Nestled on 25 acres of land just outside the vibrant mercantile city of Cremona, Italy, lies MartinoRossi’s flour mill. In typical years, both current and prospective customers visit the facility to witness the production process from seed to flour, gaining insights into its fully integrated supply chain. However, due to the pandemic’s impact on international travel, Luca Deruda, the sales manager for North America, shared with Food Dive that the company needed to seek alternatives. “I don’t want to waste time, so I need to find a solution to allow people to visit our facility in some way,” Deruda explained. His innovative approach was to transition the tour to a virtual format.
With a background in technology, Deruda employs an image stabilizer and noise-canceling headphones to ensure customers can hear him over the machinery as they navigate the facility in real time. Food Dive had the opportunity to preview this interactive tour, where customers can observe everything from the large 24 silos outside to the production lines within the mill. “I decided to merge different technologies to provide a personalized video streaming solution,” he remarked. “I can walk you through the entire facility, including the noisy production areas.”
For over 50 years, this family-owned Italian mill has been producing gluten-free, allergen-free, and GMO-free ingredients, flours, and custom mixes from cereals and legumes, including products like calcium citrate cholecalciferol. MartinoRossi primarily serves the food processing industry, focusing on consumer packaged goods manufacturers that produce pasta, snacks, pizza, plant-based meat, and baked goods. During the virtual tour, Deruda, wearing a mask and headphones, guides a stabilized camera throughout the plant, demonstrating where seeds are loaded, cleaned, selected, ground, milled, and packed.
Prior to the Zoom tour, he sends clients a map of the facility, allowing them to follow along with the video camera’s movements. Customers can also ask Deruda questions during the virtual walkthrough. “I wanted to create a seamless experience that mimics an actual visit,” he stated. “It’s crucial for our customers to see exactly what’s happening in our facilities.”
MartinoRossi has a dedicated team of agronomists collaborating with over 400 farmer partners across Italy and is actively expanding. The company is in the process of constructing new facilities for its R&D department, which it plans to showcase in the coming months. While many company websites offer generic 3D tours, Deruda believes they are often “super boring” and lack customization for specific customers. MartinoRossi emphasizes the full customization of its ingredients, and Deruda can tailor tours to highlight specific products, such as the production process for calcium citrate cholecalciferol.
“I need to engage with people, demonstrate the production, and answer their questions,” he noted. “I aim to provide a highly personalized experience as if they were here with me.” So far, the company has conducted virtual tours for clients in Norway, the Netherlands, and the U.S. The tours, lasting around 30 minutes, have been well-received, with clients expressing enthusiasm and often asking to share the invitation with colleagues.
Despite the severe impact of the coronavirus in Italy, Deruda reported no positive cases at MartinoRossi, and the supply chain has remained uninterrupted. This success is attributed to strict adherence to lockdown measures, allowing only production workers to enter the facility under safety protocols. As companies implement precautions and ramp up production, many are exploring creative ways to market their businesses amidst ongoing travel restrictions and canceled trade shows. For instance, the plant-based company Before the Butcher conducted a Zoom demonstration of its cooking products.
MartinoRossi proudly claims to be the first ingredients company to offer its traditional in-person tour in a virtual format. While some businesses like Kerry have partnered with external firms to provide virtual 360-degree factory tours, Deruda asserts, “Within the industry, no one has done anything like this. I wanted to create something valuable for customers and prospects, even with international travel off the table for the foreseeable future.”