Francesco Spreafico, founder of the Italian exporter Spreafico Francesco & Fratelli, has passed away at the age of 81. He is survived by his children Raffaele, Mauro and Elena.
Established in 1963 as a marketing and distribution agency, the group is now one of Italy's leading produce companies and known around the world as key supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables to customers in modern and tradtional retail as well as the catering sector.
Together with his brothers Ferdinando and Carlo, Francesco extended the Lombardy-based company's business into production, developing apple and pear orchards in the nearby region of Emilia.
The brothers later built their own packhouses before expanding considerably and diversifying the group's product range during the 1980s and 1990s through various acquisitions.
More recently, Spreafico has welcomed the family's next generation – Cesare, Mauro, Raffaele, Simone and Giovanni Casiraghi – who have overseen its continued growth, notably in overseas markets.
Since the turn of the millennium, Spreafico has become an importer too through the acquisition of SIEF, as well as branching out into retail distribution channels of its own.
Then, in 2005, it purchased the Santa Sofia production base of its own in Chile, allowing it to exercise greater control over its 12-month supply programme.
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