Team Barilla closes 2011 with growth in net profit, at share 76 million euro, and a consolidated turnover which, despite the worsening of the economic crisis, remained stable on a like-for-like basis, amounting to 3.9 billion. The operational management of the Group, which operates mainly in Italy, the United States, France and Germany, recorded a recurring Ebitda equal to 477 million euros "despite the slowdown in global economic growth and the contraction in household consumption".
The recurring Ebit amounted to 296 million euro. Despite the increase in the cost of raw materials, the Barilla Group "preferred to limit as far as possible the increase in prices for consumers with reduced purchasing power due to declining disposable income, especially in Italy".
The commercial policies of the Barilla Group “have in any case made it possible to maintain a solid position as evidenced by the trend in market shares by volume of pasta in 2011, which rose in Italy (+0,5%), Germany (+1,7 %) and in France (+0,8%), and remained stable or slightly down on other markets (USA -0,1%)”.
The current “financial solidity” allows the Barilla Group to “concentrate energies on the development of strategies oriented towards consolidation of the European market, to growth in the American market and the opening of new opportunities in emerging countries”. Preliminary data for the first quarter of 2012 indicate – reads the note released by the Group – a slight increase in turnover compared to the same period of 2011.
“The new ready-to-eat pasta dishes launched in February in the United States, Germany, France and other foreign countries demonstrate how Barilla is able to represent and promote Italian gastronomic culture while offering a product that can be enjoyed in a simple and practical way ”, continued Barilla.
“In Italy, the green line of Mulino Bianco is instead an example of how years of technological research on steam cooking – he added – have made it possible to produce good biscuits with a lower fat and sugar content. We are also proud of the fact that, through the Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition, the Group continues to be at the forefront of major global food issues. The BCFN's research is a strong stimulus for the company, to continue producing products that are not only good and good for people but also for our planet”.
