Ciocomiti: shops, innovation and crowdfunding to accelerate growth
Target turnover of 8 million in 4 years. New factory, an experiential space on quality chocolate and new openings planned
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Sweet expectations of growth for Ciocomiti's mountain pampering, which wants to more than double its turnover within four years, thanks to the new production site, the Ciocomiti Café and future openings: in Trento and Verona in 2025, but plans are to expand to other regions as well.
The Trentino-based company specialising in the production of high quality artisan chocolate has announced the arrival in 2025 of an experiential and sensorial chocolate space that aims to become a centre of attraction where visitors will be able to enjoy a unique 'chocolate experience': 'Starting from the history of the product, through the geographical areas where it is grown, to the production methods used, it will be possible to follow a bean to bar route (from the cocoa bean to the bar), full of interactive activities that will involve visitors in an amazing journey through cocoa and the Trentino region,' explains CEO Matteo Fedrizzi.
It will be an area that will cover over 350 square metres of the 2,200 square metres of thenew production site and the new shop just opened in Dimaro Folgarida (in the province of Trento, the other shops already active are in Ortisei, Madonna di Campiglio and Passo del Tonale). A fine calling card to give further impetus to a growth that will see the 2024 turnover, ten years after its birth, reach 3.3 million (2.5 million in 2023). There are now 24 employees (48 in high season) and another 8 hires are expected in 2025.
"The business plan foresees a constant growth that will take us in four years to approximately 8 million in turnover with ebitda at 19%,' says Fedrizzi, founder of the company and owner together with minority shareholder Luca Bondioli. According to the CEO, this growth in turnover is only minimally influenced by the increase in prices, driven by the skyrocketing cocoa prices. 'Once the 2023 investments are fully implemented and with the increase in sales due also, but not only, to the new shop in Ortisei,' he explains, 'the increase in raw materials has not been significant because the prices locked in 2023 did not affect, or only minimally affected, 2024.
The 'recipe' stakes everything on quality (its line based on stone-ground cocoa is worth mentioning) and on the positive trend that this segment is experiencing in Italy. "The November 2024 edition of the Plimsoll Study 'Chocolate Production - Italy 2024' examines the most recent results achieved by the 130 leading companies in the sector," notes Fedrizzi, "and Ciocomiti ranks fourth among the companies in the sector with the highest growth index and 64th among the largest companies in the chocolate production sector in Italy.
