Pernigotti is an Italian manufacturer of chocolate, nougats, Easter eggs and ice creams. It is one of the oldest and most traditional manufacturers of chocolate and nougat candy in Italy. Originally founded in 1860 in the town of Novi Ligure, Piedmont it was sold in 2013 to the Toksöz company of Istanbul. It has been said that for Italians, "Pernigotti is to chocolate as Ferrari is to cars."
History
Founded in 1861 as a grocery shop, the company was owned by the Pernigotti family for five generations until 1995. By 1882 its quality was sufficiently well known that King Umberto I granted the company the privilege of using the royal coat of arms on the factory insignia on April 25, 1882. At the end of World War II its main production plant was destroyed when it moved its headquarters to the current factory in central Novi Ligure. Following the death of two family heirs died in a car crash in 1980 the company found it increasingly difficult to compete. Its Sperlari candy brand was sold to Heinz in 1981 and the rest of its business to the liquor company Averna in 1995. In 2013, the business was sold to Istanbul-based conglomerate Toksöz. Pernigotti's most famous brands include Gianduiotto, the production of which began in 1927, and Cremino, Pepitas and Nocciolato. On 1st October 2019, Pernigotti announced they had sold their "Ice & Pastry" branch to Optima Group. As part of the transaction Optima acquired the “Pernigotti Maestri Gelatieri Italiani” brand.
Production
The enterprise also produces other chocolate products, nougats, easter eggs and "semilavorati" of ice cream. On 7 November 2018, Toksöz announced that Pernigotti would close its main production facility at Novi Ligure with the loss of 200 jobs. At the time it was reported that Pernigotti had accumulated losses of €13 million over the previous five years. In the same period, turnover had dropped from €75 million to €50 million. Conflicting reports at the time suggested that Toksöz was planning to move production to Turkey while others reported that Pernigotti planned to outsource production only within Italy. The closure has been cited as another example of the impact of Italy's approach to restructuring fundamentally viable companies who are in difficulty.
