Currently Fratelli Santini is one of the largest ripening centre in Italy: it has got a 8,000 square metre storehouse provided with 42 cold stores for ripening bananas, with a capacity of 65,000 boxes and 10 for fruit stocking.
Santini trades bananas as well as other many fruits in particular pineapples, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, every kind of melons, kiwifruits. Products mainly come from Central and South America, Spain, Africa and Middle East.
The origins of the company date back to 1960s, when Mr Giuseppe and Mrs Camilla Santini, after opening a fruit and vegetable shop, decided to enlarge their business opening a stall at the fruit and vegetable market in Bergamo. In the 1970s their sons Carlo, Alessandro and Luigi (owners of the current Fratelli Santini) started to be at the company.
Since then, the company had been rising and it became the largest stall at the market in Bergamo. They also owned two storehouses one aimed to the ripening of bananas, made up of 23 cold stores, and the other aimed to fruit stocking.
Fratelli Santini is environmentally friendly: solar panels on the roof of Santini plant.
In the first years of 2000, the third generation, Santini's grandchildren, Giuseppe, Fabio and Cristian started at the company. They enlarged its structure due to the increase of work.
Santini trades bananas and fruit in all the traditional markets in Northern Italy, from Turin to Trieste, and in some markets situated in the centre and South Italy. "We supply most of wholesalers in our area and in the last few years we also have been working with supermarkets enlarging more and more our work despite the current economic crisis," managers say.
Santini is worried about credit terms. "Many companies' ratings are lower, consequently it is more and more difficult to take up work relationships with new customers. Costs are higher and higher and profit margins are reducing, above all in the trade of bananas," the manager underlines.
About the trade of bananas, managers explain, " Since the beginning of the year prices have been high and steady. However, the second half of 2012 is expected to be more difficult for this segment due to the excessive supply from new brands and the usual lower demand in summer time".
Currently the company trades 40,000 tons of bananas per year and volumes are expected to increase. Finally, Fratelli Santini is enlarging in the packed sector of fruit and vegetables as well.
Contacts:
Fratelli Santini Srl
Via Borgo Palazzo, 207
24125 Bergamo
Sales office:
Phone: (+39) 035 3233 411 (420/421/422/423/424)
Fabio Santini
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.fratellisantinisrl.it