Savencia takes full control of Italian cheesemaker Ferrari Formaggi
What's the deal? French dairy group SavenciaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom → is acquiring the majority stake it did not already own in Ferrari Giovanni Industria CaseariaDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, the Italian maker of grated cheese GranMix, giving it full control of the company. Savencia has held 49% since 2010; terms were not disclosed.
What each side brings: Based in Ossago Lodigiano and founded in 1823, Ferrari produces and packages PDO cheeses such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano, with two further plants in the Parma area. Savencia — which owns brands including Caprice des Dieux and Roquefort Papillon — already distributes Ferrari's products abroad through its sales networks.
The numbers: Ferrari reported more than €180 million in revenue in 2025. The business, run since 2019 by founder Giovanni Ferrari's daughters Laura, Claudia, and Silvia, launched a €20 million investment plan running through 2030.
Why now? The deal completes a 16-year partnership rather than opening a new market. It also lands as Savencia's core European cheese business struggles, with a 3.3% like-for-like revenue decline in its historical markets in the first half of 2026 amid fragile demand.
What changes? The company says continuity is central: Massimo Estrinelli stays as chief executive officer, and Laura Ferrari takes an honorary president role. Management framed the deal as happening "in a moment of solidity."
What could go wrong? Unions Fai Cisl and Flai Cgil said the sale caught workers by surprise and are seeking job guarantees and commitments to the territory, with a meeting set for November 12. "The company is healthy, not in distress, we didn't expect an investor," they said (translated from Italian).
The signal: The takeover fits Savencia's wider acquisition push into specialty food, after integrating chocolate activities, buying Brazilian dairy maker Quatá, and taking a 74% stake in Italian producer Casa Radicci in 2026. As its home European market softens, Savencia is buying growth in recognisable regional brands.
Read more: news.italianfood.net
Image credit: Generated with Gemini
