Pomodoro: La Doria acquires 100% of Solana, a group worth 90 million
A sale and purchase agreement has been signed with Eight Holding One, a vehicle owned by funds managed by Xenon Private Equity, subject to approval by the Competition Authority
by Vera Viola
Yet another acquisition for the La Doria Group. The European group – a producer of long-life private-label Italian speciality foods, including tomatoes, ready-made sauces, pulses and pasta – has acquired 100 per cent of the share capital of Solana Società Agricola S.p.A., and indirectly, its subsidiaries Suncan S.p.A. and Desco S.p.A. La Doria has signed a sale and purchase agreement with Eight Holding One S.à r.l. – an investment vehicle owned by funds managed by Xenon Private Equity – and with the minority shareholder.
The Solana Group specialises in the processing of tomatoes, which account for around 91% of its revenue – with a product portfolio that includes tomato pulp, concentrates and purée – and other plant-based products (including fruit, basil and pumpkin), which account for the remaining 9%. In 2025, the Solana Group recorded a turnover of approximately 90 million (financial year ending in June 2025).
Solana was founded in 2001 and is based in Maccastorna, in the province of Lodi. In 2024, it entered the fruit- and vegetable-based semi-finished products sector through the acquisition of Suncan S.p.A. (based in the province of Piacenza). It also expanded its presence in Central Italia with the acquisition of Desco S.p.A. (based in the province of Latina) in 2025. Thanks to its three production plants, the Solana Group has a total processing capacity of approximately 285,000 tonnes per year and a total industrial area of around 200,000 square metres. The workforce consists of 46 permanent staff, supported by around 210 seasonal workers.
The Solana Group supplies leading industrial clients, who account for around 70 per cent of its turnover, and is also active in the foodservice sector, which accounts for 30 per cent of its turnover. All production takes place in Italia and the entire supply chain is domestic. The customer portfolio includes leading international operators specialising in the production of ready-made tomato-based sauces, pizzas and condiments, with whom the Solana Group has developed long-standing relationships in Italia, Europe and Japan.
For La Doria – with a turnover of 1,375 billion in 2025, of which around 90 per cent is generated through the private-label segment with leading national and international retailers – the transaction represents a significant opportunity to strengthen its position in the tomato sector, expand its production and supply network in Northern and Central Italia, and gain access to a diversified, high-profile industrial customer base, with further cross-selling opportunities in the foodservice sector. La Doria now has 15 plants across the country: 7 in the South, 1 in the Centre and 7 in the North.
