Michele Darderi, Head of Marketing Pavan - PEM, GEA Group: “In the field of pasta, the technology developed by Pavan facilitates the use of any type of ingredient. The percentage of protein present is fundamental to the quality of the pasta as it gives strength to its texture. By applying technologies such as TAS, climatic zones and vacuum, developed and patented by Pavan, it is possible to make excellent end products even from flours with low protein contents. High temperatures are excellent for processing products made from weak flours and bread wheat flours with low protein contents because they facilitate coagulation and improve the quality of the pasta.”

Interview: Mustafa YAĞMURLU Italian giant Pavan is one of the world’s leading companies in technology engineering and design with integrated production lines for grain-based foods, from raw material processing to final packaging. The international technology group operates in all production processes, from grain grinding and processing to processing pasta, snacks and breakfast cereals, including special packaging equipment for pasta and snacks. Pavan Group, that today represents PEM, the Pasta, Extrusion and Milling division of GEA, exports 95 percent of its products to 130 countries from its production facilities six of which are in Italy and one of which is in China. Answering the questions of BBM Magazine, Michele Darderi said that they offer a wide range of solutions for all types of pasta. Stating that they are designing turnkey systems from A to Z with other companies under the umbrella of GEA, Darderi said that they have entered a new stage of growth with GEA.

Below are our questions and the answers given by Michele Darderi, Head of Marketing for PEM at GEA Group:

Can you tell us about PAVAN’s establishment story and its work? Pavan, part of GEA Group since 2018, is among the worldwide leaders in the design and engineering of technologies and integrated product lines for cereal based food: from the handling of raw materials to the final packaging.

Pavan was founded in 1946 in Galliera Veneta, a small town located a short distance from Venice. The strategy immediately adopted followed two main lines: internationalization and innovation. Pavan began to serve markets in which pasta was still unknown, if not by Italian immigrants, realizing in a few years remarkable installations. Technology soon benefited from the great work of research: patents, still used today in their current evolution, made the Pavan lines decidedly more preforming than those of the competition.

Growth continued with the opening of Mapimpianti, the division focused on extrusion systems for snacks and breakfast cereals. In the 1990s the Pavan family left the business and a pool of entrepreneurs marked a new course for the company: several acquisitions of technologically advanced companies in the fresh pasta, moulds&dies, packaging and milling sectors brought the Pavan Group to its current size.

Today as PEM division of the GEA Group, we offer the widest range of solutions to produce all types of pasta: long and short-cut dry pasta, nest shaped, pre-cooked pasta, couscous, as well as machineries for filled, flat, and extruded fresh pasta, convenience food and gnocchi. We can also provide dies, cutting systems, die washing equipment; packaging lines (primary and secondary packaging) for pasta, baked goods, snacks and bulk products. Through the brand Golfetto Sangati, we design and builds turnkey systems for cereals handling and milling.

With over 70-year experience and knowhow, a wide range portfolio and a consistent R&D investment, we can fully provide highly sophisticated processes and automation solutions, both for single technologies as for a multidiscipline turnkey approach.

GEA’s acquisition marks a new growth stage for Pavan, which will rely on the support of a well-known strong brand with solid industrial and financial capacity and with the ability to enhance and promote the development of innovative technologies and commercial synergy, aiming at offering clients high quality products and services.

You are among the reference suppliers for the most important pasta producers in the world with the pasta production facilities you have established so far. What distinguishes you from your competitors? The main aspects that differentiate our offer from the customers’ are related to an extensive R&D activity both on technology and on finished products. This led to customized processing lines, tailored on the specific requests of the customers. But also, and maybe mainly, support them in defining and industrializing their own products, by means of dedicated pilot plants, flexible production lines and analysis laboratories equipped with all the instruments required to carry out chemical, rheological and nutritional tests.

In the field of pasta, the technology developed by Pavan facilitates the use of any type of ingredient. The percentage of protein present is fundamental to the quality of the pasta as it gives strength to its texture. By applying technologies such as TAS, climatic zones and vacuum, developed and patented by Pavan, it is possible to make excellent end products even from flours with low protein contents. High temperatures are excellent for processing products made from weak flours and bread wheat flours with low protein contents because they facilitate coagulation and improve the quality of the pasta.

What are your studies and objectives aiming the Turkish and Middle Eastern markets? How would you evaluate the Turkish market? Is there a market that you focus on? Turkey is one of the 5 countries with the largest production capacity, just talking about the pasta sector. It is a major exporter, given that consumption is not very high (about 500,000 tons per year, or half of domestic production) and influences the food economy of many other countries receiving its product.

This is therefore an extremely interesting market, especially as there is growing attention to aspects related to product quality, the efficiency of production lines and the variety of raw materials used.

We are one of the few producers of technology for the production of pasta that can offer high standards of efficiency, reliability and flexibility of the lines. This means that our offer represents enormous potential for the Turkish industry.

What do you pay attention to when setting up a turn-key facility? We pay close attention to all aspects that can provide added value. In turnkey projects we follow the customer in all phases of the investment: from the definition of the characteristics of the building to the definition of the most efficient layout, to the installation and start-up that always take place under the supervision of our experienced installers and technologists.

According to IPO data, there are more than 500 types of pasta in the world. As PAVAN, for how many kinds of pasta do you provide infrastructure? I would like to say that we are able to offer the optimal solution for each type of pasta produced in the world, whatever the format or formulation.

By having an internal division dedicated exclusively to moulds and dies, it is also possible to develop any variation to the classic formats and, why not, also invent some new ones!

How do you assess the increase in pasta consumption and some luxurious brands heading towards pasta production? In my opinion, all this is linked to a greater awareness of food choices: the consumption of pasta is constantly growing, but the most important aspect is the consumer’s approach. The origin of the raw materials, the processing methods and therefore the fundamental characteristics such as texture, cooking performance, etc. become fundamental drivers for the market. And of course, the big brands, which generally have a good investment capacity, are looking for an industrial partner able to support them constantly in the search for efficient solutions and higher and higher product quality.

There is a constantly developing technology in the world. How does this developing technology affect your sector? Speaking in general of our reference market, that of process technologies, elements such as industrial automation or efficiency understood as a reduction in consumption and optimization of production capacity.

What kind of work do you conduct to increase the productivity of your customers? The most important and complex industries of the world, work with a tailor-made solution developed by Pavan, with great results from all point of views: cost controlling, efficiency and product quality.What are the advantages of being an Italian brand? The Made in Italy is not only synonymous with high quality, but also has a symbolic value, the result of years and centuries of history. Even without being an expert, you can sense the charm of Italy and its products, even if only from how the characters of films and series from overseas talk about them, for example.

The importance of Made in Italy when it comes to business, however, is not only underlined by the “hearsay”. The data regarding foreign exports of Made in Italy in 2018 are record-breaking, where as many as 448 million euros have been generated. This has brought Italy to the third place in the ranking of world exporters in terms of export growth.

Not all companies and not all sectors take full advantage of the “Made in Italy” brand. The main advantages are the leading sectors that have always been a source of pride for being Italian: fashion, food & wine.