Barilla story

Barilla story
Parma (PR)
Magazine: May 2007

«Give the consumer what you’d give to your children» said Pietro Barilla, head of the Parma-based family business from the 1950s to 1993, before passing the reigns to his children. The courage to invest in quality, to the tune of 5.5% of total sales, ensures that Italy’s largest food company keeps abreast of the times.
«We believe it essential to retain the company’s identity, the expression of Italian savoir faire and to guide people the world over to eat healthily with an offering that suits their needs», says Guido Barilla, CEO.

Evolution of the species

Ten product families, two categories: Italian pasta and Italian bakery products.
Barilla has been a synonym for pasta since its inception and the globe’s Number One pasta maker, also boasting three brands named for its outlet markets in Greece, Turkey and Mexico. «The company’s future is international not multinational, its heart and driving force is based in Parma with production and organisational units abroad; its raw material is wheat», Gianluca Bolla, MD, told us. «Our core markets are Europe and the U.S.
Barilla is a leader in the latter with around 25% of the market and will open its second pasta-making facility in the state of New York this year.
But we are also looking East, to expansion in Russia and have not ruled out India and China». In addition to 350 types of dry pasta and 30 types of egg pasta, Barilla makes 40 ready-to-cook pasta sauces.

The first international centre for Italian gastronomic art was set up in Parma’s  Food Valley’ in 2004.
Designed by Renzo Piano to rise on the old site of the Barilla pasta factory, Academia features cutting-edge interiors that encompass an auditorium and 16 kitchens, where food lovers and professionals alike can expand their culinary horizons.
The Barilla chefs guide candidates through the sampling of typical products and culinary training, comprising thematic regional cooking courses, which last two days/one week, on either a one-to-one or group basis, and have already trained 7000, mainly American, aspiring chefs.
The training offering is backed by wine and food tours and studies in the Gastronomic Library, open to all on Wednesdays, but only with a reservation.
The BIGAB library contains 8000 books, including 1500 exclusive tomes from the 16th century to the present day. “In June, we will also exhibit 5000 ancient menus that trace the history of Italian cuisine”, Gianluigi Zenti tells us.

From the field to the table

Barilla is the world’s biggest consumer of hard wheat and directly manages the entire crop process, from sowing to harvesting and the storage of special grains.
Bolla says “We work closely with the leading seed companies. More than 70% of the grain we use is Italian, while 30% arrives mainly from North America and Australia.
”Our seed contracts enforce strict standards on fertilisers and conservation, in line with good manufacturing practice (GMP). White Art. The Bakery range is the legacy of the small bakery set up by Pietro Barilla in 1877 and powers 48% of sales.
It includes the famous Mulino Bianco line launched in 1975 and the Wasa and Pavesi brands of speciality biscuits as well as other products, such as biscuits, rusks, cereals, snacks, confectionery, soft and crusty bread, croissants, pastries and tarts. Enterprise alliance.
Guido Barilla explains how the company’s strategy calls for ongoing research into efficient and advanced industrial solutions, capable of optimising synergies and economies of scale.

In a Class of its Own

The company sows its seeds in other fields than wheat. It founded the Barilla LAB (Barilla Laboratory for Food Culture) for Education and Learning in 2005, due to «the need for professionals who are both flexible and capable of bringing new interpretive approaches to the business», explains Armando Marchi, Lab Director.
«The Lab has the job of advancing managerial skills and developing ideas by working with international research hubs».
The word “Training” is replaced with the German word “Bildung”, which stands for cultural, professional and personal growth, using innovative self-learning methods. “Strategy” means living with change and unpredictability, making decisions with scant information. «The addition of an intellectual dimension means transforming the hypothesis into a forward-looking and operational business strength» adds Marchi.