Barilla Expands Castiglione Plant with New Lines, Boosting Production and Quality

Barilla is expanding its operations in Castiglione. On Tuesday, in the presence of Minister Alfonso Pecoraro Scanio, it inaugurated two new production lines, consolidating – in the cracker and biscuit sector – the primary role of the Mantuan hub in Europe.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 12:00 PM. Two key milestones mark the history of Barilla in Castiglione: one, in 1987, for its establishment, and another, in 1996, for the rapid development driven by the concentration of cracker production following the closure of the San Martino Buonalbergo (Verona) plant.

Expansion and Investments

The enhancement continued with the transfer of the biscuit production of shortbread cookies to the **Alto Mantovano** area, which at that time was also manufacturing in Pedrignano (Parma). Recent transformations have coincided with increasing market demand, prompting the Barilla group to make significant investments.

Some data better illustrate the extremely positive trend. At Castiglione, production volumes grew from 30,000 tons in 1996 to 70,000 tons in 1999.

This year, production is expected to reach about 80,000 tons, with potential for further increase in the future, given that the installed capacity is 100,000 tons. At the same time, workforce has doubled over four years, rising from 208 in 1996 to the current 420 employees.

Quality and Flagship Products

Today, over 80% of the cracker and biscuit production of the Mulino Bianco brand exits from the 11 production lines of the Mantuan hub.

«Beyond the quantitative data,» the company states in a press release, «a significant discussion must be made about the quality of products, lines, and operators. The lines for shortbread cookies represent the latest frontier in technology and are among the most advanced assets of the group, also in terms of safety and ergonomics.

Head appliances are entirely made of stainless steel, while the baking oven ensures complete uniformity of the process.» Among the most well-known «made in Castiglione» products are Tarallucci, Pan di Stelle, Macine, and Galletti.