SESTO FIORENTINO, Florence (Italy) – The leading Italian producer of horeca and domestic coffee grinders is setting its sights on the Asian markets with a new production plant. Conti Valerio Srl, a Florentine company founded in 1920, inaugurated a new production plant in Ningbo (China) last May. It will produce coffee grinders – both for domestic and professional use – exclusively for the Asian market.
Conti Valerio inaugurated a new production plant in Ningbo, China
This new Chinese subsidiary belongs to a new company, Conti Valerio (Ningbo) Electrical Equipment Co. Ltd, which already operates locally: 3,600 square meters dedicated to the Far East markets. Situated in a highly developed coastal area south of Shanghai, the plant is close to a large port, which guarantees optimal inbound and outbound logistics.
As Maurizio Fiorani (Managing Director of Conti Valerio) explains, “The coffee grinders produced in China will help us consolidate our presence in the entire Asian market. Being geographically much closer to our local partners than our competitors will translate into even faster and more efficient services. We are excited to bring our expertise in top-quality coffee grinders to a rapidly developing market while maintaining high standards of quality and reliability. In recent years, we have experienced what could be seen as “tumultuous” growth. The combined effort of the Company and foreign partnerships have allowed Sesto Fiorentino to become the “Grinder Valley” of coffee, which has also had beneficial effects on the Company’s Florentine headquarters”.
Thanks to a five million euro investment, this is the first foreign branch of the Tuscan group, which has recently experienced excellent market expansion through new technology, several registered industrial patents and a corporate policy aimed at integrating the supply chain.
In 2022, Conti Valerio completed the acquisition of Italmill, a leading company in manufacturing mechanical mills that will double in size, increase its production capacity by 30% and start collaborating with the Company’s new Asian branch. And that’s not all, as Conti Valerio also acquired Alfa Meccanica in 2022, a specialist in precision mechanics based in Sesto Fiorentino that will receive substantial investments.
Italian high-quality and advanced products will become the protagonists of a new market: China
“We opened in China because the country offers an excellent supply chain. The Asian market makes up about 25% of Eureka’s turnover, and we expect a significant increase in the next three years. These are dedicated products that are not distributed in other areas. Each market has its characteristics and its dedicated grinders. Asian markets, for example, prefer lighter coffees, therefore, Conti Valerio’s new machines will be calibrated to cater to local consumers. As for sustainability, we are adopting more and more recyclable materials and recycled types of packaging,” adds Fiorani.
Next September, the historic headquarters of Conti Valerio in Sesto Fiorentino will be finally inaugurated. This large investment aims to double production by expanding the plant to 10,000 square meters, of which 4,500 will be used as a centralized warehouse.
About Conti Valerio Srl
Founded in 1920 by Tuscan entrepreneur Aurelio Conti, thanks to its Eureka 1920 and Eureka ORO leading brands, Conti Valerio Srl is considered a cutting-edge company that leads the coffee grinders segment for domestic and professional use. The Sesto Fiorentino company recorded a turnover of 59 million euros in 2022, with the Eureka brand growing by 10% compared to the previous year: 98% from exports for a total of over 150,000 grinders produced. Eureka invests 5% of its annual turnover in research and development, moreover, it has over one hundred employees with an average age of 35.
