For Olitalia, turnover of EUR 311 million and investments of EUR 45 million

The Olitalia group closes 2024 with revenues of 311 million euro, 10.5% more than the previous year, and for 2025 announces 45 million in investments for the expansion of its two plants, the one in Forlì and the one in Spilamberto, in the province of Modena. The increase in the price of olive oil has undoubtedly helped the growth in turnover, but it is true that for the group, the volumes of processed product have also increased: 'Last year we reached 96 million litres, before we were at 92,' says Angelo Cremonini, who chairs the family group. His father Giuseppe, together with Luigi, founded Inalca. Then the two brothers parted their entrepreneurial ways, and in 1983 Giuseppe founded Olitalia, which is today led by his siblings Angelo, Camillo and Elisabetta.

The positive balance sheet results are also reflected in the willingness to invest for future development. In fact, the group has already allocated EUR 45 million for the expansion of its two plants: EUR 30 million will go to the Forlì plant, where oil is produced, and will be used to increase production capacity by 20% as well as to improve logistics and energy supply. The other 15 will be invested in the Acetaia Giuseppe Cremonini, which is part of the group and produces in Spilamberto, with the aim of increasing the number of bottles per year from 20 to 35 million.

Olitalia is growing in the Italian large-scale retail trade, but above all abroad, which now accounts for 40% of its turnover: "Asia is our most important market," Angelo Cremonini says, "the USA, on the other hand, is worth 20% of our exports. At Olitalia, American tariffs are not too frightening: "In the United States," explains the president, "we do not sell mainly olive oil but Frienn, an innovative product specifically for frying, developed in collaboration with the University of Bologna. The US-made alternative to this product is American soya oil, but we cannot fear competition from it because it has a decidedly inferior performance'.

After a year and a half of skyrocketing extra virgin olive oil prices, bottle prices in supermarkets have now fallen. But all eyes of consumers are on the next olive oil campaign, both Italian and European: what does Olitalia expect? 'Agronomists,' says Angelo Cremonini, 'tell us that until a month ago the 2025-26 campaign was looking almost record-breaking. In Spain in particular, which is the largest olive oil producer in Europe, olive blossoming was at its peak and there was plenty of water in spring. The extreme heat in June added some uncertainty to the picture, but as of today I can say that the 2025-2026 campaign will be, if not very good, at least good,' he says. For Cremonini, however, this should not necessarily lead to a further lowering of oil prices on the shelf: "Large-scale distribution," he says, "continues to use oil as a coquette product and this is not good, because upstream the olive grower must be able to be remunerated fairly.

For the Olitalia group, the vinegar business is only a 23 million euro fraction of the total turnover, but it is growing strongly: 'We started from 0 in 2009 and have now reached 7.5 million litres,' says Angelo Cremonini. The bulk of the balsamic vinegar market is abroad, but sales have been declining recently: 'I believe that many foreign palates need a less acidic and slightly sweeter product. We are already doing surveys in this sense among younger consumers in the German and US markets. I think we should talk about this subject soon within the protection consortium'.