Who Owns Barilla?

Barilla was founded in 1877 by Pietro Barilla, who opened a small bread and pasta shop on Via Vittorio Emanuele in Parma, Italy. The shop quickly gained a reputation for quality products, with Pietro's commitment to craftsmanship and premium ingredients establishing a foundation for the brand's enduring success. By 1910, Pietro's sons Riccardo and Gualtiero had expanded the business into a proper factory with modern machinery capable of producing 80 tons of pasta per day, a remarkable output for the era that demonstrated the brothers' ambition and business acumen.

The early 20th century brought significant challenges as Barilla navigated two World Wars and economic turbulence in Italy. Despite these obstacles, the company continued to innovate and expand, introducing new pasta shapes and refining production techniques. The post-war economic boom in Italy during the 1950s and 1960s provided fertile ground for Barilla's continued growth, with the company investing in modern equipment and expanding distribution across the Italian market. During this period, Barilla pioneered new marketing approaches, including Italy's first branded pasta television commercials, which helped cement its position as a household name.

A significant ownership change occurred in 1971 when the Barilla family sold the company to American conglomerate W.R. Grace and Company for $65 million. This period of American ownership brought increased focus on international markets but also created tensions regarding product quality and traditional recipes. In a remarkable turn of events, Pietro Barilla (grandson of the founder) repurchased the company in 1979 for $120 million, returning it to family ownership with the famous declaration: "I've bought back my father's dream."

Under Pietro Barilla's renewed leadership through the 1980s and 1990s, the company expanded aggressively into international markets. The iconic "Barilla blue box" became recognizable worldwide as the company invested in modern manufacturing facilities across Europe and North America. Barilla established its first U.S. production facility in Ames, Iowa in 1998, a strategic move to better serve the growing American market while maintaining product quality and reducing transportation costs.

The late 1990s and early 2000s saw Barilla diversify beyond pasta through strategic acquisitions. The company acquired Mulino Bianco (Italian bakery products) in 1997, Wasa (Scandinavian crispbread) in 1999, Harrys (French bakery) in 2002, and Filiz (Turkish pasta brand) in 2004. These acquisitions expanded Barilla's product portfolio while strengthening its presence in key markets. In 2023, Barilla further expanded by acquiring Back to Nature, an American plant-based food brand, from B&G Foods for approximately $160 million, demonstrating the company's continued commitment to diversification and meeting evolving consumer preferences.

In 2024, Barilla completed a significant corporate restructuring, creating Barilla Group Holding SpA as the parent entity, with Barilla Group SpA operating as the main operating company. This reorganization was designed to streamline operations while preserving family control. As of 2026, Barilla operates 32 production sites across 12 countries and sells products in over 115 countries, producing approximately 2.1 million tons of food products annually. The fourth generation of the Barilla family, led by Guido, Luca, and Paolo Barilla, maintains active roles in company governance, with Guido serving as Chairman since 2017, ensuring continuity of the family's vision while adapting to a rapidly changing global food market.