In the Bologna area, there
is a company that has written the best pages of Italian roasting in the world.
It has done so by drawing on a wealth of knowledge rooted in history, but also
by innovating while respecting tradition. S for science, S for sapienza (the
Italian term for knowledge and wisdom), S for specialization. These are the
three S's that tell about Essse Caffè. Per FARE INSIEME Giampaolo
Colletti interviews Francesco Segafredo, co-founder and president of Essse
Caffè
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
Looking back to move forward. Because the past becomes a compass to better navigate the future. A capital to be enhanced. This is repeated like a mantra by Francesco Segafredo, an Italian entrepreneur linked to a long family tradition in Italian roasting, one of those entrepreneurial figures we would call startuppers today, projected into the future but with the awareness that great businesses are founded on brilliant intuition, extreme resilience, endless research and a winning team. Speaking of a team, Francesco Segafredo's came out within the family. Because back in 1979, he started Essse Caffè with the support and co-partnership of his two sisters Chiara and Cristina. Actually, Francesco began working in 1972 and ran the former company for five years; then, he sold it in 1977. Two years later marked the founding of Essse Caffè. However, to understand this story we need to take a step back. Indeed, as we often say in this column, more than one step. The family's tradition in the coffee world has its roots in the 1930s and grew significantly in the 1950s, in the postwar period marked by the economic boom and that restart that allowed long-cherished dreams to turn into reality.
Looking back to move more forward. In fact, the turning point for the company came in 1952, when Giampiero, Francesco's father, invented the "Miscela Masini" blend on the occasion of the opening of two important premises in the center of Bologna. However, with the industrialization and the untimely death of the entrepreneur, the blend's formula was lost. "I embarked on a journey to my origins to be able to reconnect with Berto, the roaster with whom my father created the blend. In collaboration with the Food Technology department of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Bologna, we began to cast light on the whole coffee production cycle and restored the iconic Miscela Masini, which is still our flagship product and makes up 30 percent of our sales," Segafredo says. Looking back to move forward. In 2019, the company celebrated forty years with a book that describes the science of espresso for Essse, which is spelled with three S's. One of these S's stands for Segafredo, but today the explanation that appeals most to this business leader who started out at the age of 27 with few but clear ideas – as he puts it – is the declination on three key concepts: S for science, S for sapienza (the Italian term for knowledge and wisdom), S for specialization.
From Emilia to the whole world. The headquarters is in Anzola dell'Emilia, in the Bologna area. Today, the company has 74 employees, as well as a sales network of about 100 associates for a mainly Italian HO.RE.CA market, but also finds space in 62 countries around the world through its distributors. It reaches Saudi Arabia, the United States, Israel, and Greece. The turnover is 39 million euros and the company is also online, with its own e-commerce where all the products for the end user can be found. Essse Caffè has still a family and Italian DNA. "Right from the start, we focused on quality excellence and an almost scientific approach in the preparation of our blends, making use of the constant collaboration with the faculties of agriculture at the Universities of Bologna, Cesena and Foggia. But that's more: in addition to the product, we were also among the first to be certified for service and assistance activities for bartenders, thus managing to offer them a complete quality package," Segafredo says.Quality first. Quality that becomes a healthy obsession. We are talking about products, but also about after-sales service, customer care and training.
Endless research. The art of coffee needs experience, but it also needs innovation and technology. Essse Caffè is convinced of that. Passion and tradition in perfect balance. "We have kept unchanged what sets us apart and for which we are recognized in the market: not just quality, but constant quality, which is always guaranteed. On the other hand, what we innovated was the whole world of single-serve, and thus the investments made in both knowledge and technology," Segafredo points out. Training remains pivotal: so, we founded "La Classe di Essse," i.e., the academy with a wide range of courses. "The coffee roasting world is evolving rapidly and in different directions: customers are increasingly demanding and attentive to high quality standards, as well as to the issue of sustainability and respect for the supply chain. Then, there is the growth of the specialty coffee segment and innovative coffee solutions, not only abroad, but also in Italy. That's why we also expect a trend of more informed coffee consumption and a greater end-consumer culture about the product, both in the HO.RE.CA channel and at home," Segafredo concludes. Meanwhile, the fourth generation of the family is already at work in the company: Agata Segafredo as purchasing and suppliers manager, Pietro Buscaroli as export department manager, Riccardo Auteri as finance and management control manager, and Ruggero Auteri as HO.RE.CA strategy manager. They are ready to write the new pages of the future together with the supply chain and customers.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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