Granarolo, less milk (which drinks little) and more burrata (which is very exported): so the products adapt to new tastes

People drink less milk? We will give them the burrata. Do business means to stay on the pitch in the changing world. Gianpiero Calzolari knows wellpresident of Granarolo. « Our intention this year is to focus on an important investment that we have done in Puglia. We have a factory that we are reconverting -he says -. Originally, it only bottled milk, now it will also be a burrata and stracciatella with the pearl brand. The burrata has become an iconic product of the made in Italy. We want to be a leader in the world with this type of production. For this we are investing a lot, as well as in technology, on the formation of our people: those who previously bottled milk will now become a teacher in the production of one of the most envied Italian specialties ».

Sales in 80 countries

Granarolo has 15 factories in Italy and 9 abroad. It takes 2,500 people and exports 40% of its products. For the Emilian society of the food, the US duties are a two -sided coin, they would limit export to the United States of the PDOs that produce in Italy but could be transformed into an opportunity. « 6-7 million turnover arrive from the United States, » explains Calzolari. A reduced fee if parameterized to the total turnover which in 2024 was 1.7 billion euros, 103 million more than last year. Overall Granarolo exported for 550 million to Europe, for 136 towards the rest of the world. Being present in just under 80 countries means diversifying the product and manage a remarkable complexity.

The plant in the USA

But diversify also has important advantages. Returning to the USA, Granarolo in ConnectutTuts has a factory that produces mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone. «We detected it three years ago and now we aligned it with our food safety standards, forming aspects related to the quality of the product also the staff. We Europeans have a lot to teach. Today we think we can double the production capabilities of the plant ».

France for exports

In all this, the flagship of Granarolo’s export remains France. «We started 12 years ago and now we are the third Oltralpe brand, after us also many French labels. Given the passion of the French for cheeses, we can say that we know how to sell the refrigerators to the Eskimos, « says Calzolari without hiding pride. If the Granarolo brand « Casa Azzurra » is giving many satisfactions in France, it is more difficult to conquer Germany: « The Germans are large consumers of low -cost products. It is a great potential area in which we are trying to improve ».

The challenge: to intercept the new tastes

In Italy as in the rest of the world, Granarolo’s challenge is to promote changes in food tastes promptly. Diversifying to the maximum: in a large supermarket on average, the Granarolo references – albeit with different brands, from Yomo to Pettinicchio passing by Centrale del Latte Milano – touch 300 altitude. « We have proven to be in tune with the tastes of people, for example, With the launch of high-protein lactiero-casear products, we now have 40% of the market and our competitors are chasing us»Says Calzolari. « There is a range of population very attentive to health and physical and less sensitive to the price that must be intercepted and satisfied. For example, we also think of low salt products ». Granarolo has started an investment plan that from here to 2028 mobilizes about 300 million.

The Innovation Center in Bologna

An Innovation Center will open its doors in Bologna by 2028. «Here all the group’s innovation activity will focus – confirms Calzolari -. We will also put a fully automated platform for logistics on site. And then we are renewing the factory that produces yogurt and milk in Pasaturago, at the gates of Milan. This plan will take us to exceed 2 billion in turnover in 2028. On the other hand, we have no alternatives: we are aware that either we are systematically innovative or the market escapes us from the hands ». In 2024 the profit was 9.7 million with a gross operating margin of 82 million. «For marginality we are at the top of the competitors rankingbut ours is a sector with structurally content margins -explains Calzolari -. For this reason, the challenge of the market is even stronger ».