The quality of Sicilian crops is improving through a more intensive relationship with the territory and by expanding globally. Gustibus is a case in point, a company that can count on great interest from investors like Banca Intesa, who are willing to support Sicilian companies in their national and international growth. The level of interest from Banca Intesa is such that a number of managers have visited Gustibus in recent days located in Assoro, to meet with the manager and director Francesco Pecorino, who explained the current and future challenges.
“Despite the difficult situation related to the pandemic, we continue pursuing competitive strategies based on knowledge and expertise and on the tie that binds the company to Sicily, which focuses on increasing the value of local raw products. It is important that Sicilian crops start to gain more ground both at national and international level,” pointed out Pecorino.
In terms of innovation, the company has embarked on two ventures and the foundations have been laid over the past year with the extension of the plant to be increased to 80,000 square meters from the current 20,000 square meters, and the coverage to be expanded to 25,000 square meters from the actual 7,000 square meters.
A new line of sauces made from fresh cherry and date tomatoes of Sicilian origin will be launched in June. This novelty will be launched on the national market. “It is an investment that will guarantee a doubling of sales in the next 24 months,” assured Pecorino.
The company is working hard to start a facility in Sicily where doypack packaging can be used. This represents a double value, because on the one hand it meets the preferences of foreign consumers and on the other hand it has a major impact on environmental sustainability. In the long run, Gustibus will move from glass packaging to doypack. The aforementioned new line of sauces will be the first product with the new doypack packaging destined for the Italian and European hospitality industry available in bags of 5 kg.
In addition, Gustibus is looking with great interest at the online market, where major players such as Amazon or Alibaba consider doypack packaging an essential requirement. A deal was recently signed with Alibaba for the sale of six products. This will eventually be increased to 15, with the aim of managing a range of around 50 branded products.
Gustibus is thus laying the groundwork to compete with other, large, national players. Many of them have obtained the recent 231 certification, a model that increases the transparency of internal procedures. This is not only an opportunity to grow the business but also to guarantee its legitimacy. Indeed, the protocol requires all Gustibus suppliers to meet precise requirements, including the following certifications: IFS International Food Standard, BRC, British Retail Consortium, ISO 22005, UTZ, RSPO, FDA and HACCP.
Contact:
Gustibus
C.da Milocca, Z.I. Dittaino
94010 – Assoro (EN)
Phone. +39 0935 951021
Email: info@gustibus.it
