Barilla Group: Revenue up 2% in FY 2015

Parma / IT. (bg) Italy’s Barilla Group presented this week in Milan, the financial and sustainability reports, «Good for You, Good for the Planet». Revenue rose to 3’383 million EUR in 2015 (+2 percent net of the foreign exchange impact). Ebitda amounted to 440 million EUR (versus 427 million EUR in 2014). Net debt fell to 170 million EUR in 2015 (versus 250 million EUR in 2014). As part of the «Good for You, Good for the Planet» strategy, the last 3 years have seen fat cut in 73 products, salt in 15 products, while new products have less sugar and more whole grain. Compared to 2010, there was a 23 percent reduction of CO2 emissions and a 19 percent decrease of water consumption per ton of finished product. Raw materials: in 2015 the Barilla Group purchased from 1’300 virtuous farms140’000 tons of sustainable durum wheat (+50 percent versus 2014).

The year 2015 was positive for the Barilla Group in terms of economic data and sustainability results. This is what emerged from the press conference of the Parma-based family company presenting the financial and sustainability reports, which took place today, May 26, in Milan, Italy.

«The 2015 results confirm the effectiveness of the «Good for You, Good for the Planet» strategy, said Chairman Guido Barilla. «In spite of a difficult context, the company continues to grow abroad and it is doing better than the market average in Italy. We are committed to expanding in emerging markets characterized by high consumption of pasta, and to take advantage of opportunities in our bakery product offering», he added. «We do this as we promote a tasty, healthy and joyous diet – inspired by the Mediterranean lifestyle».

Performance: revenue growing in 2015 (+2 percent)

In terms of performance, the 2015 Barilla Group revenue grew to 3’383 million EUR, +2 percent versus 2014 net of the foreign exchange impact. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) accounted on average for 13 percent of revenue, in line with the previous year (440 million EUR versus 427 million EUR in 2014). During 2015 the Barilla Group investment expenditure was about 147 million EUR, around 4 percent of revenues. The Group’s reduction of indebtedness continued, falling from 250 million in 2014 to 170 million EUR in 2015. Sales volumes were stable compared to 2014.

Markets: significant increases in sauces and soft breads

Italy accounts for almost half of the Barilla Group revenue. In spite of a difficult economic and social context, in which consumption of the product categories where Barilla competes are in decline, the company continued to do better than the market average. Especially positive were results in the Meal Solutions business, lead in particular by the growth of sauces, especially pesto, and meat-based products. The market shares of Barilla and Voiello pasta started rising again, highlighting a meaningful change compared to the past. Gluten free pasta – winner of the 2016 Italian National Innovation Award – and whole-grain pasta continued to grow at above market rates, contributing to increases in the overall market share of the Barilla brand. In the Bakery sector volumes were broadly in line with 2014. Market shares of mini-cakes, breadsticks, crackers and soft breads grew.

Excellent perfomance of the Group in Europe and the United States

In 2015, in Europe (Italy excluded), the Group’s volumes grew by +4 percent compared to the previous year. In the same timeframe, the Americas region’s net revenue grew thanks to the contribution of all the countries in which the Group operates. In the United States, growth was boosted by pasta, also thanks to launches of new products, such as «Pronto» pasta, and the consolidation of products in the premium and gluten-free sectors, which began in 2014. In New York, the third Barilla restaurant was inaugurated in October 2015. The venue has an interactive digital screen: a world first in the retail business, it allows the public to post comments on social networks using the restaurant window.

Results of the «Good for you, good for the planet» sustainability report

Barilla also presented its «Good for You, Good for the Planet» sustainability report, which highlights the main results achieved by the company on the theme of the wellbeing of people, the Planet and the communities. From 2010 until today, Barilla has reformulated as many as 219 products. Just in the last 3 years, the Group has reduced total fats and saturated fats in 73 products and salt in 15 products. New products were launched with less sugar than the industry average and more whole grain.

The Group boosted the development of sustainable agriculture projects: in 2015, Barilla purchased 140’000 tons of sustainable durum wheat (+50 percent versus 2014) from 1’300 farms. At the same time, the strategic raw materials purchased from responsible supply chains has tripled – from 6 percent to 18 percent – and the goal is to reach 100 percent by 2020.

Always mindful of the environment, there was also a 19 percent reduction of water consumption and a 23 percent decrease of green house gas emissions per ton of product. This was achieved also thanks to the «Wheat Train» project: a new railway link for durum wheat transport to the world’s largest pasta plant at the Barilla headquarters in Parma, which means having about 3’300 less trucks on the roads, with a 1’100 tons reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

2015 was also the year of Smart Working: the revolutionary project that Barilla implemented for its office employees that allows everyone to work remotely with the aid of communication technology and through collaboration. Approximately 74 percent of employees included in the project benefitted from this opportunity.

On the matter of human capital, the Diversity + Inclusion Advisory Board continued to provide guidance in changing the company culture. The organization made a significant progress on the issues related to gender balance, improving in just one year the percentage of women in leadership positions from 28 percent to 35 percent, and women in the Global Talent Pool from 32 percent to 41 percent.

New in 2015: from «Cucina Barilla» to the pasta making 3d printer

The Barilla Group continues to be a reference point in the field of innovation. During 2015 Cucina Barilla was launched: a new business model that comes from the partnership between Barilla and Whirlpool, which consists in using an oven set with a dedicated technology and Barilla products sold on line and home- delivered.

Barilla recently presented its 3D pasta printer at Cibus, the Parma-based international food show. The company’s high level of experience in innovation technology brought a truly leading-edge way to make pasta: Print it in 3D. All you need to do is load the dough cartridges that replace the ink in the printing machine! It takes just a few minutes: the operator draws a shape on the computer and the data is sent to the printer that will produce any shape you want, ready to be cooked. The project is still in an experimental phase – but it is already producing excellent results.

The BCFN foundation launches «Eating Planet»

The Barilla Center for Food + Nutrition Foundation recently presented to the press and the public the book «Eating Planet. Food and Sustainability: Building Our Future”. A book that explains how, with a balanced Mediterranean diet, it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of our daily food choices, prevent the onset of chronic and cardiovascular pathologies and start a healthy and sustainable life style. BCFN is a non-profit and non-partisan foundation, which operates as multidisciplinary and independent think tank analyses economic, scientific, social and environmental factors connected to food. The research developed by BCFN is considered by the Barilla Group as a reference point for doing business, such as the Double Pyramid Model and more recently the Milan Protocol on food and nutrition.