The historic Veronese confectionery company Melegattifamous above all for his pandori, will be acquired by the Irish giant Valeo Food Groupthrough the Balconi brand. Melegatti comes from a relaunch after a difficult period that, in 2018, had led the company to bankruptcy.
The brand had passed to the Venetian family Spezzapriawho had managed to relaunch it. Valeo has communicated that the desserts Melegatti will continue to be produced in Verona, in the two plants of San Giovanni Lupatoto and San Martino Buon Albergo.
Melegatti acquired by Valeo Group
It was Valeo Food Group who announced the acquisition of Melegatti by Balconi and the consequent entry of the Veronese brand in the Irish group. The operation, which ended for a figure not made known, was also positively commented by Roberto Spezzapria, since 2018 President of Melegatti:
After the success of the relaunch of the historic brand on the Italian market, we entrust the future to the experience and competence of the Valeo Foods group. We are sure that balconies will be able to drive the brand towards a new phase of growth international, further strengthening its value and honoring its profound roots in Italian culture.
The operation was also approved by the unions, who ensured that the workplace of the 73 employees of the two Veronese sites of the company will be guaranteed, which in Christmas period They go up to 160 with the addition of many seasonal workers. Melegatti, considered the company that invented the pandoro, has gone through a very complicated period in recent years.
The failure and relaunch of Melegatti
Melegatti’s difficulties had started in 2016, when the property, then divided between the Ronca and Turkish families, decided to invest in a new factory, that of San Martino Buon Hotel. The goal was to diversify the production, concentrated in the Christmas period with pandori and panettone, starting to sell too brioche.
The initiative did not go well and the company began to accumulate debts, Up to fail in 2018. It was then detected by the Spezzapria family, who decided not to abandon the San Martino Buon Albergo project. In two years, the new management brought the turnover around 30 million euros per year (against 70 of 2017), but the losses was reduced to 3.13 million in 2023.
In 2024 the goal of Melegatti was a turnover of 45 million euros, also thanks to exports, which today represent 20% of the company’s revenues, and to the production of 600 thousand brioche. To this result should also be added a small profitfor the first time in almost a decade.
The Valeo group, the new owner of Melegatti
The summary of Melegatti attracted Valeo’s attention, one of the largest European groups of snacks and desserts. The company’s brands, which is based in Dublin, in Ireland, have invoiced in 2024 1.5 billion euros. Excluding sweet balconies, Valeo’s products are widespread mainly in the British islands, Great Britain and, in fact, Ireland. In Italy the most famous snack of the company’s brands is probably The TUC Crackers line.
Since 2021 Valeo has been controlled by the American fund Bain Capital. Ronald KersCEO of the group, commented:
By integrating Melegatti into our activities we strengthen our presence in South Western Europe and open new growth paths Within our global network, while bringing authentic high quality Italian oven products to consumers around the world.
