The cherry and Sicilian plum tomatoes are coming to the Usa, thanks to investment from the Libretti Group. A distribution contract has been signed between the historical Sicilian company and the American retailer H.E.B, which has its headquarters in San Antonio (Texas). The products which are the object of the contract are the cherry tomato and plum tomato salsas, the ‘semi dry’ cocktail tomato and the “caponata”, a vegetable product typical of Sicily. Bottega di Sicilia is already present in numerous large international distribution chains and in the USA it already has two distribution platforms: in New York and in Houston. The new contract is laying the foundations to strengthen the internationalisation process of the Libretti Group, which relies on its spin-off, Bottega di Sicilia, the company born in 2011 to promote the preserve products of the Libretti Group, which is already a leader in the fruit and vegetable sector and was founded in 1930 in Vittoria (Ragusa, Sicily).
“Our investment in innovation,” comments the group’s president, Giuseppe Libretti, “has allowed us to create new products which are in line with market expectations. We are also growing outside Italy thanks to product diversification. The idea of reaching overseas markets through the made in Italy fruit and vegetable preserves has enabled us to find new commercial areas and to consolidate the results already achieved in the international environment, reaching an export share of 20% of the total turnover.” The Libretti Group ended 2014 with a 10% growth in turnover (in 2013 the increase in turnover of the Group was +20%). a positive trend, which confirms the interest on the international markets in high-quality Italian fruit and vegetable products and preserves.
The company has been plannig the launch of new product range for 2015: four products based on Sicilian tomatoes, in guises which until now have not been present on the wide Italian distribution scene: Sicilian plum tomato salsa, Sicilian cherry tomato passata, chopped cherry tomatoes in olive oil and dried cherry tomatoes in olive oil. “It’s about products tied to Sicilian tradition, with raw materials coming exclusively from our farms in Sicily. Complete traceability all the way along the production chain, processed within eight hours of harvest and an optimum shelf life for exporting abroad are all factors which represent the value added to the new Bottega di Sicilia products”, continues Giuseppe Libretti. “This widening of the product range will enable consumers to appreciate the fragrance of Sicilian tomatoes in different forms, offering the complete package and the highest guarantee of provenance in the raw ingredients.”