Employment, markets and ESG indicators are on the rise
On 23 April, the shareholders’ meeting of Casalasco Società Agricola SpA approved the financial statements for the year 2023, with consolidated revenues up 27% to over 630 million euro and EBITDA at 81.1 million euro.
It was yet another record year for Italy’s first integrated tomato chain specializing in tomato processing, packaging and marketing of its derivatives, which, in addition to its economic and financial figures, also confirmed its commitment to the environment, people and the local area.
The Casalasco Group’s consolidated financial statements confirm the positive trend of the organization based in Rivarolo del Re (Cremona), which with its 5 factories processed 800,000 tons of fresh tomatoes in the last campaign, consolidating its position as the 7th-largest player in the world.
The end markets are also growing steadily, exceeding 75 in 2023, reached both with its own brands (Pomì and De Rica) and with co-packing and private label activities covering all continents, with a particular focus on the Far East including Japan, where the Group recently finalized the acquisition of De Martino, a leading commercial operator specializing in Asian and Scandinavian markets.
The share of sales in international markets remains the key asset for the Group’s growth at more than two thirds of total sales with a share in the retail segment at 76% of the total. Tomato derivatives lead the product categories with 85% of revenues divided between basic products, ready-made sauces and ketchup.
Supply Chain, Quality, Innovation, Research & Development, People, Environment and Safety are the cornerstones of Casalasco’s sustainable strategy. Casalasco adopts a transparent approach towards all its stakeholders with the common mission of building an efficient and solid chain for the creation of value fairly distributed along the supply chain.
Great attention has always been paid to people, Casalasco’s heart and driving force. With a peak of 2150 employees during the tomato campaign, the number of permanent employees increased by 10% in 2023.
If we add to the workers at the factories the ancillary industries represented by the farms that are members of the Consorzio Casalasco del Pomodoro and all the group's logistics and distribution activities, the number of workers involved in the Casalasco chain is around 10,000, with an average age of around 40.
The Group has carried out major staff development projects with over 16,000 hours of specific training and welfare plans to support employee welfare.
Casalasco’s Quality Department conducted more than one million quality analyses, overseeing all stages of the supply chain from the field to the distribution of each individual package, and the Research & Development Department generated more than 100 new projects for innovative recipes and packaging.
To this end, work began in 2023 on the redevelopment of the building near the Fontanellato plant, with the aim of creating the Group’s new Innovation Centre to centralise all of the Group’s research activities in a single hub; the opening is scheduled for 2024.
Last year Casalasco invested around 30 million euro to improve production and environmental performance. The new three-year development plan envisages investments in industrial assets worth more than 50 million euro in total, focusing in particular on energy efficiency, quality improvements and self-production of energy.
“Sustainability has been a primary focus for Casalasco for several years now,” comments Costantino Vaia, CEO of Casalasco S.p.A. . “In addition to the significant growth in terms of markets, products, revenues, and margins, 2023 also confirmed the concrete development of the social and environmental culture that has always engaged us and driven our operations day after day.”
