Since its foundation, San Benedetto has been all about wellbeing.
We opened our first bottling plant in Scorzè, near Venice, in 1956. This plant bottles the water from the springs of San Benedetto and Guizza.
In the space of less than thirty years, San Benedetto grew from a small local producer to a company with a national – and then international – presence via the acquisition of new springs and brands.
Today, the San Benedetto group is active in over 100 countries. We are the biggest all-Italian company in our sector, and the second-biggest soft drinks producer.
From our original, ancient source we have inherited one major value: creating wellbeing for the entire community.
The first bottle of San Benedetto mineral water is produced (in glass) in our bottling plant in Scorzè, near Venice, in the year Acqua Minerale San Benedetto S.p.A. is founded. The name comes from an ancient spring whose waters rise from a depth of 300 metres under the ground: San Benedetto.
Enrico Zoppas and Giuliano De Polo begin a new adventure in business together: Enrico is appointed managing director of the company, a position he will occupy until 2004 and his appointment as company chairman on the premature death of De Polo.
San Benedetto bottled its water in glass until the 1970s. In 1984, San Benedetto becomes the first Italian company to use PET bottles, in different sizes (500 ml, 1 litre, 1.5 litre, 2 litres). Vertical integration of the production chain: San Benedetto begins producing all its own bottles.
San Benedetto begins to expand its presence on the international market, while in Italy it secures franchising agreements with Cadbury Schweppes International(1984) and Pepsi Co. International (1988) for producing and selling the Pepsi, Seven Up and Schweppes product ranges in Italy.
As the first Italian company to build a high-tech aseptic bottling plant for the production of still drinks, San Benedetto enjoys a competitive advantage which enables it to gain an early presence in new markets emerging in response to changing consumer trends. All of this is accompanied by the adoption of modern advertising methods.
San Benedetto opens a new bottling plant in Popoli (Pescara) where its Guizza Fonte Valle Reale mineral water is bottled. In 1997 the Donato plant in Biella is opened and Alpe Guizza S.p.A. starts producing Guizza Fonte Caudana mineral water.
San Benedetto founds a new company in Valencia, Spain, and starts bottling mineral water and beverages under the Fuente Primavera brand name. Acqua Minerale San Benedetto S.p.A. also acquires an interest in Santa Clara C.P.A., a producer and bottler of mineral water based in the Dominican Republic.
San Benedetto patents the first totally aseptic, reclosable Push&Pull cap in response to the requirements of an increasingly dynamic market where “on the go” consumption has become part of our everyday lives.
The Popoli plant begins bottling Fonte Primavera mineral water, and in 2001 the company acquires a 100% stake in Acqua di Nepi S.p.A. (Viterbo) - adding naturally sparkling mineral water to its product portfolio.
San Benedetto and Danone jointly create a Polish company, Polska Woda, and a Hungarian company, Magyarviz Kft. In 2010, San Benedetto buys out Danone’s share to become sole shareholder in both companies.
San Benedetto signs an outsourcing agreement with ABL for the production and packaging of Coca Cola products for the European market.
Enrico, Gianfranco, Renzo, Maria Teresa, Sara, Federico and Matteo Zoppas purchase the shares held by other members of the Zoppas family and now hold 100% of Finanziaria San Benedetto.
Our commitment to innovation and improvement in our production processes is embodied in one essential value: protection of the environment. And this involves reorienting all industrial activity towards eco-sustainability. In 2009, San Benedetto secures an important agreement with the Italian Ministry of the Environment. This agreement includes a specific commitment to CO2 emissions offsets.
San Benedetto launches the "Easy" bottle, the first carbon-neutral mineral water in the 1-litre format. The new bottle contains regenerated PET.
Dedicated to people who love nature and respect the environment: an innovative range of carbon-neutral bottles made from regenerated plastic.
San Benedetto mineral water is closer to the consumer than ever before. We opened a new plant in Viggianello (Potenza), where Fonte del Pollino mineral water, from the precious spring in the heart of Pollino national park, is bottled. In the same year San Benedetto acquires Cutolo Rionero in Vulture Srl, the historic naturally sparkling mineral water brand from Lucania.
The new agreement between the Ministry of the Environment and Acqua Minerale San Benedetto includes significant new content, while it also provides guidelines for formulating new standards and parameters for environmental protection in the mineral waters sector.