The entrepreneurial journey of the Villari Group began in Roccalumera, near Messina, in 1970. It was here that Attilio Villari took a bold bet on one of Sicily’s cornerstones: citrus.
Over time, what started on the eastern side of the island flourished, now encompassing a whopping four distinct companies:
Villari Coltivazioni: This arm oversees the Group’s farms, located in Melilli and Augusta, in the Ragusa area. Their primary focus? Organic cultivation of lemons and other citrus fruits.
Villari SRL: The backbone of the entire operation, this entity has been showcasing the finest citrus products from Sicily since day one—with a special love for Sicilian lemons. They operate from a massive 129,167 sq ft facility, 43,056 sq ft of which houses a state-of-the-art citrus processing plant.
AGRO FRUIT SRL: Specializing in packaging, sorting, and wholesale of fruits and veggies. Their 32,292 sq ft dedicated facility in Alfianello, Brescia, serves major Italian large retail chains in northern and central Italy.
Centrale Agricola SRL: A fresh addition in 2019, based at the Brescia fruit and vegetable market. It functions as a logistical and distribution hub, collaborating with Italy’s finest producers to deliver an array of top-tier produce to wholesalers and retailers.
The Group’s mantra? Tradition and innovation—a challenging blend to perfect. To embody this, for over 50 years, the Villari Group has produced, processed, and marketed fruits and citrus, adhering to timeless methods while prioritizing the selection of the best raw materials.
Over the years, Villari has sculpted an ethical work environment that’s eco-conscious. The behavior models put in place aim to reduce pollution: pioneers in their field, they introduced not just untreated, edible-peel products but also organic products, all packed in fully recyclable materials.
From their desire to present consumers with a unique product lineup came the Lumì line. Lumì—a dialectal twist on the word ‘lemon’—was coined following a social media call-to-action that witnessed hundreds of users contributing to the line’s inception.
Their standout offerings include: 100% Organic Lemon Juice, available in 33.8 fl oz bottles or 3 fl oz pouches; Lumì Pearls, candies made with Sicilian lemon juice, packed with Vitamin C, slightly effervescent, and gluten-free; Gourmet Jams, crafted for savory pairings—perfect with meat and fish; and Salt Blossom Lemonade, an age-old Sicilian concoction combining lemon juice and local sea salt—a sparkling beverage with a mere 14 calories. And the crown jewel? Organic Citrus Jams, perfect for breakfast or as a homemade dessert garnish.
The Villari Group showcased its treasures at the Nexxt Expo in Los Angeles, dedicated to Italy’s finest.
Its mouth-watering specialties adorned a dedicated booth at the Sicily Show, a display of pure Sicilian brilliance organized by IoComproSiciliano.
