Lavazza

Luigi Lavazza S.p.A. (Lavazza, Lavazza) is an Italian coffee company founded by Luigi Lavazza in 1895.

History

The founder of the company is Luigi Lavazza, who moved to Turin from Murizengo, buying Paissa & Olivero, a small business in downtown Turin. This grocery, the progenitor of the future company, began operations on March 24, 1894, but 1895 is usually given as the founding year of Lavazza.

In 1910 the Lavazza grocer in need of larger premises moved to Via San Tommaso 10, where he opened his own bar and restaurant of the Lavazza family.

Luigi Lavazza, his wife Emilia and children Mario, Pericles and Giuseppe, managed to avoid the hardships of World War I. They founded the company, which became a joint stock company in 1927 with a capital of 1.500.000 lire. As a result of rapid growth, the company moves first to Corso Ponte Mosca (now Corso Giulio Cesare) and then to a new location, Corso Novara 59, by decision of Mario Lavazza, who had already succeeded his father Luigi in running the company. During these years Lavazza ran an advertising campaign, issuing collection cards depicting various events related to coffee as well as historical facts, both Italian and international. Lavazza cards become collector's items like stamps or coins. In the following years, Mario Lavazza begins an advertising collaboration with the advertising studio of Armando Testa at his request. In 2018, the last move of the company's office takes place in its own office Nuvola Lavazza (Lavazza cloud), designed by Cino Zucchi and built in the Borgo Aurora neighborhood.

In 2016. Lavazza was the official partner of the Chess Olympics in Baku.

In 2016. Lavazza acquires the French coffee brand Carte Noir from the Jacobs Douwe Egberts group. In 2017, following a strategy to strengthen the global coffee market, it acquires Kicking Horse Coffee in Canada, ESP (Espresso Service Proximité) in France and Italian Nims. In July 2018, it acquires Blue Pod Coffee in Australia and in October, American Mars Drinks.

Trading

In addition to its own sales, the company works with global retailers such as Starbucks or Caribou Coffee. Lavazza stores offer whole beans and ground coffee for household use. The line of coffee pods for coffee machines includes a wide range of coffees both for home cooking and for cafes, restaurants or offices.

Coffee

Lavazza imports coffee from all over the world. The supply geography includes all coffee growing regions: South America (Brazil and Colombia), Central America (Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras), Africa (Uganda), Asia (Indonesia and Vietnam) and North America (the United States and Mexico). An urgent production need prompted the company to decide to launch Project Tierra, an agricultural development program in Honduras, Colombia and Peru. It aims to improve coffee quality, working conditions for workers and the quality of the environment in these countries. According to marketing studies, 80% of Italian coffee-consuming families choose Lavazza. That's why the company's slogan is "Italy's favorite coffee." Today Lavazza offers dozens of varieties of natural coffee - different degrees of roasting, variously blended, ground and in beans.

The company

Lavazza has four production facilities in Italy and seven branches in Europe and America (France, Germany, Spain, UK, Portugal, Austria and the United States). Lavazza products are sold in 80 countries. In 2008, the company entered the Indian market through the purchase of a controlling stake in Sterling Infotech group, which owns the coffee chain The Barista Coffee and the Fresh and Honest retail chain. In 2010, the company's turnover was estimated at 1.1 billion euros.