RUSPINO (BG) – On 26 June this year, Maurizio Martina, Minister for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policy, with a mandate for Expo, paid a visit to the San Pellegrino Group’s factory in Ruspino. There, he had the chance to meet staff and the company management and to learn about processes for bottling the famous water with its “red star”, symbolising for the rest of the world, all things Italian. Welcoming the Minister were Marco Settembri, CEO of Nestlé Waters, Stefano Agostini, President and Chief Executive of the San Pellegrino Group and Tiziana Albanese, Manager of the Ruspino factory.
S.Pellegrino, ambassador for ‘Made in Italy’
“I would like to thank San Pellegrino for this invitation to visit the S.Pellegrino, factory. This is water which has managed to become a symbol of all things Italian in the world” – affirmed Minister Martina. “What I have visited and listened to today demonstrates how companies with a good code of practice and ethics can find extraordinary assets to generate significant value for the country and in the world, through their dialogue with the region, by maximising Italy’s productive excellence and our talent. Also at Expo 2015 – continues Minister Martina – the company has demonstrated to visitors how it passionately communicates these values, acting as an ambassador of all things Italian to the public, thus contributing to the success of this event which is so strategic for the country”.
The company’s commitment
“We are honoured to have Minister Martina as our guest and proud to have had the chance to demonstrate our working methods, care and passion, which we dedicate on a daily basis to the development of S.Pellegrino water and the regions it is sourced from” – declared Stefano Agostini, president and CEO of the San Pellegrino Group.
“The consumers, both in Italy and abroad, identify mineral water as a resource for wellness and increasingly choose quality hydration – stated Marco Settembri, CEO of Nestlé Waters - S.Pellegrino and San Pellegrino drinks, together with Acqua Panna, are premium international brands in the Nestlé Waters portfolio, taking on a key role in the global growth of the Group, having reached a global distribution of one billion, 300 million units, where they represent symbols of excellence for Italian quality. This is an extraordinary result, which we have achieved thanks to ongoing investment in the quality and innovation of our products and through effective policies of internationalisation. Our appreciation therefore goes to Minister Martina for having believed, in all his mandates, in the strategic importance of internationalising Italian companies, working to promote the competitiveness of brands ‘made in Italy’ across the globe”.
S.Pellegrino is the jewel in the crown of the San Pellegrino Group, the leading company in Italy’s drinks sector: with 811 million euros in 2014, the company continues to grow in double figures on the foreign markets (+14%) and is also showing positive signs on the Italian market, which returned to growth this year (+2.5%).
The Expo Milano 2015
For San Pellegrino, the visit from Minister Martina represents, a dual endorsement of the value of its work. Indeed, the Minister is also representing the Italian government at Expo 2015, an event where S.Pellegrino is the official water partner.
S.Pellegrino is the sole food company to have a dual partnership with the Universal Exhibition: aside from being the official water of Expo Milano 2015 it is also a partner of Padiglione Italia, which underlines its dual nature: an international mission, which characterised it up until the early 1900s and its Italian origins. The mineral water is in fact a product which cannot be relocated; it must be bottled right where it flows from the springs and draws its own distinct elements from the region it originates from. A region which, together with its water resources, the company protects and preserves by adopting policies for environmental sustainability and developing projects and initiatives in this context. For example, thanks to collaboration with qualified hydrologists and by using innovative systems of research, San Pellegrino first defines and implements measures for protecting the springs, the area where they are based and the water which is collected and taken to the bottling plants.
Looking after one’s health
Moreover, during the visit, Minister Martina praised the commitment of the brand to promoting healthy dietary habits, endorsing the value of quality hydration.
It is in EXPO 2015, as part of the event organised by FEMTEC and The Milan Charter, and supported by the San Pellegrino Group - “Hydration and Health, the hidden link” – that an official request has in fact been presented to the Italian Minister for Health for the institution of a National Day of Hydration, as a first step towards a World Day.
The documents presented in the course of this initiative being promoted by San Pellegrino represent an important scientific contribution to the Milan Charter, the “intangible legacy” of EXPO 2015 for future generations.