Granarolo’s €25m investment in Perla dairy helps meet burrata demand
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by the Chairman of Granarolo Gianpiero hashtag#Calzolari, the General Manager of Granarolo Filippo Marchi, the Chairman of Granlatte Simona Caselli, the General Manager of Granlatte Isaia hashtag#Puddu and all the directors of the respective Boards of Directors, all the members of the South and the staff of the plant.
Granarolo has inaugurated its Perla dairy in Gioia del Colle in Bari, Italy, as part of a €25 million investment to increase the output of traditional Apulian cheeses for both local and foreign markets.
The plant, which covers over 55,000 square metres and is equipped with a 1.5 MWh cogeneration plant, has been operational since 1962. The site, which had already undergone renovation in 2002, has produced Perla and Granarolo brand milk to date.
The subject of a major investment of €25 million that began in 2023, it has been converted to produce, in addition to milk, also Apulian dairy specialties such as burrata, stracciatella, mozzarella and ricotta for the national and international market.
Machines are custom designed to improve the microbiological quality of the burrata, extending its durability and therefore the opportunity to go abroad where the consumption of burrata is growing significantly.
The Perla dairy will process 60,000 tons of milk from the supply chain at full capacity, for 10,000 tons of finished product. The number of employees is expected to double by 2027.
President Gianpiero Calzolari noted that how the importance of the iconic burrata to the business with an investment in technology and also in the training of individuals.
“Those who previously bottled milk will now become masters in the production of one of the most envied Italian specialties and will be supported by new colleagues,” he explained. “The challenges we face are many: on the agro-breeding front, ensuring the absorption of milk from the Puglia and Basilicata districts, in line with our mission and the optimised management of production peaks, on the processing front, maximum quality and an adequate shelf life functional to internationalisation.
He said he observed the appreciation for burrata’s taste at fairs like Tutto Food by national and foreign buyers.
“We have also won an important recognition and this is the best thanks to the many people who have worked to start the dairy in the last nine months,” the president added.
Many important institutions took part in the ribbon cutting ceremony including the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forests Francesco Lollobrigida, the executive vice president of the European Commission Raffaele Fitto, the Undersecretary of State of the Ministry of Health Marcello Gemmato , the president of the Puglia Region Michele Emiliano, the Mayor of Gioia del Colle Giovanni Mastrangelo.
Also present were the general manager of Granarolo Filippo Marchi, the president of Granlatte Simona Caselli, the general manager of Granlatte Isaia Puddu and all the members of their respective boards of directors, the members of the South and the staff of the Gioia del Colle plant.
