fulfil the increasingly diversified demands of
today’s and tomorrow’s consumers.
We pursue a business strategy which aims at
increasing our presence on markets with
interesting prospects for growth, by taking full
advantage of our Italian spirit, our know-how
of the food sector and our core values.
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Colussi worldwide
The Colussi Gr oup is a private Ital ian
conglomerate which began as a small shop in
1911. By applying values that have turned it
into a highly successful business, Colussi has
diversified its activities into various quality
foods markets and has therefore become a
major force in European markets.
The portfolio of the Group - comprising
Colussi S.p.A., Albea 90 s.r.l. and So.Gest.I.
s.r.l. – now includes some of Italy’s most famous
brands of pasta, rice and baked items. Their
trade names
– Colussi, Agnesi, Misura, Flora and Sapori
1832 – are recognized by consumers both
for the excellence and variety of the products
offered, and for their ability to be innovative in
their fields.
The increasing presence of the Colussi Group
in foreign markets is the tangible outcome of a
positive growth trend that results from the
Group’s highly accepted products and the
successful policies implemented by its
management. Through its Partner companies,
production facilities (including three in Russia
and one in Romania) and distribution
networks, the Colussi Group is promoting
abroad the Italian food tradition, which is
valued and respected all over the world.
The strategy of the Colussi Group, which
emphasizes new partnerships and acquisitions,
aims at reinforcing and expanding its lines of
quality food products, and sharing its ethical
and responsible corporate policy with current
and future Partner companies.
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The strength
of a big Group
THE COLUSSI GROUP BY THE NUMBER S
The Colussi Group produces and sells products
in eleven categories:
Durum wheat and egg
pasta
Parboiled and white rice
Pasta sauces
Soup stock cubes and meat extract
Biscui ts (petit and cookies)
Oven-baked snacks
Bread substitutes (toasts, crackers)
Soft and sandwich bread
Fine pastry and confectionary specia lities
Canned fruit
Fruit drinks
PRODUCTION FACILITIE S IN ITALY
In ltaly, the Colussi Group utilizes the capacities
of five production sites located in Piedmont,
Lombardy, Tuscany and Umbria regions.
The plants in Fossano (Cuneo) and
Valle Lomellina (Pavia) are specialized in the
production of durum wheat, whole wheat
and egg pasta and also white and parboiled
rice. Biscuits, oven-baked snacks, toasts,
crackers, soft and sandwich bread are
produced in plants in Petrignano di Assisi
(Perugia), Fossano (Cuneo), Tavarnelle Val di
Pesa (Florence) and Leinì (Turin).
In Tuscany Colussi Group also makes
traditional local specialties such as Ricciarelli,
Panforte and Cantuccini and other fine pastry
delights.
SERVICES
The So.Gest.l. s.r.l. Company handles the
administrative, financial, accounting, EDP,
human resources and management
accounting services for the whole Group.
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Human resources
The Group’s Human Resources Department is
committed to turning the company into a
training centre for talented young people and
also to maintaining an attractive working
environment for its seasoned professionals, so
that each employee can maximize contribution
in obtaining company objectives by
providing a place where everyone
participates in crucial challenges and shares
the satisfaction of reaching important goals.
A team led by a registered psychologist helps
recruit and select both highly qualified
professionals and personnel from younger
generations, who will all contribute to the
growth of the organizational structure. The
team also helps to integrate new staff members
into the Group. A constant, round-the-clock
process of identifying the staff’s needs for
training and other support contributes to the
development of a shared corporate culture.
The Group currently employs over 1,000
people in Italy.
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Quality means responsibility
Our commitment to the environment
The Colussi Group strives to meet the highest
standards of quality in all its activities. This
guiding principle is inspired by the company’s
tradition of excellence – a competitive
advantage which translates into stronger
customer loyalty and higher brand recognition.
Quality also means that people who work for
the Group must be constantly committed to it.
It requires the ability to innovate on a daily basis
and deliver on the pledge of wholesome- ness
and integrity which is a vital part of every- day
life within the Group.
Every day, millions of people all over the world
place their trust in the Colussi Group by
choosing its products.
The goal of the Group is to ensure that each
product can be enjoyed without concern be-
cause it satisfies all legal requirements and
meets the highest standards of quality.
The Group is able to fulfil its promise of quality
to its consumers, customers and employees
because it monitors the entire production
process and the supply chain.
Furthermore since it applies state-of-the-art
procedures, the Group can guarantee that its
products are genuine and healthy, and that
they will remain so until the moment of con-
sumption.
CAREFUL SELECTION, A PROMISE WELL KEPT
Our first step is to select our raw materials care-
fully. Every day, experts at all levels within the
Group are busy testing and selecting the best
cereals and grains to obtain the fine mixtures of
flours used in premium foods. Also as we are
aware of our responsibilities, we have decided
not to use genetically modified ingredients
(GMOs) in any of our production lines. We work
closely together with our suppliers to make sure
that the raw materials we use will maintain their
original quality over time. Dozens of checks are
performed on each product at various stages
across the whole production cycle. Thanks to
this approach, the Group has obtained:
• UNI EN ISO 9001: quality system certification
for its plants in Fossano (Cuneo), Valle Lomellina
(Pavia), Petrignano di Assisi (Perugia) and
Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Florence);
• British Retail Consortium (BRC) certification
for its plants in Petrignano di Assisi (Perugia),
Fossano (Cuneo), Valle Lomellina (Pavia) and
Tavarnelle Val di Pesa (Florenze)
Last but not least, our close relationship with
consumers and our robust cooperation with the
scientific world and specialized media provide
us with important information on market
evolution and on new consumer needs, trends
and lifestyles. This information helps us
understand the real needs of our domestic and
foreign customers and meet these requirements
promptly.
The Colussi Group recognizes its social
obligation by promoting environmental
consciousness and protection, the appropriate
and sensible use of resources and sustainable
waste disposal.
Our Group’s responsibility covers processes as
well as products. Not only we pay attention to
the environmental impact of our production
activities, but we also aim at making the life
cycles of our products environmentally friendly.
Our commitment extends from the planning
stage to recycling or disposal.
To actively safeguard the environment, the
Colussi Group takes the following actions on
a daily basis:
• Uses simplified packaging to reduce the
amount of materials used;
• Uses recyclable packing materials;
• Optimizes production schedules to reduce
energy consumption, which also lead to
considerable savings in overall costs;
• Provides consumers with advice on how
waste should be separated. Each pack gives
details of the packaging materials and the best
way to recycle them.
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Our brands: a selection of leaders
The Colussi Group owns the Colussi, Misura,
Agnesi, Flora and Sapori 1832 brands which
represent some of the most important
trademarks in the history and culture of
Italian food.
Dedication, passion and know-how are the
strong points of our approach. This translates
into the development and marketing of both
traditional and innovative products that follow
the latest trends in a complex, ever- changing
market.
Our commitment to looking ahead involves
every aspect of our work. It inspires us to seek
and develop new production methods and
organizational procedures, to launch new
food specialties, to engage with partners an
active dialogue at all levels and hence keep
abreast of latest trends.
The brands of the Colussi Group identify
themselves via outstanding products that fulfil
the desire to return to the unmatched flavours
of traditional Italian food.
Each of these brands embody the core values
of the Colussi Group: Italy’s great heritage of
fine food; quality as our guiding light;
innovation through research; development and
dynamism; integrity in all our actions; and
respect for our consumers, customers and
employees.
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Colussi
Representing well fulfilled consumer needs
and excellence, Colussi is a celebrated brand
in the Italian tradition of fine food.
It embodies the belief of doing things well that
dates back to 1911. Since then the brand has
constantly succeeded in reinventing itself with
new, trendy products that meet the complex,
multifaceted food needs of contemporary
consumers.
It represents the authentic taste of Venetian
Baicoli and of Gran Turchese, the distinctive
golden pastry biscuit that has become a
favourite treat for entire generations of Italians
at breakfast and for an afternoon snack.
It's the innate simplicity of many other good
things that make up Colussi's modern product
range: biscuits, snacks, breads and rusks.
Misura
Misura in Italy is the leading brand in
innovation and a pioneer in the wellness world.
After its rollout in drugstores in 1974, the Misura
brand has won over consumers thanks to a wide
range of products created to meet the most
diverse nutritional needs.
Today, Misura has 9 different product lines for
a total of 7 categories: biscuits, snacks, treats,
cereals, crackers, rusks and pasta: FIBREXTRA -
with the exclusive selezione integrale Misura,
NO MILK AND EGGS - milk and egg free,
NO SUGAR ADDED - without added sugar,
MULTIGRAIN - with a rich mix of cereals
SOY with soy flour –
GLUTEN FREE – gluten-free products,
LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX
LOW SALT, with a low salt content,
The Colussi Group bought the Misura brand
in 1996.
Agnesi
Agnesi, Italy’s oldest pasta producer, has been
a synonym for excellence in the processing of
durum wheat since 1824.
The history of the company began in Imperia,
on the Mediterranean coast, where Vincenzo
Agnesi opened the company’s first factory.
The sailing ship at the centre of the Agnesi
logo symbolises the company’s heritage. It
represents the fleet which used to sail from the
Liguria region to the Sea of Azov, where the
Taganrog wheat, regarded as the best du- rum
in the world, was loaded. Today, Agnesi still
continues to select the best durum wheat, just
as it always has. It’s unique slow drying
production process allows Agnesi pasta to
obtain a unique straw colour and retain its
original aroma, springiness and al dente
texture. Agnesi pasta represents the product
of passion, practice and striving towards
perfection. The Colussi Group took over the
Agnesi brand in 1999.
Flora
Flora emerged as a specialist in the parboiled
rice segment in the late 1960s. The launch of
this kind of rice quickly promoted the company
to the market leadership in the category of
“rice that never overcooks”.
Over time, Flora has grown by creating a wider
range of products that embody its undisputed
capacity to offer a large variety. It has responded
to emerging market needs by developing
various lines of tasty and easy-to-cook
products. Today, Flora stands for “best
results in the kitchen” and for a perfect,
guaranteed success with every recipe. This is
achieved via the selection of exclusive Italian
rice varieties and includes painstaking checks
at every stage in the production process.
The Colussi Group bought the Flora brand in
1999.
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Sapori 1832
Sapori 1832 is one of Italy’s oldest
confectionary brands.
The company dates back to 1832, when
pharmacist Virgilio Sapori of Siena opened a
small pastry shop specializing in Panforte.
Almost two centuries have passed since that
opening, during which the company has con-
stantly modernized itself whilst keeping an-
cient Tuscan traditions alive. To complete its
range of local specialities (Panforte, Ricciarelli,
Cavallucci and Cantuccini biscuits), the com-
pany has created fine, fragrant pastries which
can be enjoyed every day.
The Colussi Group acquired the Sapori 1832
brand in 2004.
Liebig
Liebig is a historic brand which has consistently
played a major role in kitchen cuisine.
Its origin dates back to 1847 when a German
chemist Justus Von Liebig, an expert in agronomy,
came up with the idea of producing a meat
extract. After devising a number of food
transformation and preservation procedures,
he began industrial production in 1865.
Today Liebig, the specialist in flavour, satisfies the
demands of modern nutrition trends with a
diversified and complete range of products - beef
stock cubes and beef extract - to exalt the flavour
of every day recipes as well as recipes for special
occasions. The Colussi Group acquired the
license to use the Liebig brand in Italy in 1999.
Del Monte
Del Monte is the world’s leading brand in the
canned fruit market.
Founded in California in 1892, Del Monte has
come to stand for excellent quality and maxi-
mum expertise. The “fresh taste of nature”
is preserved in the wide range of products
(pineapple and other fruits, in syrup and natural
juice, fruit nectars and 100% fruit juices)
targeted to the entire family and for all
occasions.
In 2005, the Colussi Group bought the
exclusive rights to distributing Del Monte
canned fruit and fruit drinks through modern
distribution channels in Italy.
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Products that are simply good
The Colussi Group offers a complete range
of food products. What makes them special?
Raw materials selected with the utmost care
and processed with dedication and passion: a
way of doing things that illustrates the Group’s
tradition of providing genuine, high quality
food which can be enjoyed on a variety of
occasions and meets the expectations of both
Italian and foreign markets.
• CLASSICS
· Durum wheat pasta (long, short, nest style,
special shapes)
· Egg and filled pasta
· Parboiled rice
· White rice
· Red sauces and pesto
· Flour, polenta, couscous
· Soup stock cubes and meat extract
· Toasts
· Naturally leavened and direct leavening
crackers
· Soft and sandwich breads
· Biscuits (petit and cookies)
· Oven-baked snacks
· Pastry (single-variety and assorted)
· Cornflakes
· Canned fruit
· Fruit drinks
• SPECIAL ITEMS
· Pasta: whole wheat, with wheat germ,
gluten-free
· Egg flavoured pasta
· Brown rice
· Toasts, crackers and breads: whole wheat,
with cereals, with soy flour, sugar-free, low-
salt
· Biscuits: whole wheat, no sugar added,
milk and egg-free, with soy flour, with
cereals, low- glycemic index
· Oven-baked snacks: whole wheat, no
sugar added, milk and egg-free
· Gluten free snacks
No sugar added Cornflakes
Sugar-free drinks
• ITALIAN SPECIALITIES
· Baicoli di Venezia
· Cantuccini
· Panforte
· Ricciarelli
· Cavallucci
· Panettone, Pandoro, Colomba
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