Barilla sauce plant in Rubbiano near Parma: working to export the "italian style pasta course" worldwide

Barilla sauce growing: +45% in the last 5 years

21-Feb-2017 - Italy

Focus on environmental topics, thanks to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption. High product quality and food safety standards, full traceability and drive towards internationalization. These are some of the key aspects in the expansion of the Barilla sauce plant in Rubbiano, worth investments of about 50 million Euros. All this in line with the company mission “Good for You, Good for the Planet”.

The Barilla sauce plant in Rubbiano (near Parma) has been inaugurated in 2012 with the participation of then Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, and has since registered a great development. The response of markets has been enthusiastic and the sales volumes of Barilla sauces have increased by more than 45% since 2012 in all geographical areas. This important result has brought the production capacity of the plant close to its saturation point and in December 2016 the plant’s expansion plan was approved. It will be realized and completed by 2018. The plan envisages a further investment of about 50 million Euros (in addition to the 40 million Euros of the initial investment in 2012) and will bring the plant to a maximum production capacity of more than 122,000 tons/year, with a total covered area of about 30,000 square metres. The expansion plan will also extend in-house production to meat sauces.

FOR A PLANT INCREASINGLY “GOOD FOR YOU GOOD FOR THE PLANET ”
In line with the company strategy “Good for You, Good for the Planet”, the expansion plan will be implemented with the aim of reducing environmental impact (-7% CO2 emissions, -9% water consumption and more than 95% waste recycled) and giving an important contribution to local communities, progressively employing up to about 60 people. The aim of the employment plan is to achieve a perfect gender balance with a 50% female workforce in 2020, fully in line with Barilla’s Diversity & Inclusion program. The effort on nutritional issues is equally remarkable: none of the Barilla sauces contains preservatives and their nutritional profile has been improved in the last three years, e.g. reducing salt by -23%.

A “GLOCAL” PLANT: LOCAL RAW MATERIALS AND INTERNATIONAL SCOPE
The Rubbiano plant is a clear example that it is possible to invest on Quality in Italy with an international scope. On the one hand, ingredients, recipes, technology and know-how are completely local. All the fresh basil is 100% Italian, 100% of the tomatoes are from the Italian Po river plains. Also the meat comes from animals raised in Italy, with full traceability for all the recipes produced in the Rubbiano plant. On the other hand, the goal is to grow on foreign markets bringing the taste of the authentic Italian cuisine all over the world. Sauces are indeed the perfect complement for pasta, which is the key dish of the Italian gastronomic culture, and one immediately identified with Barilla brand worldwide.

RUBBIANO: THE FIRST BARILLA SAUCE PLANT
The plant was built in Rubbiano in 2012, next to the historical plant dedicated to bakery production. This plant has a great historical value for Barilla, since it was its first factory built outside the city of Parma.
The choice of Rubbiano has confirmed and reinforced Barilla’s tie to Italy and this area, where the company continues creating growth and employment. This area is part of the Italian Food Valley, which has always been characterised by high specialisation and competence in food, and is devoted to tomato culture and processing. The new plant, totally designed in-house by Barilla technicians, is an example of high-technology execution, capable of reproducing the principles of a large home kitchen at an industrial level, by fully enhancing the high quality of the raw materials used in the finished product.

BARILLA, THE MARKET LEADER OF PASTA SAUCES
Barilla has been active on the sauce market since 1969 and is now leading the sauce sector in Italy and in other European countries like France, Germany, Greece, Switzerland and Slovenia. The rich assortment of Barilla sauces and pestos is based on the use of the best raw materials, drawing inspiration from the wealth of the authentic Italian gastronomic tradition, yet with an innovative approach to satisfy the consumers’ needs.