The origins of "coffee that hits the spot"
Roots, history and quality.
History
1943. Italy, barely, tried to get out of a war that had weakened the economy and left rubble everywhere. Catanzaro and Calabria had paid a high price to the cause of the World War and the future seemed anything but rosy.With the impoverished people who could only rely on their desire for redemption, the chances that someone would give life to an increasingly solid and loved business, seemed very few.
But, almost as if it were a fable, those times so hard and uncertain were the best soil on which Guglielmo’s coffee could grow and take root. Thanks to the passion, the heart and the desire to show that the future could be brilliant that Guglielmo Papaleo lavished, day by day, in building his dream.
A dream started in 1935 when Guglielmo Papaleo began as a salesman in a grocery shop in the historic center of Catanzaro. After 8 years of employee work, he decided that it was time to give life to his creature, so, in the same city, he opened a shop on Corso Mazzini, inside which he placed a small coffee machine.
Between sacrifices and difficulties, Guglielmo Papaleo pursued his idea with stubbornness and in 1947 he begins the real activity of production, sale and tasting of coffee, until, ten years later, he manages to start the first roasting, in Catanzaro in the Sala district .
It was a factory composed of customs warehouses, production department and administrative offices. Caffè Guglielmo also began to launch the first advertising campaigns.
The path is full of satisfactions, all based on the quality of the product offered and on the self-image that the company has been able to build over time. Thus, in 1972, the new factory was inaugurated to mark a turning point in the production of coffee in Calabria thanks to the use of modern machinery.
Today, in every cup of Caffè Guglielmo, there are all 80 years of history that have seen three generations of the family of Guglielmo Papaleo dedicate themselves to coffee roasting with innate passion and always new stimuli in the care of the product and the customer.
Production today
Caffè Guglielmo was born looking at the wonderful sea of Calabria, in a factory of over 10,000 square meters overlooking the picturesque Gulf of Squillace, in the exclusive Copanello, a few kilometers from the capital of the Calabria region, Catanzaro.
Guglielmo Caffè is today one of the biggest entrepreneurial companies in the South. Roasting offers an image halfway between avant-garde and tradition. It is not a common company but a large family and represents an extraordinary example of efficiency and production capacity thanks to the daily commitment of about 60 employees between the production department and the administrative area.
In order to stay close to our customers, we decided to look at both consumer markets and then sell our coffee both in the domestic sector and the Ho.Re.Ca.
In 80 years of history, we have developed a specific know-how of which we are particularly proud. It is made of ancient knowledge but always updated by the new methodologies: the right mix of tradition and innovation turns into a great attention for the end customer, to whom we always want to guarantee the highest quality standards and the maintenance of those costs. organoleptic requirements that make a cup of Guglielmo coffee unique and easily recognizable.
The production offers a choice of six lines of coffee, ground and beans: 5 Stars, Classic Espresso, Gold Espresso, Extra Bar, Coffee Shop and the Silver can, to which are added those related to Decaffeinated, Organic and Coffee Capsules and Pods.
The Coffee that hits the spot since 1943
1935-1943
Guglielmo Papaleo starts as an apprentice boy in a grocery shop in the old town centre of Catanzaro. In those years, after working his way up through the ranks, he decided to open a small store on Corso Mazzini, putting inside a small coffee machine.
1947-1952
The actual business of producing and selling coffee begins; the premises are enlarged to allow tasting, which is a great success among the people of Catanzaro. In 1950 the first Guglielmo coffee bar is opened. The activity is transferred to the Stratò district of Catanzaro, from where marketing in the entire province begins, through the purchase of curious advertising vehicles in the shape of a coffee pot with cup.
1957-1970
The demand of the product is so big that Guglielmo Papaleo decides to open his first roasting factory, plant composed by warehouses, production department and administrative offices.
In the following years the market becomes ever more demanding, so that in 1968 begins the construction of a new industrial complex in Copanello.
In 1970 Guglielmo Papaleo is nominated Commander of the Order of the Republic.
1972-1987
In 1972 the new plant is inaugurated: this will mark a turning point in the production, through the introduction of modern machinery. The company becomes an Ldt.
These are very important years for the company: the first computer that automates the production cycles, new hiring, the renewal of the corporate image with the current logo and the slogan "the Coffee that hits the Spot". In 1986 Gugliemo Spa joins the Roasters for Bar Consortium and in 1987 the SAO Caffè Consortium.
1997-2000
In 1997 Guglielmo Papaleo is nominated member of the Order of Merit for Labour and the company celebrates its first 50 years of activity.
In these years the company sees some structural and technological changes and updates: installation of new roasters, installation of a 18 meter high external silos for raw coffee and a new machine for cleaning green coffee.
2001-2002
The company decides to expand its market, starting to partecipate at the most important international exhibitions for the coffee sector in Portugal and Germany; these choices bring an exponential growth in the foreign market. At the same time are created also two new warehouses for the storage of raw materials and purchased a new machine that allows to pack 80 bags of 250 grams per minute.
MAY 5, 2003
Guglielmo Papaleo ends his earthly existence, leaving an unforgettable memory of hard work and dedication to all his employees and those who knew him and appreciated his human qualities. Today his family continue his work with these same values, so the name of the great founder of Guglielmo Caffè will be present, today and always, in the houses of Calabria and not only.
2003-2005
Guglielmo Spa opens new societies in Milan and Rome to distribute Guglielmo Caffè in the Center and in the North of Italy. The company makes significant investments in communication for three new television commercial spots and a new print advertising campaign.
2008
Guglielmo Spa creates its e-commerce website, a real Virtual Store where the customer can buy online all the Guglielmo products simply with a click, from all over Italy and all over the world. On the Guglielmo Virtual Store you find all the capsules, the pods, the compatibles, coffee for mocha and for espresso machine, and much more. The simplest and most comfortable way to enjoy a good Guglielmo coffee, designed for those who are far from Calabria but not only, for those who want to feel closer to his origins, for those who want to make themselves and give a gift full of taste.
2010-2013
In July 2010 Guglielmo Spa inaugurates its new offices in Bologna: the new offices will be the basis for the relations with the foreign market and with the Northern Italy market.
In the same year the company opens in Catanzaro its first Guglielmo Store, a project that will bring the Guglielmo Caffè even more close to its customers, with the creation of many of these flagship stores. In the following years, other Stores will be open in Calabria and outside the region: this is another important step to make the brand known all around Italy and bring consumers closer to Guglielmo products in a welcoming and modern space.
Despite the economic crisis, the company increases its work in foreign markets, with new dealers and retailers, and a bigger and diffused demand of the product.
In 2013 the company celebrates its 70 years of activity; the brand is increasingly present in the distribution channels and in the collective imagination, also through the social network world. Guglielmo has a new testimonial, the actress and fashion model Denny Mendez, and it's more and more famous as a symbol of quality and taste.
2014-2020
The company looks East: several branded coffee shops open in Seoul, South Korea; Guglielmo coffee is also appreciated in Asian markets and there are major openings to China. The search for high-quality products to meet customers' needs leads the company to expand its range with new products, especially in the single-serving market: new products such as Espresso70 capsules, the first Guglielmo capsules compatible with the Nespresso system, are successfully launched, followed by other compatibles such as LespressoMio capsules, compatible with the Lavazza A Modo Mio system, and Gusto capsules, compatible with the Nescafè Dolce Gusto system.
