MILAN, Italy – “We have been looking for a partner for a long time to integrate our offer with a Premium brand. We are a transversal Group present in large-scale retail with all types of format and packaging and with Caffè Mauro we now have a prestigious brand that is well known in the Horeca segment.” With these words Davide Padelli, CEO of Gruppo Gimoka, commented on the first large aggregation operation in the roasting world in recent years, which led to the establishment of a player with 30 million kg of roasted coffee, with an aggregate turnover, in 2021, of 140 million euros and with double-digit growth trends for the current year.
Mr. Padelli, this is a very important operation. What are the motivations and objectives of this aggregation?
“It is an operation that we have studied for a long time with Mr Capua, starting in 2015. It is part of the Group’s broader strategy, which aims to expand the production chain and expand the number of final consumers.
We believe that our skills and size, combined with Caffè Mauro’s heritage of quality experiences, can bring added value and support the recovery of the sector, consolidating our positioning.
This combination finds its reasons not only in the strategic complementarity of the two companies, but also in the common vision and values.”
Mr. Padelli how was the operation structured? How valuable is it exactly?
“Financial details are not disclosable. Under the terms of the agreement, Holding Capua Investments will become a shareholder of Gruppo Gimoka and Fabrizio Capua will simultaneously hold the positions of Director of the Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caffè Mauro, in order to further guarantee the business continuity of Mauro and its strong roots in the Calabria territory, an essential value of the heritage of the brand.”
Mr. Padelli, when you talk about complementarity, what do you mean?
“We intend a complementarity both at the production and logistical level, also taking into account our offer that is completed, positioning itself on different segments.
On the one hand, Gimoka is a value for money brand, dedicated to accessibility and inclusiveness; on the other, Caffè Mauro is a historic brand that positions itself as a premium brand.
This agreement, therefore, will lead to an enhancement and strengthening of the assets of both our Group and Caffè Mauro and at the same time will allow us to be present with two complementary brands within the various sales channels, targeting different segments and targets.”
You also spoke of complementarity in terms of production and logistics. What challenges are on the horizon?
“Our geographical presence favors us. Being the plants of Gruppo Gimoka in Valtellina and those of Caffè Mauro in Reggio Calabria, we can create synergies both with regard to the production and distribution of the product throughout the peninsula and beyond, creating value along the entire supply chain.
The main challenge will be to combine experiences, resources and know-how to achieve exponential growth results across all markets and channels.
In particular, Gruppo Gimoka aims to significantly develop its presence in the premium segment in all Italian and European channels. Currently, the Gruppo Gimoka already enjoys an omnichannel presence, with the entry of Caffè Mauro we complete the positioning, on all channels, strengthening the group’s overall presence.”
This operation comes after a period of strong uncertainty caused by the Covid pandemic. What does this agreement represent for you?
“Covid has exposed the fragility of this sector. The Horeca sector in particular has suffered most from the effects of the imposed restrictions. Therefore, the need to strengthen the business by diversifying it in the various channels and in the different segments has emerged.
This is something that can be applied to all sectors, not just ours. The market requires a concentration of resources and know-how, and this aggregation represents for us and Caffè Mauro the will to invest to relaunch a market of great potential, strongly affected by the pandemic.
For this reason, we believe that it is absolutely necessary to combine our efforts and work in synergy, to successfully address the growth and expansion phase of the Group and to continue serving our customers both in Italy and abroad.”
