Italian French Fry manufacturer Pizzoli officially inaugurates its new potato processing plant in San Pietro

On March 16, 2024 Pizzoli oficially inaugurated its new production plant for french fries, located in San Pietro in Casale, in the Bologna area, Italy.

Pizzoli is the leading company in the fresh and frozen potato industry in Italy. Its turnover in 2023 was EUR 159 million (USD 172 million), up 25% compared to the previous year. The potato processor was founded in 1926 and operates 3 industrial plants, all located in the province of Bologna.

Pizzoli is a family-owned company unique for its fundamental contribution and development of the potato supply chain in Italy, as well as for its long tradition in the agro-industrial transformation of this precious crop.

In line with its industrial vocation, the company continues to invest in agricultural expansion plans and it promotes the cultivation of potatoes throughout every Italian region while firmly maintaining its roots in the community in which it has been operating from the beginning.

 

Officially inaugurating of Pizzoli's new potato processing plant in San Pietro

The production plant located in San Pietro in Casale

The project for this new production and logistics hub, primarily focused on sustainability by aiming at reducing land consumption. Construction began in 2016 by reconverting an industrial site of the former Sfir sugar factory in San Pietro in Casale, a 350,000-square-meter area.

The demolition and recovery work of this site was quite impressive, in 2017, it was launched the first phase of the project with the highly automated cold warehouse and logistics hub. The construction of the production plant began in 2021 and was completed at the beginning of 2023, over 70Mio€ were invested in this project.

The plant officially started production July 15th. The overall investment for the construction of the new production site in San Pietro in Casale (land, demolition, logistics hub, production plant) amounted to over EUR 100 million (USD 108 million).

This production plant, equipped with the most advanced technologies, is the largest in Southern Europe: when fully operational it will triple the company's production capacity of frozen potatoes and will allow, in the long term, to bring the volumes of raw material from the farms to Pizzoli group to 350,000 tonnes yearly.

Over the next few years, this plant will also welcome the packaging of table potatoes and extensive growth is expected, both in terms of quantity and quality.

The frozen potato market in Italy

 

Production of french fries at Pizzoli

In Italy, the total volume of frozen potatoes sold between the Retail and Food Service channels amounts to approximately 430,000 tonnes. Pizzoli can be found in all sales channels with its own brands as well as a private label. In the Retail Channel as well as in the Ho.re.ca channel, Pizzoli occupies a leading position (retail market share: volume: 17.5% and value: 23%; Source: Circana YE Dec.2023).

Patasnella is the most well-known product line, the “Patatine” (fries) item has been the bestselling SKU on the market for more than 20 years.

Production site in San Pietro in Casale: Key Numbers
 

• Covered surface: 40.000 square meters
• Production capacity of frozen potatoes: 95.000 tons/per year
• Total investment: 100 million (USD 108 million)
• Employment in the new plant: >60 employees (Total employees in Pizzoli: 308)