A company that was born from an Abruzzo mill in 1831 and which today aims for one billion euros in turnover. The story of Filippo Antonio De Cecco, Heir of the De Cecco family, is a business novel made of ambition, tradition and twists. He, the protagonist of this food saga, is not only an entrepreneur, but the captain of a sailing ship that sails between international waters and judicial turbulence.
With one hand I keep the rudder of the family tradition, with the other, invests in new routes that promise turnover. Under his guide, De Cecco has become A name that weighs on shelves around the worldsetting in the pasta a piece of Italy. Still, the accusations on wheat and renewal in governance show that everything is not always al dente.
The origins of the De Cecco family and the beginning of production
Filippo Antonio De Cecco was born in 1944 On Valentine’s Day in Abruzzo Citore, a town in the province of Pescara. The history of his family is intertwined with that of the Italian food tradition since 1831, when Nicola Antonio De Cecco starts a mill in Fara San Martino. This small Abruzzo village thus becomes the heart of pasta production in 1886, when Filippo Giovanni De Cecco, son of the founder, decides to expand the activity.
International expansion and academic awards
Under the guidance of Filippo Antonio De Cecco, the group becomes one of the main pasta manufacturers in the worldbringing the name of the family to new levels of notoriety. His leadership combines respect for constant tradition and innovation. In 2015 the University of Teramo conferred on him Honoris cause degree in food sciences and technologies, rewarding his contribution to the food sector and the role of Ambassador of Made in Italy.
In the 2023the company’s revenues exceed 630 million euroswith exports which represents 53% of overall sales. At the same time, the brand consolidates in Italy, reaching a market share of 10.5% in the Premium segment.
Industrial projects and strategic investments
The industrial plan presented in October 2024 during the shareholders’ meeting It provides for a billion of a billion euros within five years. Among the main points there is the construction of a new 500 thousand quintal silos, which will bring the overall grain storage capacity to 1.5 million quintals.
The strategy also includes the strengthening of the production of sauces and tomato derivatives, with the aim of generating a turnover of 100 million euros, and a focus on the gnocchi market, which focuses on 30 million. In addition, the launch of a new line of rusks expands the offer of the baked goods category.
The case of the investigation into the wheat used
Filippo Antonio De Cecco found himself in 2023 in the spotlight of the judiciary for oneinvestigation which has the bitter taste of an alleged commercial fraud. At the center of the storm the wheat, which according to the accusations He traveled between North Dakota and Italian tables with a falsified passport. In 2021, labels that indicated the raw material as Italian or Californian would emerge, while reality told anything else.
The judge for the preliminary investigations has uncovered the pandora’s vase of anomalies: traceability that seems more a mirage and certifications that do not convince. The latest news in this regard dates back to May 3, 2023, when the first hearing of the trial was held.
