The finest Italian oils and fats Unigrà

THE FINEST ITALIAN OILS AND FATS

With nearly 40 years of experience in processing oils and fats for the food and confectionery industry, Italian company Unigrà continues its race to success. Sales director, Mr Stefano Cavallari reveals more to Filomena Nardi.

IT’Snot news that the recent economic slowdown is having a major impact on the Italian manufacturing industry but despite the economic uncertainty, this was another positive year for Unigrà, the Italian leader in the production and sales of vegetable fats and oils, margarines, UHT non-dairy toppings, UHT ice-cream liquid bases, chocolate and compound chocolate, drinking chocolate, powder mixes and improvers for the bakery and confectionery industry and artisans.

“Nowadays all you hear about is bad economic news coming from the Italian market,” comments Mr Stefano Cavallari. “I think it’s very important to highlight that in our country, there aren’t only companies in trouble, but there are also companies like ours which are still growing and continue to consolidate their leadership in Italy and abroad.” The depth and breadth of expansion at Unigrà is strikingly illustrated by the ultra-modern oil refining plant launched last year in Conselice, a town near Ravenna. Currently this represents

one of the three largest refineries in Europe and has helped the Italian company to triple its production capacity.

Yesterday and today

Founded in1972 by its current CEO, Luciano Martini, Unigrà started its activity as a company processing animal fats for industrial use. Through the hard work and dedication of its founder along with the endeavours of its willing staff, the company’s small-scale roots have been replaced by a state-of-the-art facility with six different production units aimed at six different production areas such as: raw material refining and treatment; fractionation of fats; production of margarines and packaged fats; UHT treatment for the production of vegetable creams and ice cream; production of chocolate, chocolate substitutes and spreadable creams and finally the production of mixes and improvers for bakery and confectionery.

“When our company was established, companies like Unilever and Kraft were the main producers of fats for the food industry,” states Mr Cavallari. “Over the years many large companies have shut down their fats departments and we are now the undisputable Italian leader in the processing of food oils and fats, margarines and semi-finished products for food production ranging from the big food industry to artisanal clients in the bakery, catering and ice creams markets.” Initially set up to supply food companies on an industrial scale nearly 20 years ago, Unigrà went on to seize new opportunities for growth within the artisanal food production. This is the reason why today the company is organised in two independent divisions: the Industrial and the Artisanal which respectively

Süd-Chemie AG

Riparbelli & C. Casa di Spedizioni S.r.l., based in Ravenna, at Via Darsena 17, was established in 1970 and has always been engaged in issues concerning import and export by sea, on land, by rail or by plane, supplying a comprehensive service for door-to-door transport, from any originating point to the factory and vice versa, of any product. Such a service is also inclusive of insurance and custom duties, including particular care of necessary documentation, especially with regard to import and export, such as ministerial procedures for licences, reimbursements, returns etc.

Specifically with regard to both import and export, if necessary and required, our company goes to the place of arrival or departure to ensure that all loading and unloading operations are carried out with maximum efficiency, diligence and care.

In fact, the Riparbelli & C. Casa di Spedizioni Srl structure has been conceived in such a way that part of the staff is in the office sorting the paperwork side of the activity while at the same time also organises the material work to be carried out by external specialised staff (harbour, dock, warehouse, custom, rail, etc.), so that a good operation outcome can be achieved.

Phone: +39/0544/452859 | Fax: +39/0544/453361 Company with Quality System ISO 9001:2000 certified by IIC Süd-Chemie AG (www.sud-chemie.com) is a publicly quoted, independent specialty chemical company headquartered in Munich/ Germany and operating on a worldwide scale.

In the edible oil industry, Süd-Chemie is since 100 years the leading producer of high quality bleaching earths. With manufacturing sites and sales offices all over the world and a large team of R&D and technical experts, Süd-Chemie offers the complete range of high performing bleaching earths for all type of oils. The major players in the edible oil industry benefit from Süd-Chemie’s network and experience in this market.

The reason why Süd-Chemie bleaching earth products are so successful is because they are made from the best raw clay. Tailored by a team to meet the exact needs of each individual customer, they are always delivered on time. This claim ensures the constant high level of quality.

serve different types of customers through different brands: Unigrà and Master Martini. “The Unigrà brand represents the industrial division and operates in three different product sectors, oils and fats, packaged products and Special fats,” explained Stefano Cavallari. “Master Martini is the brand of the Artisanal Division which has developed a range of specialised products for professionals in the confectionery, bakery and catering industries.” Thanks to its product differentiation and a wide range of tailor-made products, today Unigrà can guarantee its clients whatever they need wherever they are.

Conquering new markets

Currently present in over 40 countries worldwide with a well organised distribution network, Unigrà began its geographic expansion targeting European countries and then progressively moving towards the Far East. “We are still continuing our expansion strategy and we are now looking with great interest at the South American and eastern European markets.” Already a leading supplier of oils and fats for multinational companies like Nestlé and Unilever, Unigrà is now trying to establish a primary position within the chocolate industry. “The core business of our company is the industrial division,” continues Mr Cavallari. “However, we have a structure that is expanding and in a few years we hope to become a leading supplier of chocolate and chocolate compounds. At the moment the Master Martini brand is having a great response especially abroad and in the Eastern European countries where the quality of chocolate is very low.” While investing in the chocolate business Unigrà is also setting a new challenge for the future which is to become a leading company abroad using the same strategies that have brought success in Italy.

Ingredients for success

So what are the reasons that led this Italian company to the top? “If today we have an edge over the competition, it is primarily due to the great insight for business of our CEO Luciano Martini. He has always worked in the front line and he has always been able to sense when it was time to push and when it was necessary to curb,” explains Stefano Cavallari. “Moreover our company is very strong on customer service. As a matter of fact our clients really appreciate our flexibility and our ability to always deliver on time.”

He adds that Unigrà’s success is also the result of meticulous attention to the quality of its raw materials. “We only use the best possible ingredients to guarantee our customers high quality products. All our products are made in Italy, even the ones designed for the market abroad. It is true that sometimes we have to adapt our production according to customers’ needs in different countries but we never compromise on quality.” In the name of quality and sustainability Unigrà has been an RSPO member (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) since March 2007. “It is very important for us to maintain the high standards that we have already set for our name and we will carry on offering the same excellence in Italy and around the world.” n