Granarolo aims to double by 2016 and after purchasing Lat Bri, the third largest Italian producer of fresh cheeses, is already looking to the future. There are many open dossiers on the table. “For example – says the president Gianpiero Calzolari – there are still several municipal Italian milk plants which, after this financial manoeuvre, will go on the market. That is an area that interests us. Abroad, on the other hand, we focus only on commercial companies, because we want to continue to characterize ourselves as a Made in Italy company”.
The goal, especially in these times, is ambitious, given that it involves going from 884 million euros in turnover to 1,6 billion in just a few years. However, Granarolo thinks he has broad enough shoulders to succeed in the enterprise "and in self-financing - underlines the president - a possible path after the restructuring plan concluded last year". After all, to stay on the market “an important critical mass is needed, above all because we are experiencing a serious crisis in consumption and the prospects are uncertain. Up until now, our leading product has been milk, now we want to grow, for external and internal lines, in the dairy sector, in fresh cheeses in particular, even to the detriment of milk, which is greatly affected by competition from private labels. The acquisition of Lat Bri is a first energetic step in this direction”.
The potential turnover of the cheese company is 150 million euros which, added to the 130 million realized in the sector by Granarolo, quickly lead to the doubling of volumes in this area. But Lat Bri is also the gateway to Europe, given that it has an export quota of 40%: “Northern Europe is not a simple area – observes Calzolari – but the Italian spirit is appreciated and Lat Bri has been able to win the trust of consumers”. The range of action, for now, does not go beyond the continent, given that fresh products have a fairly short life and Granarolo wants to put some novelties on the market, but always fresh: "We think of products for different types of consumers, for example cheeses for the elderly or young people or for those with food intolerances. In a similar way to what we did for the milk”. To carry out this plan, in recent days the company has appointed Gianpietro Corbetta as general manager, already in force since 2008.
In the first three months of 2011, the group, controlled by Granlatte, an agricultural cooperative society (77,5%), by Intesa San Paolo (19,8%) and by Cooperlat (2,7%), recorded a small increase in volumes compared to the same quarter of 2010 (reaching 228,8 million euros +1,9%). Granarolo, founded in 1957, has 1960 employees, 5 production plants and 7 million hectoliters of processed milk. For years it has had the credentials to be listed on the Stock Exchange, a step that could be useful for supporting growth. A hypothesis to be taken into consideration in these five years? "I can't rule out anything - replies Calzolari - but it depends on many factors and for now it's not on the agenda".
