INTRODUCTION

In the late 19th century Michele Perricone tended to his land in small villages of Contessa Entellina, Bisacquino and Chiusa Sclafani, where he produced oil, wheat, tomatoes, cherries, almonds and wine.

His company was then run by his son Nicola, between 1935 and 1985, and then Peppino, and until 2010 by Peppino, the father of today’s fourth managing generation.

The company produces, transforms, packages and markets the base products of the Mediterranean Diet, offering customers a feeling of rediscovery of values , tastes and ancient flavours of the landscape, a summary of a historical and culinary tradition that can be traced back to the eighth century BC, one that is now eriche by an organic-oriented philosophy.

So In 2015, the company led by Rosario, Domenico and Caterina built a plant for the production of jams, marmalades, sauces and for the bottling of extra virgin olive oil.

The company mission is to produce and market quality agro-food.

SUSTAINABILITY

Environmental sustainability is a prime concern so the company is headquartered right in the middle of a cherry-tree orchard, and the use of plastic is compensated by glass, cans and cardboard. Having completed the conversion to organic agricolture, Perricone now produces cherries, transformed into extra jam, which makes them marketable all year round. Cherries are harvested strictly by hand, prior to their packaging and labelling.

Likewise, olives are harvested by hand according to techniques that combine elements of tradition with current innovations. The extra virgin olive oil is pressed and stored within 24 hours.

The cultivation of organic vegetables and medicinal plants: they represent an alternative production to the usual cultivation of cereal soils in Sicily. The freshly harvested products are packaged on the same day and swiftly driven to the markets.

Oranges, plums, apricot, clementines, figs, pears, cinnamon, walnuts, perches, strawberries and pomegranates, tomato juice, olive oil, and medicinal herbs and spices such as oregano, bay leaf, mint, rosemary and martora make the company an all-round agro-firm.

Organic material such as orange peel and fruit is used for compost.

TRADITION AND INNOVATION

While the 4th generation is in the office, the 5th - aged 13 and 14 – is being trained for their take-over by being brought to the fields and made aware of the value and potential they hold. Family structure is the traditional management model, which requires to be expanded by the support of three agronomists and four seasonal workers today and innovated with children’s take on agricolture for Tomorrow. Perricone hosts local middle school pupils and children with disabilities to engage them in land tending and to listen to how the new generation relate to it. Additionally, every year the Reina Comprehensive Institute of Chiusa Sclafani and the Agricultural Institute and with the ITC Don Colletti of Bisacquino visit the plant.

Technologically speaking, the company makes use of an adaptable automated filler for the various sizes of oil jars, which saves processing a lot of time. There are only 2 such machines in Sicily at present.

Saving time allows for market exploration. That is why, although organic certification was only certified in 2015, Perricone has been able to set its foot in National strongholds such as Turin, Milan, Florence, is willing to expand in the UK, once the details of the agreement with the EU are published and is

ready for the American market, having received accreditation from the Food and Drug Administration.

In the near future, the UAE and China will be addressed.

VALUES AND DISCIPLINARIES

Perricone’s PDO and PGI certified for olive oil.

The managers are very picky when it comes to the tracing and to quality of what we produce directly and what we pack for third party suppliers (for example oranges). In terms of quality standards. There is an in-house food safety plan, which has been transferred to some local operators for which Perricone provides advisory.

SCALABILITY AND RESILIENCE

There is an idea to scale up the company, albeit locally. Yet, the growth plan on pause because some investments are on course of being complete. As demand evolves, so will the company.

“For a young business or businessman/woman to be resilient, he/she has to be introduced into the system and shown how passion transformed into work returns further passion and recognition.”