Another important partnership was created in the field of Italian rice: after Scotti Riso’s opening to Ebro Foods, which acquired 25% of the company’s capital and the pasta Garofalo brand, it is the moment of the French group Marbour thanks to a joint venture with the Umbrian Colussi, which owns the Riso Flora brand. The agreement between the two entities provides for the establishment of a new company – Gariboldi Spa, 50% of which is controlled by two shareholders – to which the Colussi Group has granted the branch that manages the rice mill and rice production for third parties, as well as the production of its own Flora products.
COLUSSI TO KEEP SALES ACTIVITIES – The Colussi group will retain all promotion, distribution, and marketing of Flora brand products. The production activities of Valle Lomellina and all production and marketing activities of the private label will no longer be controlled by the parent company from Umbria. They will be controlled by the French company. This represents a strategic management move thanks to the French company’s greater influence, both in the international arena, and in terms of procurement. Colussi, thanks to a service agreement, will also retain the management of administration and personnel.
“MARBOUR, AN INTERNATIONAL LEADER” – “The new partnership,” Colussi say,” will combine the group’s ability to develop brands of excellence with Marbour’s specific experience in the rice business, where, the latter, is an international leader in third-party brands, thus ensuring privileged access to markets and supply sources, with obvious benefits for the fledgling company.”
GROWING INTEREST IN ITALY – The Marbour group is a conglomerate operating not only in the rice business, in which it is a very important player, especially in private label production, but also in the distribution of foodstuffs, chemical products, and provision of services such as water treatments and logistics. In 2015, it turned over 296 million euro. It employed more than 800 people, operating from about 20 production sites, and various international branches.
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE – The two main offices are on the island of Reunion, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, and in Marseille. The former is closely linked to the history of this company, which developed between Madagascar and Mauritius; it’s home to many of the group’s activities. In the rice sector, through subsidiaries, its presence goes well past the national borders to reach Canada, the Netherlands, Poland, and now also Italy, a market in which the company is on the rise. In fact, even prior to the agreement with Colussi, it had already rented a rice mill and acquired, in 2016, Cereal Food and Nice Food; two companies that specialize in rice-based snacks.