Formec Biffi celebrates 60 years in business with a new immersive space

Formec Biffi celebrates two important anniversaries: 60 years since the company was founded and 90 years for its founder and chairman, Pietro Casella.

Spazio Biffi 3.0

On Friday 11 September, in the presence of Minister for European Affairs Tommaso Foti, authorities, partners, employees and friends of the company will gather at the San Rocco al Porto site for an evening dedicated to the group's history, values and future prospects. It will also be an opportunity to inaugurate Spazio Biffi 3.0, an innovative company museum that tells, through art and multimedia, the story of a company that has become a symbol of Italian excellence in the agri-food sector.

The brand's history

Numbers and turnover alone are not enough to tell a story like that of Formec Biffi. On the banks of the Po, on the border between Lombardy and Emilia-Romagna, an enterprise has grown that has succeeded in transforming intuition, courage and creativity into an internationally recognised business model.

The adventure began on 11 November 1966, “in the summer of Saint Martin”, when Pietro Casella imagined a new way of interpreting the food sector, anticipating the changes in an increasingly open and global market. In the 1990s, the acquisition of the historic Milanese brand Biffi marked a decisive turning point, combining tradition and innovation in a project destined to grow beyond national borders.

Today, the group generates turnover of 154 million euros and brings its products to numerous international markets, from Great Britain to Spain, from Germany to South Korea, and as far as the United States. In the coming years, expansion will extend further into strategic countries such as Australia and Scandinavia.

Sauces, dressings and condiments are at the heart of production. The standout product is Biffi mayonnaise, born from a pioneering idea that led to the first sixty eggs being packaged in a tube, when no one had yet imagined such a solution. Today, 250.000 eggs are used every day to make it.

The business model

"I wish to give back to society what I have received over the years", says Pietro Casella. It is a philosophy that has always accompanied the company's activities and is reflected in a business model focused on people, the local area and quality. With 437 private-label products produced in Italy and abroad, 310 sauce recipes and approximately 100 gastronomic specialities, Formec Biffi exports its know-how to 51 countries while maintaining strong roots in the area where it was founded.

Growth has been accompanied by significant investment in sustainability and the circular economy: “free-from” products, waste-reducing single portions, recyclable packaging that has received numerous awards, and an energy system based on photovoltaics and trigeneration, enabling the San Rocco al Porto production site to achieve an energy self-sufficiency level of 80%.

Alongside its industrial activities, Formec Biffi has developed a deep commitment to contemporary art and culture over the years. Ten years ago, Galleria Biffi was established in the historic centre of Piacenza; today it is a focal point for emerging artists and enthusiasts. "Freedom and harmony are the true ingredients of happiness", Pietro Casella emphasises once again.

The San Rocco Al Porto site

The San Rocco al Porto site extends over more than 200.000 sq m and represents a concrete example of integration between industry, the environment and culture. Alongside the 36 production lines that produce more than 410 million pieces a year, Corte Biffi is taking shape, a route where reclaimed industrial materials become works of art, while murals and street-art interventions transform the production landscape into a space open to creativity.

This route is now naturally continuing with Spazio Biffi 3.0, the new immersive environment that will be inaugurated on 11 September and subsequently opened to the public. A place where images, sounds, testimonies and multimedia content tell the story of a man, a company and an entrepreneurial vision that continues to innovate without forgetting its roots.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.