Barilla G. e R. Fratelli
S.p.A. is an Italian multinational food company. It is the world's largest
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ...
producer.
History
The company was founded in 1877 as a bakery shop in
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...
, Italy by Pietro Barilla Sr. The company expanded in 1908, and in 1910 Barilla inaugurated a new pasta factory equipped with a "continuous baking" oven.
After the death of Pietro Barilla Sr. his sons Riccardo and Gualtiero took the reins of the family company, increasing the production and distribution of products, thanks to technological innovations which allowed the company to rapidly transform itself, over the course of the 1920s and 1930s, into the most important bread and pasta company in Emilia-Romagna. In 1919 Gualtiero Barilla died, leaving his brother Riccardo at the helm of the company together with his wife Virginia. In 1947 Riccardo also died and the management passed to his sons Pietro and Gianni, exponents of the third generation. With the advent of the two Barilla brothers, the company experienced a phase of great development, and in 1952 the production of bread was suspended to concentrate solely on pasta. In those years, Barilla quickly transformed itself from a regional company to a company with a strong presence in Northern Italy, thanks to the quality of the products, to the balanced prices and to its innovative capacity, such as the use of
cardboard
Cardboard is a generic term for heavy paper-based products. The construction can range from a thick paper known as paperboard to corrugated fiberboard which is made of multiple plies of material. Natural cardboards can range from grey to light b ...
to pack pasta.
In 1960 Barilla became a joint-stock company, and in the following years it opened new factories, in Rubbiano, which marked Barilla's entry into the cracker and breadsticks sector, and in Pedrignano, just outside Parma.
The company remained in the hands of the Barilla family until 1971 when the American chemical company
W. R. Grace acquired a controlling interest. However, Grace left day-to-day control in the hands of Pietro Barilla, grandson and namesake of the company founder. Pietro reacquired control in 1979, and the company has remained privately held ever since.
In 1993 Pietro Barilla died at the age of 80 and the management of the company passed to his children
Guido
Guido is a given name Latinised from the Old High German name Wido. It originated in Medieval Italy. Guido later became a male first name in Austria, Germany, the Low Countries, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Latin America and Switzerland. The mea ...
,
Luca,
Paolo and
Emanuela. This led to the fourth Barilla generation, and throughout the nineties the company continued the internationalization process begun at the beginning of the decade under the management of Pietro, opening in 1999 the first production plant in
Iowa
Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
, in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
.
This expansion continued with the acquisition of various foreign companies in the food sector, such as the
MISKO pasta company in Greece (1991), the Turkish pasta company
Filiz Makarna (1994), the Swedish
crispbread producer
Wasabröd
Wasabröd is a Swedish producer of Scandinavian style crispbread ( sv, knäckebröd). The Wasabröd company has been in business since 1919, opening its first bakery in the city of Skellefteå. Since 1983 it has been under foreign ownership, ...
(1999), the joint venture with the Mexican Herdez in 2002 (pasta brands Yemina and Vesta).
In 2002 Barilla took over the German company Kamps AG, which was then sold to the Czech
Agrofert
Agrofert is a Czech conglomerate holding company headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. It operates agriculture, food, chemical, construction, logistics, forestry, energy and mass media industries in the European Union and China with over 250 su ...
in 2013, except for the French soft bread company Harrys, which still belongs to the Barilla Group. In 2007 Barilla opened a second production plant in the United States, in
Avon, New York
Avon () is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. It is south of Rochester. The town population was 7,146 at the 2010 census.
The town was named after the River Avon in England.
The village of Avon is in the northwest part of ...
.
Since December 2013, in order to have a direct relationship with the American customers, the company has opened some restaurants ("Casa Barilla") in the United States: the first was in New York, the second in California.
At the beginning of 2021 Barilla finalized the acquisitions in
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
of the Catelli company (including Lancia and Tolerant brands) and, in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, of the majority stake in
Pasta Evangelists, a London-based start-up for the production of
fresh pasta for home delivery; operations that mark the international growth of the Barilla Group and its desire to identify and anticipate consumer needs and values around the world.
Overview
The Barilla family has been at the helm of the company for 145 years. Barilla Group controls Barilla (multinational pasta maker),
Mulino Bianco,
Gran Cereale,
Pan di Stelle,
Pavesi,
Voiello,
First and Academia Barilla (Italy),
Harrys (France),
Wasabröd
Wasabröd is a Swedish producer of Scandinavian style crispbread ( sv, knäckebröd). The Wasabröd company has been in business since 1919, opening its first bakery in the city of Skellefteå. Since 1983 it has been under foreign ownership, ...
(Sweden),
Catelli (Canada),
MISKO (Greece),
Pasta Evangelists (United Kingdom),
Filiz Makarna (Turkey),
Yemina and Vesta (Mexico) trademarks.
The group produces many kinds of
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, ...
, and is the world's leading pasta maker with 24.5% of the Italian market. It produces pasta in over 160 shapes and sizes. Barilla brand pasta is sold in numerous restaurants worldwide, such as those belonging to the
Pastamania
Pastamania is a Singaporean fast casual restaurant chain that specialises in Italian cuisine. It offers mainly pasta and also sells pizza. Aside from Singapore, the restaurant also has outlets in various other countries.
About
The first Pastama ...
chain. It is also the leading seller of bakery products in Italy. Through its acquisition of the Swedish company Wasa, it is the world's leading producer of flatbread (a Scandinavian staple), selling 60,000 tons annually.
Barilla Group has 30 production sites, 15 in Italy and 15 in the rest of the world: production plants are located in Italy and in Greece, France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, the United States (in
Ames, Iowa
Ames () is a city in Story County, Iowa, United States, located approximately north of Des Moines in central Iowa. It is best known as the home of Iowa State University (ISU), with leading agriculture, design, engineering, and veterinary me ...
and
Avon, New York
Avon () is a town in Livingston County, New York, United States. It is south of Rochester. The town population was 7,146 at the 2010 census.
The town was named after the River Avon in England.
The village of Avon is in the northwest part of ...
), Mexico and Canada. The company also operates
mill
Mill may refer to:
Science and technology
*
* Mill (grinding)
* Milling (machining)
* Millwork
* Textile mill
* Steel mill, a factory for the manufacture of steel
* List of types of mill
* Mill, the arithmetic unit of the Analytical Engine early ...
s in Italy, Greece, Sweden, Turkey, US and Canada. While its central office is in Parma, it has corporate offices in several other countries as well, such as Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the US, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Japan. Barilla is distributed in the UK by Euro Food Brands Ltd. Barilla's Italian production facilities are located in Parma,
Foggia
Foggia (, , ; nap, label= Foggiano, Fògge ) is a city and former ''comune'' of Apulia, in Southern Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. In 2013, its population was 153,143. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known ...
,
Marcianise,
Castiglione delle Stiviere
Castiglione delle Stiviere ( Upper Mantovano: ) is a town and '' comune'' in the province of Mantua, in Lombardy, Italy, northwest of Mantua by road.
History
The town's castle was home to a cadet branch of the House of Gonzaga, headed by the ...
,
Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of the ...
,
Melfi,
Rubbiano,
Novara
Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...
,
Muggia and
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of Ascoli Piceno, province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city h ...
.
Its plant in Greece (near
Thiva
Thebes (; ell, Θήβα, ''Thíva'' ; grc, Θῆβαι, ''Thêbai'' .) is a city in Boeotia, Central Greece. It played an important role in Greek myths, as the site of the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles and others. Archaeologi ...
) is the third largest in Europe. The plant where the pasta was made is noted on the packaging by a code letter,
[Information from Barilla Spaghetti n.5 packaging] whereas products made in Italy are explicitly labeled as such.
The
wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
used to make the final product is purchased from around the world.
In 2021, the company had a turnover of €3.936 billion, with a net profit of 229 million euros. In 2020, turnover was €3.890 billion (with an increase of 7% compared to the previous year), while net profit reached €351 million (+55% on 2019).
Other activities
In 1987, on the initiative of Pietro Barilla, the Barilla Historical Archive was created to collect, preserve and enhance the company's historical documentation, starting from 1877. The archive is located in the Barilla plant in Pedrignano, near Parma, and it contains over 60,000 documents divided by sector, also including the documentation produced by the brands subsequently incorporated into the company:
Voiello,
Mulino Bianco, Pavesi, Filiz, Wasa, Harrys.
On 30 November 1999 the italian
Ministry of Culture Ministry of Culture may refer to:
*Ministry of Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Youth and Sports (Albania)
* Ministry of Culture (Algeria)
*Ministry of Culture (Argentina)
*Minister for the Arts (Australia)
*Ministry of Culture (Azerbaijan)
* Ministry of ...
declared the Barilla Historical Archive “of remarkable historical interest” because it “bears witness to the development of the food industry in Parma and the evolution of society in Italy”.
Since 2018 the new internet site is active and available, in which it is possible to visit the different sections of the archive, among which are the photo library and TV advertising with more than 2700 commercials.
The Barilla Historical Archive, in 2001, has been among the founding partners of
Museimpresa, an Italian association that collects more than 100 members as Museums, Archives and Cultural Institutions and that represents a very useful place for meetings, changes of experiences and knowledge.
In 2014 The Barilla Historical Archive has contributed to install, at
Corte di Giarola near
Collecchio
Collecchio ( Parmigiano: ) is a town in the province of Parma, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is located by road southwest of the centre of Parma. A major food-producing area, it is home to multinational Italian dairy and food corporation Parm ...
(Parma), an ancient 11th century Benedictine Grancia, the
Pasta Museum
The Museum of Pasta (in Italian Museo della pasta) is an Italian ethnographic museum dedicated to pasta. It is located in Corte di Giarola, between Collecchio and Ozzano Taro, in the Province of Parma, a region historically dedicated to the produc ...
, with equipments and documents of extraordinary interest, including an entire pasta plant dating back to 1850 and the oldest sample of industrial spaghetti dating back to 1837. The Pasta Museum is inserted in the circuit of Food Museums of the Province of Parma, as well as the
Tomato Museum, installed in the same Corte di Giarola.
In 2009, the BCFN - Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (now "Fondazione Barilla") was established: it is a multidisciplinary, independent think tank working for food sustainability and healthy lifestyles.
Sponsorship and promotion
As of 2020 the 'global testimonial' of the company is
Roger Federer
Roger Federer (; born 8 August 1981) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 1 by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for 310 weeks, including a record 237 consecutive weeks, and finished as the year-e ...
. The company has sponsored the
Italian national basketball team
The Italy men's national basketball team ( it, Nazionale di pallacanestro dell'Italia) represents Italy in international basketball tournaments. They are administered by the Italian Basketball Federation (FIP).
Italy has qualified for 38 EuroBa ...
on several occasions, as well as the Italian race car driver
Alex Zanardi
Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi (; born 23 October 1966) is an Italian professional racing driver and paracyclist. He won the CART championship in 1997 and 1998, and took 15 wins in the series. He also raced in Formula One from 1991 to 1994 and aga ...
. Furthermore, Barilla is currently the main sponsor of the US alpine skier
Mikaela Shiffrin and tennis player
Cori Gauff
Cori Dionne "Coco" Gauff (born March 13, 2004) is an American professional tennis player. She has a career-high ranking of world No. 4 in singles, reached on October 24, 2022, and world No. 1 in doubles, achieved on August 15, 2022. Gauff won h ...
.
In 2021, Barilla created a Spotify playlist with songs timed just long enough for the perfect pasta.
Controversies
In 2013, after the chairman
Guido Barilla made comments regarding his opposition to
adoption by gay families and unwillingness to showcase gay families in his advertisements, some called for a
boycott
A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict so ...
against Barilla products.
Guido later apologized
and the company began advocating for LGBT causes.
In 2022, two Americans filed a
class action suit in a California court against Barilla. They accused the company of emphasizing its Italian identity while the majority of its products are manufactured in the United States. Barilla attempted to have the case dismissed, but a judge ruled that the plaintiffs had suffered “economic injury” due to the deceptive advertising.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Food manufacturers of Italy
Multinational companies headquartered in Italy
Companies based in Parma
Italian pasta companies
Italian brands
Privately held companies of Italy
Italian companies established in 1877
Multinational food companies
Conglomerate companies of Italy
Food and drink companies established in 1877