Three plants close to Ferrara produce the iconic and classic dish eaten all over the world. This is the story of how couscous was born in Argenta. Welcome to Bia, 75 people who make a product that reaches 50 countries around the world, generating a turnover of Euro 50 million. For FARE INSIEME, Giampaolo Colletti interviews Giulia Pasquali, Bia's sales manager
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
This story
begins many centuries ago and many kilometres south of Emilia. But it is here
that it grows, plants its roots, leaves its mark. This is the story of one of
the most iconic international foods. An ingredient with a myriad of colours and
an enchanting one thousand and one nights allure that links cultures, faraway
lands and cuisines. This story takes Emilia out into the world, for real. For
example, did you know that the home of couscous is Ferrara? Roll your eyes all
you want, but it’s true. Because in Argenta, just over twenty thousand souls in
the Unione dei Comuni delle Valli e Delizie, there are no fewer than three
plants that process couscous. Staggering numbers: 54,000 tons are produced here
every year and over 24 million boxes are packed. Two of the three plants are
dedicated to the production of traditional and organic durum wheat couscous.
One produces a gluten-free variety. 100 gram bags, 500 gram or 1 kilogram
boxes, and 5, 10 and 20 kilogram sacks. And then there are the tanks for customers
who buy for the large-scale production of ready-made meals. The couscous is
made and distributed for leading brands, large-scale distribution, restaurant
chains and other manufacturers in Italy and in as many as fifty countries
worldwide. I told you it was an amazing story, didn't I? After all, “love is
couscous”. As the film that won an award at the 2017 Venice Film Festival says.
And how can we disagree with that.
Company profile Welcome to Bia, a
company that has been one of the world's top players in the couscous market for
decades. Globally, it is the company that produces the most varieties of
couscous in the organic and gluten-free sector. Its production capacity is one
of the highest in Europe. Exports remain the most important channel and account
for more than two thirds of the turnover, but the domestic market is also
almost entirely covered. The company was founded in 2005 with 13 employees and
a turnover of around Euro 4 million. But the numbers grew. “BIA was founded in
2005 from the take-over of a business unit that produced pasta and had many
customers in France - the market that consumes the most couscous in Europe - so
it seemed logical to install a couscous line too. We began operating under the
new ownership in July 2005 and I arrived in November of the same year. I
started in a very small group and was involved in all the stages of market and
product development, thanks to the enlightened, visionary and methodical
management of its founder, the engineer, Mr. Pollini.” So says Giulia Pasquali,
Bia's sales manager. Today, Bia has 75 employees and a turnover of almost 50
million Euro. Argenta, as we said before. And as we also said: production is
spread over three plants, all within a sustainable radius of three kilometres.
“In addition to community attachment, a principle that has always guided our
policies, the organisational model guarantees a high level of efficiency and
assurance. One of the plants is dedicated to the gluten-free segment, a growing
market that offers a healthy, tasty and wholesome alternative for people with
special dietary needs or interested in changing the flavour of tradition,” says
Pasquali.
The
distinctive elements. The
company has always focussed on flexibility and high quality service. It does a lot, and carries out
research too. Indeed, Bia's R&D team is able to develop customised products
from any raw material. “We also deal with the packaging, from graphic design to
the supply. At the end of last year
we introduced a new couscous made with 100% pea flour, certified organic and
gluten-free, to meet the needs of a broader segment of consumers. Attention to the environment also
continues to have an impact on packaging materials: we increasingly favour
paper over plastic. For years, at
Bia, we have used only FSC-certified paper for packaging, and we are in the
process of converting all plastic materials to 100% recyclable or compostable
ones,” says Pasquali. The
difficulties are related to the availability of raw materials due to climate
change, but they won’t give up. Quite the opposite. “Today, with the take-over
of the company by B.F. SpA, Italy's largest agro-industrial group, new
challenges and gratifications await us,' says Pasquali. Onwards and upwards,
Bia.
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