CREMONINI CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INALCA FOUNDATION, NUCLEUS OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GROUP, WHICH TODAY IS THE THIRD ITALIAN PLAYER IN THE FOOD SECTOR

Press Release

CREMONINI CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE  INALCA FOUNDATION, NUCLEUS OF ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GROUP, WHICH TODAY IS THE THIRD ITALIAN PLAYER IN THE FOOD SECTOR

Castelvetro di Modena, 6 July 2013 - Inalca's 50th birthday: The company, founded on 1 July 1963 in Castelvetro by Luigi Cremonini, was born with the ambition of becoming the first real industry in the production of beef in Italy. With an investment of a few million Lira and in collaboration with his brother Joseph and partner Luciano Brandoli, Luigi Cremonini rented a rural property to build a small plant, with a slaughter capacity of 20 cattle per week. At a distance of fifty years, "The Meat Industry" has reached a turnover of more than 1.5 billion Euro, with a slaughter capacity of more than 12,000 head of cattle per week.

In addition to the original nucleus of the company dedicated to the production of beef, its activities have developed over the years in the distribution sector, represented today
by MARR, and both in concession and commercial catering (Chef Express and Roadhouse Grill): in 2012 the Cremonini Group reached 3.42 billion Euro in revenues, with 12,200 employees, making it the third largest company by revenue in the Italian food sector.

As Luigi Cremonini explains, "Fifty years of work is a long journey. At the same time it made us understand that much remains to be done. So we are happy, but we do not have time for self compliments. This anniversary above all serves to maintain clarity of ideas. It is the first-born, Inalca, which we celebrate. And for me this means that we were right, the future was in the meat industry. From here you can reach all over the world. Now we are not only in the meat industry, but also in other sectors, because we have always tried to enhance our product and also have in hand what is downstream. We have entered into areas that are synergistic, such as food distribution for hotels and restaurants, with Marr today the first national company, and catering, which is another world further downstream and where we have absolute leadership on railways".

To celebrate the anniversary, the company has planned two initiatives in Modena, today 6 July and in Rome on 13 July.

The meeting will be held at the Monzani Forum in Modena and is open to all local employees of Inalca and the Cremonini Group, many of whom will be rewarded for their presence in the company for more than 25 years. Luigi Cremonini recalled that "There would be no team if there were no men. Do not forget even for a minute the fact that so many people, top managers but also employees, workers, sales agents and foodservice operators have embraced the objectives that I was indicating. Without them I would not have gone anywhere. I am proud and grateful that the work has been carried out together with the initiative and the skills of so many".

The Rome meeting will be at Palazzo Colonna and is open to representatives of
institutions, Italian and international suppliers, customers and managers of the Group from over 20 countries in five continents.

"It should be emphasised”, Luigi Cremonini continues, “that the international activities of Inalca have now exceeded 50% of sales, based on a unique model that led Inalca to be the only company in the world scenario of beef that is the leader not only in the integrated production of beef, but also in the international distribution of both raw materials and of food excellence ‘Made in Italy’, and not only".

Inalca has now a fixed presence with logistic-distributive platforms and production plants in Russia and in several African countries (Angola, Algeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ivory Coast) and is about to inaugurate new locations in other parts of the world, such as Kazakhstan, the Gulf countries and South and Far East Asia.

"This development”, Cremonini continues, “is based on the belief that, in a new market, it is precisely the distribution phase from which to begin: a sort of integrated chain in reverse, where the stages of production and processing arrive later. A model that combines, aggregates and distributes on the world market the best of Italian Food & Beverage. It is an ideal model of internationalisation without relocation, which now seems to have no limits in the possibility of being replicated in many other world markets. A continuous expansion therefore, that we see today, programmable for many years to come".

At both meetings a video and a book on 50 years of Inalca entitled "A glance at the past to build the future" will be presented. The book, published by Artioli of Modena, was edited by the journalist Giuseppe Romano.

"These first fifty years”, concludes Luigi Cremonini, “have fully demonstrated the validity of business models applied in three business sectors: the challenge of the next decades regarding their replicability  in new geographic areas and the comparison with new economic demands, first of all to produce more while consuming less, thus ensuring more and more secure access to food for the entire world population, in full respect of environmental sustainability".

Inalca S.p.A. is the Cremonini Group company leader in Europe in the production of beef and beef products, and processed meat, with the Inalca and Montana brands. In addition, through its subsidiary Italia Alimentary S.p.A., it is a leading Italian manufacturer of sausages (with the Ibis and Corte Buona brands) and snacks with the Spanino brand. In 2012 it recorded total revenues of over 1.5 billion Euro. The company has ten plants in Italy specialised by product type (six for the production of beef and four in cured meats, snacks and ready meals), and 18 plants and distribution platforms abroad, with a major presence in Russia and various African countries (Angola, Algeria, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Ivory Coast). Over 50% of the production turnover comes from foreign operations.

Cremonini, with over 12,200 employees, and a turnover in 2012 of around 3.42 billion Euro, of which more than 35% in export sales, is one of the largest food groups in Europe and operates in three business areas: production, distribution and catering. The Group is the leader in Italy in the production of beef and processed meat and sausages (Inalca) and the marketing and foodservice distribution of food products (MARR). It is Europe's leader in the management of onboard train catering and maintains the leadership in Italy in the railway station buffets; furthermore is has a significant presence in the main Italian airports and in motorway catering (Chef Express). Finally, it is present in commercial catering with the chain of steakhouses under the Roadhouse Grill brand.

Luca Macario. Phone: +39 059 754630 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting  end_of_the_skype_highlighting
E-mail: luca.macario@cremonini.com