The Orogel group ended 2016 with a turnover of €239.5 million - €213 million for the frozen segment (+10%) and €26 million for Orogel Fresco. There are now 1,845 employees. The investments to be carried until 2019, which had been calculated at €80 million, will now reach €100 million thanks to the update of additional processing lines. Considering the other companies who are part of the group, the total turnover is €625 million.
The group presented the data in the presence of CEO Bruno Piraccini, director Giancarlo Foschi and marketing manager Luca Pagliacci.
Left to right: Luca Pagliacci, Francesco Antonelli, Bruno Piraccini, Giancarlo Foschi, Maurizio Tortolone, Libero Capellini
"2017 has also been going very well so far, so much so, that we have registered +22% in volumes and +24% in value. The frost and snow that affected southern Italy in January damaged a lot of the fresh produce and consumers turned to frozen products." Over the first two months of 2017, the volume of frozen products sold was 23 thousand tons, i.e. 22% more than 2016.
"We have actually ended our TV campaign two months in advance to avoid running out of stocked products."
A moment during the press conference held on 22nd March 2017
Estimates show that, in 2016, 11 million families purchased at least one Orogel product. The group hired 176 employees: 100 in Cesena, 60 in Policoro and 16 in Ficarolo. No more people will be hired in 2017. The 1,845 employees are mostly seasonal (1500) and day labourers (180).
But the company also wants to help its producers whose crops may get damaged because of the bad weather. Insurance will be taken out over the next few months to guarantee at least part of the income in case of problems.
In 2016, the company collected 132 thousand tons of produce (+4.5%) cultivated on 8547 hectares. In 2017, the group also approached foreign markets like Russia.
