The Prosciuttificio San Michele production plant, owning the Terre Ducali brand, reached turnover of 20 million euros in 2013, representing 18% growth. Production is divided between Salami (50%), Dop certified Prosciutto di Parma (20%) and seasoned specialties like Coppa, Fiocco and Guanciale (30%). The forecast for 2014 predicts further growth. “Our best results come from our salami range”, Giulio Gherri, ceo of Terre Ducali tells us, “and SalameFelino Igp is our best-selling product. Some of our more innovative self-service products are also doing fantastically well, our pre-packed deli products and the Salamillos, mini flavoured salami, are just few examples. Our strategy is to keep developing ideas that combine tradition and innovation, both in terms of the product and the way it is packaged and/or consumed. This is something we have to do in order to move forward in what is essentially a static sector, facing regular set-backs in terms of higher industrial costs and pricier raw materials, as well as reduced consumption. However, it is so often times of crisis that drive an upsurge in innovation”.
Quality and food safety are fundamental and the company is in a rare position of control over its supply chain, boasting a proprietary closed-cycle pig farm with fully certified and traceable livestock, managed according to the highest sustainability standards. On top of this, Terre Ducali has invested in innovative new products, like the aforementioned Salamillos, and most recently, the Pepite di Culatello. Working with Italian distributers Parma Is, the company has further diversified its offering with a new sandwich range. Il Pagnotto, is already on sale in the main Italian supermarkets, and will soon be available in flight thanks to a recent deal with Alitalia, who will trial the sandwiches on their Milan/Rome route in the very near future. International expansion currently represents 10% of the company’s turnover and the future looks promising. “Our main export market is France”, says Gherri, “and, thanks to obtaining world-wide export rights, we are starting to see some great results in Northern Europe, Germany, the Usa, Japan and Australia. We are also one of only five companies authorised to export hams to the US that have been aged for less than 14 months”. A fresh initiative in the form of new High-Pressure Processing company Hpp Italia, should set the stage for further penetration into global markets, as well as promote the use of high pressure technology in the Italian food and beverage industry.