Our History
01/2001
The Trays for improved shelf life
We needed to replace the wooden pan for dried olives and the round bowls for deli, as both product lines had a short shelf life. By using modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), we managed to extend the shelf life to six months. The product was well-suited for bulk sales in supermarkets and for use in restaurants. Even today, this range has remained unchanged.
11/2001
First contract with GS Supermarkets
Until 2000, our presence in retail had been limited to small regional supermarket chains, especially in Lazio. The only client with national coverage at the time was Metro Cash & carry. In 2001, we signed the contract with GS supermarkets, to date acquired by the Carrefour group, the first national chain. The workload and the extensive market presence of our brand radically changed our organizational structure defining the guidelines for an industrial development plan that continued to evolve year after year.
05/2001
The First high-speed Line
To handle the ongoing number of orders, for which we worked day and night in double and triple shifts, we invested in a Caveco automatic dosing and packaging line. With the company's first high-speed line, we started producing 16 to 20 packages per minute, a significant increase compared to the 4 pieces per minute we used to achieve with semi-automatic lines. This investment enabled us to meet the growing demand from our exhisting customers and made us consider acquiring new ones. It was time to target aggressively the market and gain new shares in the national retail sector.
04/2002
The new factory
Over the years, with the increase of employees, the need to expand spaces and have a facility capable of supporting the requirements of a company active nationwide and looking towards markets abroad became a priority. Despite "Colle Erminio" being where everything began, we considered the construction of a new plant that could integrate the old structure. Thus, we navigated through permits, bureaucracy, and lots of paperwork... but our goal was clear and no one could stop us.
07/2002
Andrea Palma, the versatile colleague
In 2002, Andrea Palma joined the company. He is one of the guys I hold dear, renowned for his versatility, he began his journey as a marketing assistant and in the IT department, where he handled catalog layout, label printing, and provided technical support for the limited number of PC workstations in those days. With time he spread his help to the finance team, managing incoming goods and warehouse operations. Andrea played a crucial role in the sales department, handling customer correspondence. Today, Andrea welcomes everyone as they arrive at the company; he manages the reception area while maintaining his innate versatility. He remains committed to supporting colleagues across all departments whenever they need assistance.
11/2002
The coming of Take Away
In 2002, a significant opportunity arose in collaboration with the French retail giant: Carrefour. This time, it was the hypermarkets that opened us their doors. We established our presence by setting up gazebos and carts in the deli area. Shortly after there was a demand for ready-to-sell packs meeting peak weekend sales. This gave us the opportunity to launch the "takeaway" range, which remains to this day our best-selling product line.
01/2003
Rosa, with us since 2003
The production department continued to grow at an endless pace, and a new resource was brought in: Rosa Perna, known as Rossella, native of Tivoli, a town close to Castel Madama, Rossella was one of the first hires outside our local area witnessing the expansion of our operations, including workers from nearby towns. Rossella distinguished herself for her excellent skills, leading to her assignment to manage the machine for olives in pouches, a role she greatly fulfills to this day. Over 21 years, Rossella made a significant contribution to the growth of the company.
05/2004
CIBUS, our first participation
In 2004, celebrating our 40th anniversary and driven by ambition and the need to establish the company in the national market, we participated to Italy's most known food fair: CIBUS in Parma. Every two years, I took my sons to Parma, and that year, seeing them exhibit was amazingly gratifying. The recognition from current and potential customers was hugely rewarding and opened us new opportunities. Thanks to CIBUS, we also began exploring international markets and The Netherlands became our first one abroad.
05/2005
PAM Panorama: Tradition and Succes
A few years after establishing our first Italian retail partnership, we added another banner to our portfolio: the PAM Panorama group. This client has been and continues to be very important for Ficacci. With Panorama, we were able to replicate the success of our promotional in-store activities. I recall restoring authentic antique wooden carts, which we used as displays for selling bulk olives.
11/2005
The Second Fast Sealing Machine
The Second Fast Sealing Machine With the addition of new Italian retailers, our production volumes have increased significantly. As a result, a single fast line was no longer sufficient to meet our production needs. In response, we have expanded our infrastructure by purchasing a new @ILPRA-@Migliorini machine capable of producing up to 32 packs per minute. We now have five of these machines, which form the core of our production department.
05/2006
CIBUS 2006… The Stand
CIBUS… The Stand For the second time participating in CIBUS, we went all out! After the success of our first time in Parma, we wanted to make a big impact, and we succeeded thanks to the collaboration with a very talented artisan carpenter from our area: Marco Ruggeri. Our slogan at the time was "Belle di Natura, buone di Ficacci.", and the custom stand, which we continued to install and expand until 2014, reflected the values of a small and strong family business, and showcased our natural product, made exceptional due to our aging and manufacturing process. The stand was characterized by Doric columns and elliptical arches, while the predominance of white color provided visibility to the products displayed on the internal walls. We improved the quality, both in terms of corporate image and the results at the fair.
09/2006
Ficacci Spreads
In 2006, we introduced the Olive Paté Line in response to the increasing demand for vegetable spreads. The line initially included six olive-based creams: black olives, spicy olives, olives and artichokes, olives and eggplants, olives, capers and dried tomatoes, and olives and mushrooms. Currently, the range has been rebranded as Olive Bruschette. We now produce Olive Bruschetta, Tomato Bruschetta, and Muffuletta for sandwiches and salads.