Podravka Polska Sp. z.o.o. becomes an exclusive distributor in Poland for the Italian company, Barilla.

On 22nd November 2000, Marco Bonati, international business executive director of Barilla and Davorin Gojković, director of Podravka in Poland, will sign a cooperation agreement which will make Podravka Polska Sp.z.o.o. exclusive distributor for the products of the Italian company Barilla.

Barilla, the Italian company based in Parma, which was founded back in 1877, is the largest producer of pasta in the world with products that can be found on nearly every continent of the world. In 1910, Barilla opened its first factory, and one year later developed its first brand. In 1960, it became a joint-stock company, and in 1971, W. R. Grace, an American industrialist, bought the controlling block of shares. In 1975, Barilla started a further core activity – the production of biscuits under the brand name Mulino Bianco. The Barilla family bought back the controlling block of shares in 1979. In the 90s, Barilla took over Misco, the leading producer of pasta in Greece, and Pavesi, an Italian confectionery company. In 1997, Barilla built two factories in the USA – in Foggia and Ames, in the State of Iowa.

Podravka has a highly-developed distribution system in Poland, and cooperation with Barilla will bring together two complementary companies whose basic activity is the production of branded food products. After Croatia, Poland is the most important market for Podravka. Moreover, the cooperation of Barilla and Podravka on the Polish market opens opportunities for cooperation on other markets, for example in Slovakia, where Podravka also has a developed distribution network. Another interesting area for both companies includes the gastronomic segment directed towards large-scale consumers, like hotels and restaurants. Indeed, since Podravka has developed its own gastronomic business segment, including distribution, there is a good chance that Barilla and Podravka will also collaborate in covering this segment of the market.

When signing the agreement between Barilla and Podravka Polska, Sp.z.o.o., the director of Barilla for Central and Eastern Europe, based in Zagreb, Fabio Fabris, stated: “Signing the agreement between our two companies opens the way for strong penetration of the Polish market where Podravka already possesses established brands and a developed distribution network, and also opens the doors to further cooperation. In practical terms, to begin with, this involves the possibility of working together on the Slovakian market, and also in the gastronomic segment. Podravka has already firm relations with large customers, that is, with the gastronomic segment, so there are also chances to collaborate in this area.”