Luigi Cremonini
Luigi Cremonini | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1939 near Modena, Italy |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, businessman |
| Known for | Chairman of Cremonini SpA and Inalca SpA; honorary president of the Chamber of Commerce ItalAfrica Centrale |
Luigi Cremonini (born 1939) is an Italian billionaire entrepreneur, serving as chairman of Cremonini SpA and Inalca SpA, as well as honorary president of the Chamber of Commerce ItalAfrica Centrale.
Biography
Originating from a farming background in Savignano sul Panaro, Cremonini embarked on his business journey by starting a pig farm at the age of 19. In 1963, together with his brother Giuseppe, he launched a butcher shop that became the cornerstone of what would evolve into the Cremonini Group. Three years later, in 1966, he established Inalca, a company dedicated to meat processing. The 1970s saw the group grow significantly through multiple acquisitions.
During the 1980s, Cremonini created Burghy, a catering enterprise that was sold to McDonald's in 1996; this transaction included Inalca becoming a beef supplier for the fast-food giant. The group further expanded by purchasing the "Montana" canned meat brand in 1991 and introducing the Roadhouse Grill restaurant chain in 2001. Through its subsidiaries Agape and Chef Express, the group manages catering operations in eight countries, with a strong emphasis on servicing high-speed rail networks. Inalca extended its reach into Russia by opening a facility in Moscow in 2010 to distribute Italian products and produce hamburgers for McDonald's Russia. Additionally, Cremonini formed a partnership with Brazilian company JBS before reacquiring half of Inalca’s shares.
In the early 2000s, there was an alleged kidnapping attempt targeting Cremonini that was successfully thwarted. He was also a board member of Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna until 2013.
Acknowledged for his industrial achievements, he was awarded the Order of Merit for Labour in 1985 and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bologna in 1994.
Cremonini has contributed to cultural initiatives as well, notably financing archaeological digs and creating the "Cremonini Space at the Trevi," completed in 2009 near Rome’s Trevi Fountain.
Early life
Born into a modest farming family near Modena in 1939, Cremonini pursued agricultural studies in Bologna.
Career
In partnership with his brother Giuseppe, Cremonini opened a modest butcher’s shop in 1963, which laid the groundwork for the pan-European Cremonini Group. Today, this group boasts an annual revenue of $3.6 billion from meat products and includes Marr, Italy’s leading food-service distribution company.
Personal life
Cremonini lives in Modena, Italy, with his wife and their four children.
In recognition of his accomplishments, he was awarded the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Beatrix in 1985 and named Cavalier of Labour by President Alessandro Pertini. In October 2009, he received the "Italy in the World 2009" accolade at the Italian Embassy in Moscow.