The history of the Ferrero Group is a story of success in its third generation, in which the development of a multinational company perfectly combines with the past, present and future of a tenacious Piedmontese family.
We have to return to the ‘40s to discover the roots of this success. These were the years when Piera and Pietro, Michele’s parents, transformed a pastry shop into a factory. The Ferrero’ Family was the first Italian manufacturer after World War II to open production sites and offices abroad in the confectionary sector, turning the Company into a truly international Group. These first and decisive steps forward were thanks to the products “invented” by Pietro Ferrero and his son Michele, who was then very young. Another key to success was the effective sales network organized by Giovanni, Pietro’s brother, who died in 1949.
Following the success of the company in Italy, Michele Ferrero decided to start producing also abroad. In 1956 a large plant in Germany was inaugurated and a short time later a plant in France. It was the prelude to a rapid expansion of Ferrero in Europe, with the establishment of commercial offices and production centers in Belgium, The Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain. In the following decades Ferrero becomes global, with companies and plants in North and South America, South East Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa, Australia; and, more recently, in Turkey, Mexico and China.
During 2015, Ferrero opened the dawn of a new era for our company through two important acquisitions. In March, the Company obtained the final approval to start the integration process with Oltan, now Ferrero Findik, the leading company for collecting, roasting and trading hazelnuts in Turkey. The second acquisition, as of August, was Thorntons, the chocolate confectionary company founded in 1911 in the United Kingdom. Thorntons, employing more than 3.300 people, is now part of our extended family. We both have rich family histories and share a strong commitment to delighting customers with high quality, premium confectionary products.