Barilla (company) facts for kids
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| Società per azioni | |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Founder | Pietro Barilla Sr. |
| Headquarters | , |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Guido Barilla (chairman) |
| Products |
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| Revenue |  €4.633 billion (2022) |
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Operating income
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€295 million (2022) |
| €192 million (2022) |
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| Total assets | €4.378 billion (2022) |
| Total equity | €2.069 billion (2022) |
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Number of employees
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8,747 (2022) |
| Divisions | 21 brands |
Barilla G. e R. Fratelli S.p.A. is a large Italian food company. It is known around the world for making pasta. In fact, Barilla is the biggest pasta producer in the world!
Contents
Barilla's Story: From Bakery to Global Food Company
Barilla started as a small bakery shop in Parma, Italy, way back in 1877. It was founded by Pietro Barilla Sr. The company grew quickly. In 1910, Barilla opened a new pasta factory. This factory had a special "continuous baking" oven.
Growing the Family Business
After Pietro Barilla Sr. passed away, his sons Riccardo and Gualtiero took over. They made the company's production and distribution much bigger. They used new technology to help Barilla grow fast. By the 1920s and 1930s, it became the most important bread and pasta company in its region.
Gualtiero Barilla died in 1919. Riccardo then led the company with his wife, Virginia. Later, in 1947, Riccardo also passed away. His sons, Pietro and Gianni, then became the leaders. They were the third generation of the Barilla family to run the business.
Focusing on Pasta
Under Pietro and Gianni, Barilla grew even more. In 1952, they stopped making bread. They decided to focus only on pasta. Barilla quickly became well-known across Northern Italy. This was because of their good quality products and fair prices. They also did new things, like using cardboard to package pasta.
In 1960, Barilla became a joint-stock company. This means it could sell shares to others. In the years that followed, they opened new factories. One factory in Rubbiano started making crackers and breadsticks. Another big factory opened in Pedrignano, near Parma.
Changes in Ownership
The Barilla family owned the company until 1971. Then, an American company called W. R. Grace bought most of the company. However, Pietro Barilla (the founder's grandson) still managed the daily operations. Pietro bought the company back in 1979. Since then, it has been owned privately by the Barilla family.
Becoming a Global Company
Pietro Barilla passed away in 1993. His children, Guido, Luca, Paolo, and Emanuela, took over. They are the fourth generation of the Barilla family. In the 1990s, the company started to grow internationally. In 1999, they opened their first factory in Iowa, in the United States.
Barilla continued to expand by buying other food companies around the world.
- In 1991, they bought MISKO pasta in Greece.
- In 1994, they bought the Turkish pasta company Filiz Makarna.
- In 1999, they bought the Swedish crispbread maker Wasabröd.
- In 2002, they partnered with Mexican Herdez for pasta brands Yemina and Vesta.
- In 2002, Barilla bought the German company Kamps AG. They later sold most of it, but kept the French soft bread company Harrys.
- In 2007, Barilla opened a second factory in the United States, in Avon, New York.
More recently, in 2021, Barilla bought the Catelli company in Canada. This included brands like Lancia and Tolerant. They also bought most of Pasta Evangelists in the United Kingdom. This London company makes fresh pasta for home delivery. These moves show Barilla's plan to grow worldwide. In December 2022, they also bought Back To Nature, a US brand known for plant-based foods.
Barilla Today: Products and Global Reach
The Barilla family has been in charge of the company since it began in 1877. The Barilla Group owns many well-known food brands. These include Barilla (pasta), Mulino Bianco, Gran Cereale, Pan di Stelle, Pavesi, Voiello, First and Academia Barilla (Italy), Harrys (France), Wasabröd (Sweden), Catelli (Canada), MISKO (Greece), Pasta Evangelists (United Kingdom), Filiz Makarna (Turkey), Back To Nature (United States), and Yemina and Vesta (Mexico).
Pasta and Bakery Products
The group makes many different kinds of pasta. It is the world's top pasta maker. Barilla produces pasta in over 160 shapes and sizes! You can find Barilla pasta in many restaurants worldwide, like those in the Pastamania chain. Barilla is also the top seller of bakery products in Italy.
Through its purchase of the Swedish company Wasa, Barilla is the world's leading maker of flatbread. This is a popular food in Scandinavia. They sell 60,000 tons of it every year!
Where Barilla Operates
Barilla Group has 29 factories around the world. Fifteen are in Italy and 14 are in other countries. These factories are in places like Greece, France, Germany, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The company also runs mills (places that grind grain) in several countries.
Barilla's main office is in Parma, Italy. But they also have offices in many other countries. These include Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the US, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, and Japan.
In 2022, the company made about €4.633 billion in sales. They had a profit of 192 million euros.
Other Important Activities
Barilla Historical Archive
In 1987, Pietro Barilla started the Barilla Historical Archive. This is a special place to collect and keep all the company's old documents. It goes all the way back to 1877. The archive is located at the Barilla factory in Pedrignano, near Parma. It has over 60,000 documents! It also includes documents from other brands that Barilla later bought, like Voiello, Mulino Bianco, Pavesi, Filiz, Wasa, and Harrys.
In 1999, the Italian Ministry of Culture said the Barilla Historical Archive was "of remarkable historical interest." This means it's very important for understanding the history of the food industry in Parma and how society changed in Italy.
Since 2018, you can visit the archive's website. You can see photos and watch over 2700 old TV commercials! The Barilla Historical Archive also helped start Museimpresa in 2001. This is an Italian group of museums and archives that share ideas and knowledge.
Food Museums
In 2014, the Barilla Historical Archive helped create the Pasta Museum. It's located at Corte di Giarola near Collecchio (Parma). This museum has amazing old equipment and documents. It even has an entire pasta making plant from 1850! You can also see the oldest industrial spaghetti sample, from 1837. The Pasta Museum is part of the Food Museums of Parma. The Tomato Museum is also in the same area.
Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition
In 2009, the BCFN - Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition was created. It is now called "Fondazione Barilla." This is a group of experts who work on making food more sustainable. They also promote healthy ways of living.
Sponsorships and Promotions
Barilla works with famous people to promote its products. Since 2020, the famous tennis player Roger Federer has been a "global testimonial" for the company. Barilla has also sponsored the Italian national basketball team many times. They have also sponsored Italian race car driver Alex Zanardi. Currently, Barilla is a main sponsor for US alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin and tennis player Coco Gauff.
In 2021, Barilla even made a Spotify playlist! The songs on the playlist are just long enough for your pasta to cook perfectly.
See also
In Spanish: Barilla para niños
