| Type | Società per Azioni |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder(s) | Pietro Ferrero |
| Headquarters | Alba, Piedmont, Italy |
| Key people | Giovanni Ferrero, Acting Chairman, CEO |
| Products | Confectionery |
| Revenue | €6.3 billion (2008-2009) |
| Employees | 21,500 |
| Website | www.ferrero.com |
Ferrero SpA is an Italian manufacturer of chocolate and other confectionery products. It was founded by confectioner Pietro Ferrero in 1946 in Alba, Piedmont, Italy. The company saw a period of tremendous growth and success under Pietro's son Michele Ferrero, who inturn handed over the daily operations to his sons. His son Pietro (the founder's grandson), who oversaw global business, died on April 18, 2011 in a cycling accident in South Africa at the age of 47. Reputation Institute's 2009 survey ranks Ferrero as the most reputable company in the world.[1] Ferrero SpA is a private company owned by the Ferrero family and has been described as "one of the world's most secretive firms".[2][3] The Ferrero Group worldwide – now headed by CEO Giovanni Ferrero – includes 38 trading companies, 18 factories and approximately 21,500 employees.
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In 1946, Pietro Ferrero invented a cream of hazelnuts and cocoa, derived from Gianduja and to be spread on bread, and called it Pasta Gianduja. Ferrero created the new company to produce and market it. Later on his sons became joint chief executives. Michele Ferrero modified his father's recipe to produce Nutella, which was first sold in 1964 and has become popular around the world.
The company places great emphasis on secrecy, reportedly to guard against industrial espionage.[2] It has never held a press conference and does not allow media visits to its plants. Ferrero's products are made with machines designed by an in-house engineering department.[2]
In addition to Nutella, Ferrero produces many other products, including Ferrero Rocher, Pocket Coffee, Mon Chéri, Giotto, Confetteria Raffaello coconut cream candy, Hanuta chocolate hazelnut filled wafers, the Kinder line of products as well as the Tic Tac breath mints. A dark chocolate version of the Ferrero Rocher is also available, called the Ferrero Rondnoir, which contains a pearl of dark chocolate in the center instead of a hazelnut, chocolate cream instead of Nutella and crunchy chocolate bits instead of crushed hazelnuts. There is also a coconut version, Confetteria Raffaello, which contains milk cream surrounding an almond and covered with meringue and shredded coconut. The Ferrero Prestige collection is a set of three pralines: Rocher, Rondnoir, and a coconut version called Garden Coco. The Garden Coco candy is similar to the Confetteria Raffaello, but has milk cream instead of coconut cream.
Ferrero also produces the Kinder product series, including Kinder Surprise or Kinder Sorpresa in Italian (also known as "Kinder Eggs"), Fiesta Ferrero, Kinder Chocolate bars, Kinder Happy Hippo, Kinder Maxi, Kinder Duplo, Kinder Délice and Kinder Bueno.
Recently, Ferrero has also introduced a line of frozen products called Gran Soleil. A one-of-a-kind product, it is most accruately described as a shelf-stable frozen dessert. It has to be refrigerated prior to eating. The company received an innovation award for the product in March, 2011.[1]
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