Rigoni di Asiago – Market Leader in Italy

Today, the heirs Andrea, Antonio, Luigi and Mario Rigoni operate the company with the same philosophy and enthusiasm as Grandma Elisa, who must be credited with transmitting to her grandchildren the wisdom and love of nature shared by their ancestors. Right up till 1979, the Rigoni family was dedicated to bee-keeping on the plateau of Asiago but, with the third Rigoni generation, the company started collecting honey from other Italian regions until eventually processing became a bigger business than producing honey. The novelty lay in being the first to offer a full range of distinct mono-floral flavours.  Nature's samples were always carefully selected before being included on the “Rigoni map”. At the same time the Rigoni product range was increased to include honey preserves and honey-based supplements. (Picture: Rigoni's plant in Foza)

Distribution started with small retailers and was then extended to wholesalers and supermarkets. The 1990-91 consumer crisis gave rise to discount shops, which immediately affected customer demand. Sales margins slipped dramatically. L'Apicoltura Rigoni was forced to confront this crisis as they had just invested heavily in a new processing plant in Foza near Asiago. The market had changed and presented a new challenge. Until then, the Apicoltura Rigoni label had dominated the Italian market, but now it was time to change tactics. 

In 1992, the Rigoni brothers embraced the organic cause, a change which made the company the most important producer of organic jams and honey in Italy. First of all, Rigoni increased their range of honey flavours and added the organic label.  Based at their laboratory in Foza, they studied new products, concentrating on jams sweetened with honey which, owing to quality control problems, was gradually abandoned in favour of a natural sweetener produced from apples. Fiordifrutta was created, an organic jam sweetened naturally and cooked at a low temperature. The organic choice was welcomed by wholesalers and consumers. Now the way forward was to evolve with the new product, and an industrial plan with new machines to guarantee high grade technology with maximum automation was implemented. The dominant aim was to maintain quality superior to that of their competitors and to control the costs of labour and energy.
 

In 1993 new opportunities were developed in Bulgaria, where associated companies started farming organic fruit for Fiordifrutta (picture). Farming and fruit preparation there has steadily increased over the years. 1997 marks another important date in the company's history when Apicoltura Rigoni Snc became Rigoni di Asiago Spa as a direct result of its constant growth.  At the same time, Rigoni USA Inc was created to distribute in the United States. In 1999 two new partners entered the company: the Italian Government “Sviluppo Italia” (12.3 %) and the regional financer “Veneto Sviluppo” (29.8 %).

The resulting increase in capital boosted Rigoni di Asiago to outright leader in the Italian organic market. A permanent commitment to research into quality and adherence to their entrepreneurial ethic rewarded the company and its work. Greatly appreciated and encouraged by its consumers, Rigoni developed new organic products: DolceDì – sugar made from apples - and Nocciolata, a chocolate and hazelnut spread. In 2005, the Rigoni brothers re-purchased their shares from Sviluppo Italia and Veneto Sviluppo to become outright owners of Rigoni di Asiago Spa. June 2006 was significant for both Rigoni di Asiago and the organic market in general when FiordiFrutta  took first place as the top- selling jam in the Italian market, beating its competitors with traditional jams. In 2008, Rigoni di Asiago surprised the market with Fruttosa – an organic fruit dessert. 
 

From 1999 to 2005, sales saw exceptional 400 % growth. In terms of turnover, the company rose from 10.2 million € in 2000 to 28.6 million € in 2005. The trend continued in 2006 - the company closed the year recording turnover of 35 million €, 18 % more than in 2005. Rigoni di Asiago became the unchallenged leader in the organic products sector. According to AC Nielsen data from the first half of 2006, Fiordifrutta jam became the absolute market leader in Italy, outstripping sales by value of non-organic traditional jams. This performance was confirmed in the first months of 2007 when Fiordifrutta also overtook the private brands, taking first place in jam sold by value in Italy and claiming a national market share of 21.9 %. At the end of 2008, turnover rose at the same rate, so that the company exceeded its target of 45 million € (93 % in the domestic market and 7 % from exports). (Picture: Rigonis logistic platform in Albaredo near Verona)
 

Already present in the US market for some years, the company has planned a highly articulate penetration strategy there and also in France, where Rigoni has its own companies. This is a challenge for 2009-2010 which Rigoni di Asiago wants to win with help of wider retail distribution, high product quality and its well known ethical commitment to the environment, eco-sustainability and social matters. The company is already exporting to some European countries, such as the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Sweden, and the Czech Republic and is starting to work with Canada and Saudi Arabia. The company is certified organic by Bioagricert and Kosher certified by Star-K.

The company offers pine honey, collected from fir trees in the Italian Alps. Orange Blossom Honey collected in Sicily and Calabria, Forest Honey, Chestnut Honey, Eucalyptus Honey from along the coasts of South and Central Italy, the traditional Wildflower Honey from North and Central Italy, Lemon Blossom Honey, a traditional Sicilian liquid honey, Apple Blossom Honey, which is typical of Emilia-Romagna and Trentino in Northern Italy, where apples are cultivated. Rhododendron Honey is a traditional mountain honey collected from areas over 1,500 m above sea level. Available in limited quantities, this honey is considered to be one of the finest. Lime Tree Blossom is collected in the summer from the Alpine Mountains. (Picture: Rigoni's beehives in 1935)

 

Fiordifrutta is the Rigoni di Asiago range of jams and marmalades (the official name is fruit preserve) prepared exclusively from organic products and sweetened with DolceDi apple-sugar. Fiordifrutta is produced from carefully selected organic fruit, grown in Italy or on the Rigoni di Asiago farms in Bulgaria  The plant at Foza near Asiago has been designed for low temperature processing to maintain the vitamins, minerals and aroma of organic fruit. Each processing phase can be traced and cross-checked. Fiordifrutta covers a wide range of traditional to more unusual flavours. Fiordifrutta jams have about 50 % lower GI (glycemic index) than other jams, which means that it converts into sugar more slowly. This is achieved by a lower than average sugar content (30 %) combined with a high fibre content. (Picture: Rigoni's range)
 

Rigoni di Asiago Nocciolata is made from selected certified organic ingredients. Rigoni di Asiago have created a new formula for Nocciolata by replacing palm oil with organic cocoa butter. DolceDì apple-sugar is made by extracting the juice from organically farmed apples. DolceDì has the consistency of a thick, clear syrup and dissolves quickly in both hot and cold drinks.  With its sweet flavour, DolceDì can replace ordinary sugar without affecting the original aroma and taste of the product being consumed. DolceDì has fewer calories than sugar and an intense flavour, requiring only small amounts to sweeten food and drinks – a helping hand to reduce daily sugar intake. Produced entirely from apples, DolceDì is pure fructose and has a lower GI than ordinary sugar.