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The first of the Ferrero products was Pasta Gianduja, a chocolate-hazelnut spread that, re-named Nutella®, was destined to become the number 1selling sweet spread in the world. Since that first successful venture, Ferrero has gone on to introduce many of the most celebrated confectionery brands in the world.
Although Pietro Ferrero and his brother Giovanni had laid the groundwork for future company success, when both died in the early 1950's, it fell to Pietro's son, Michele Ferrero, to continue the pursuit of their vision, as Ferrero expanded across Europe and then abroad.
Ferrero first moved beyond Italy in 1956, establishing both manufacturing facilities and offices in Germany. This was followed by new facilities in France in 1958.
In the late 60's and early 70's, Michele Ferrero began a strong new phase of international expansion with sales offices and production facilities outside Europe. Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. was first, then came Ferrero Canada, Ferrero Australia, Ferrero Ecuador, Ferrero Brazil, Ferrero Japan, and Ferrero Inc. in Puerto Rico.
Ferrero has come out of its shell and spread across the globe. The company, one of the world's largest chocolate producers, makes treats such as Kinder Surprise Eggs (egg-shaped chocolates with tiny toys inside) and Nutella hazelnut spread. Its other products include Mon Cheri chocolates and Pocket Coffee pralines, Rocher chocolates, and Tic Tac breath mints. It has operations worldwide and sells its sweets in the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. The company, founded in 1946 by Pietro and Giovanni Ferrero, is owned by the Ferrero family.
According to AC Nielsen's Billion Dollar Brands report for 2001, Kinder is the world's biggest chocolate brand, and the only one with sales of over $1bn annually.
Today, Ferrero remains a true family-run success story. A third generation of Ferrero sons have joined their father and continue to operate under the same basic principles that gave Ferrero its start in Alba over 50 years ago.
With global sales growing in country after country, Ferrero is today one of the largest confectionery companies in the world. The Ferrero Family continues to delight its global consumers with a seemingly inexhaustible line of unique, high-quality products, not only in the spread and candy aisles, but also in the bakery and beverage sections.
FERRERO...a success story that's still being written.
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This remarkable story began in 1946, in Italy, where, after the war, candy and confections were in short supply and were purchased mainly for special occasions from the local sweet shop. It was here in northwestern Italy in the small town of Alba, that master confectioner Pietro Ferrero developed a system that enabled him to mass-produce true quality confections and offer them to consumers at reasonable prices. 
