Italian mineral water firm to double export production

(AGI) Rome, June 6 - Italian mineral water company S. Pellegrino will double export production over the next three years, said President and CEO Stefano Agostini. The company was expecting an upturn in domestic consumption and a consistent rise in international sales, he said. By promoting the Italian lifestyle and "wellness culture," the company aims to produce three billion bottles of mineral water and soft drinks for export over the next three years. It now produces one billion bottles of water and 470 million bottles and cans of soft drinks. The challenge is to launch the "Italian-style aperitif" and link the consumption of Italian food and drink to regions and tourism. All round promotion which dovetails with S. Pellegrino's communication strategy, and summed up by the slogan "Live in Italy." Last year Pellegrino, Panna, Levissima mineral waters and soft drinks had a turnover of 911 million euros, a 12.4 per cent increase compared with 2014. International sales rose 25.4 per cent. The development plan includes geographical expansion and wider distribution. Mr Agostino said: "We currently sell water to 145 countries and soft drinks to 90, but we have been exporting water for 117 years and soft drinks for a decade. The huge success of orange and lemonade is due to the fact that we have increased the percentage of fruit juice by 20 per cent and cut sugar content by 10 per cent. It is also due to the fact that it is an Italian product, using Italian citrus fruit. What makes us stand out is our distribution coverage; S. Pellegrino is available all over the world for people who like quality products." He went on: "[The U.S. market is] expected to grow fastest in terms of absolute value over the next five years. The French market continues to grow, and the British, German and Swiss markets are all doing well. We view the Asian markets as a huge opportunity, particularly the United Arab Emirates. We are ready to go back into Argentina and India, following the customs restrictions. Peru and Chile are responding surprisingly well." However, he said the potential of the Chinese market has not yet been realised. (AGI). .