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Home > Spotlight
Monini, the olive oil leader
 Roma - (Adnkronos Multimedia) - Monini is one of the major producers of extravergine olive oil and a leader in the Italian market and one of the most important on the international scene. They story began in 1920 when Zefferino Monini started to produce extravergine olive oil of high quality. The land around Spoleto, in the heart of Umbria, is well-suited to growing the best quality olives. The firm immediately began an operation that was entirely new in the oil sector by deciding to bottle and sell extravergine olive oil. At that time, the consumption of extravergine was limited to the area where it was produced, while most Italian families, especially in the cities, by habit or due to a lack of knowledge of the product, used almost exclusively ordinary olive oil. With his initiative and passion for the natural product of his land and the high quality of the oil from the hills of Umbria, Zefferino Monini wrote the first page in the history of the extravergine oil market. The Monini product acquired increasing fame and became increasing sought after by customers far away.
Today, the story seems to be repeating itself. Monini Spa is managed by Zefferino Monini, the grandson of the founder who is looking to markets in North America and Europe with the same passion and care for quality as his grandfather. "Our philosophy is simple," declares Zefferino Monini, "all our products must be of exceptional quality. This is the only way we can satisfy the needs of consumers and remain credible in our work of spreading awareness of quality extravergine olive oil. We choose the best cultivations and olive-presses, those where the hygiene, transformation installations and the storage of the olives and the olive oil are impeccable while respecting the best olive-growing traditions. But this is not enough. We also make 50,000 analyses a year in order to maintain the high quality of our extravergine oils that have one common denominator: low acidity, freshness, genuineness and flavor."
These are the figures that represent Monini 84 years after its founding: more than 90 million euros in sales; almost 100 employees, to which must be added hundreds of people involved in induced work: including cultivation of the olives, harvesting and the first transformation; 25 million liters of oil produced every year, of which 6 million liters go to foreign markets. Overall, it is a rare mixture, made up of entrepreneurial success, an almost maniacal attention to quality and an absolute respect for tradition. "Every day," adds Zefferino Monini, "after the laboratory tests, I personally taste the oil before proceeding to choose the various products we will put on the market. I believe that sharing a love and passion for this product while respecting its thousand-year history, is the way to offer a product of superior quality and unmistakable taste that remains the same through the years. The good things are those that stand out and always remain the same."
Therefore, passion is necessary but a solid entrepreneurial tradition is also needed. "Our firm was the first in Italy, and perhaps in the world, in this sector to transform itself from an artisan structure into a company", continues Zefferino Monini, "We were the first, during the 1950s, to bottle extravergine olive oil, which up until then was always sold by measure. We were also the first, in 1958, to develop a distribution system on a regional and later on a national scale, by opening our first branch in Rome. Again we were the first, in the 1960s, to engage in large scale advertising." It all amounts to pride in tradition and pride in the firm. "Yes," concludes Zefferino Monini, "there was a great deal of pride involved. So much so that two years ago we reacquired 35 percent of the company capital that my family had ceded to a multinational food company. Now the tradition of our oil has come back into the family."
Contact:
www.monini.com
Monini spa
SS Flaminia km 129
06049 SPOLETO (Pg)
Italy
Tel. +39-074323261
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