We have been a B Corp since 2014 and a Benefit Society since 2019
Imperia, 2011
Our first 100 years
The dedication and passion we have always put into our work has never wavered. We are ready to live the next 100 years with the same commitment to excellence we have always shown.
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2011-2012-2014-2016
2011: our 100th birthday!
This is a year for celebration, full of initiatives dedicated to our clients and a great party for all of our staff on the 20th of May.
2012: our photovoltaic system
In July, the system with a layout of 8,500 m2 on the plant’s roof starts generating electricity. Today it meets about 20% of our energy requirements.
2014: we are a Benefit Corporation!
We are the first enterprise in Italy to acquire Benefit Corporation certification, thanks to our transparency and our compliance with strict social and environmental standards.
2016: seismic retrofit
In September we complete the seismic retrofitting of our headquarters, an absolute first for the Italian industrial building construction scenario.
The 2000’s
Ready to meet the challenges of the second millennium
We enter the new millennium with a bang, with our customary will to innovate and stay ahead of the market, but without ever forgetting our values or our family tradition.
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2002-2005-2008-2009-2010
2002 and 2005: the fourth generation
New times, new entries: Carlo, in 2002, and Claudia, in 2005, the son and daughter of Gian Franco and great grandchildren to Giovanni, the founder, join the company.
2008: the new printing works
The printing works, that have always been the driving force of corporate communication, are completely renovated and become a totally state-of-the-art structure.
2009: a prestigious award
On 29 May, Gian Franco, the grandchild of the founder Giovanni, receives from the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano the title of “Cavaliere al Merito del Lavoro”, or Order of Merit for Labor just like his father Carlo did in 1983.
2009: the new Fratelli Carli logo
True to tradition, Italy’s most prestigious branding company, Robilant Associati, redesigns the 97-year old Fratelli Carli logo in preparation for the 100th anniversary.
2010: the Emporio store opens in Imperia
At our headquarters we open the first Emporio, the store format we have designed which becomes so successful that many start replicating it in other large Italian cities.
The 1990’s
We are testimonials of our tradition
Technological innovation and new products give added value to our work and are the main feature of these years of success.
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1991-1992-1996-1997
1991: the third generation, a new arrival
The company addition is Lucio, the son of Marcello who in turn is the cousin of the company’s founder Giovanni.
1992: the Carlo Carli Olive Tree Museum opens
Our family’s passion for olive trees and for olive oil is showcased in a unique structure: the Carlo Carli Olive Tree Museum.
1996: the first Internet website
Always with an eye to the future, we are one of the first companies in Italy to believe in the Web, creating our website www.oliocarli.it.
1997: Mediterranea is born
By enhancing the wellness philosophy we have always promoted in our company, we create the Mediterranea line of cosmetics based on olive oil.
The 1980’s
So many things end and so many begin
This is the decade in which the ‘symbolic container’ for the sale of our oil is sent into retirement to leave space for the product that will become the prince of condiments on our clients’ tables.
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1981-1983-1988
1981: welcome Extra Virgin!
Our peerless olive oil acquires a new companion, our extra virgin olive oil that stands out for its full and harmonious taste and very low acidity.
1983: a prestigious award
On 9 July, Carlo, the son of the company’s founder Giovanni, receives from the Italian President Sandro Pertini the title of “Cavaliere al Merito del Lavoro”, or Order of Merit for Labor.
1988: demijohn, goodbye
After 77 years, the January price list puts an end to the sale of the historical demijohns that up to that point had been the traditional containers for our olive oil.
The 1970’s
Another step into the future
The company’s business continues to expand. This calls for a move to larger quarters, where everything is modern: state-of-the-art offices and machinery make our work faster and easier.
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1971-1972-1973
1971: the new headquarters
On 20th of July, the beautiful new headquarters are ready and all of our departments move to the renovated and modernized area.
1972: the trailblazing Mechanographic Center
Facing out onto the majestic stairway at the entrance to the new headquarters is the new Mechanographic Center. Once again, we have looked into the crystal ball and foreseen the future.
1973: the third generation
Gian Franco, the son of Carlo and the grandson of the company’s founder Giovanni, joins the company.
The 1960’s
Pioneers of "home delivery"
These are the years of the epochal changes in our delivery system: we abandon the railway and we devise our own distribution network, capable of directly reaching the homes of our clients.
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1961-1965-1967
1961: our first 50 years
An important milestone: to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, we send all of our clients a special Carli Recipe Book.
1965: our delivery vans are born
The will to constantly improve the service to our clients brings us to meet their strong demand for direct home delivery, abandoning the use of the railway service.
1967: the first Food Warranty Certificate
From this year onwards, the Chemical Analysis Laboratory hosted at our plant since 1925 is put in charge of issuing the Food Warranty Certificate we put on each product item.
The 1950’s
We roll up our sleeves because there’s a company that’s roaring to go out and fight
The war has just recently ended but we are already looking forward with hope, with rebuilt headquarters, new warehouses and a new, modern oil mill.
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1950-1957-1958
1950: the rebuilt headquarters
The headquarters we reconstructed after the war are even more beautiful than before, with new offices, new warehouses and even a warehouse for dispatching demijohns.
1957: the Olio Carli logo is born
The famous poster designer Cappadonia creates the Olio Carli logo that will progressively become the distinctive trademark of our best-selling product.
1958: the Pieralisi oil mill
The production department is completely overhauled too. We decide to purchase a state-of-the-art oil mill from the renowned Pieralisi factory.
The 1940’s
War: the darkest moments
The war inevitably affects our company too, hitting us with two devastating bombs. Our will is stronger though and in 1948 we have already risen from the ashes.
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1940-1943-1944-1948
1940: the last price list before war breaks out
Italy joins the conflict on the 10th of June. We print out our last price list..
1943: the first bomb
Two days before Christmas, Imperia is bombarded and our headquarters receive a hit that completely destroys our oil production plant.
1944: the second bomb
On the 3rd of May, a second bomb razes our plant to the ground. All that is left of our prestigious enterprise is a heap of rubble.
1948: the first price list after the war
In February we are again open for business and we send our new, first post-war price list to the list of clients we had jealously treasured throughout the war.
The 1930’s
Our business soars
One of the symbols of our company is born, the most cherished gift that from this moment onwards and still today continues to enter the homes of our clients.
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1930-1936-1937
1930: change of headquarters
The plant in Via degli Orti is too small, so we establish a new one in via Garessio in a Liberty style building designed by the architect Rodolfo Winter.
1936: the first Carli Recipe Book
This recipe book, drafted by the head chef of the Royal Family, Sir Amedeo Pettini, and abounding in lovely illustrations by Cappadonia, is ready to be sent as a homage to all of our clients..
1937: supplier to the Royal Family
After the fifth consecutive supply of Olio Carli olive oil, H.R.H. Vittorio Emanuele III grants us the warrant as Official Suppliers to the Royal Family.
The 1920’s
Creativity shapes our future
Giovanni Carli’s idea transforms, year after year, into an acclaimed firm that soon becomes one of Italy’s major enterprises.
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1922-1923-1924-1927
1922: the first Fratelli Carli logo is born
The pen of the famous poster designer Plinio Codognato creates the Fratelli Carli logotype that will identify our company for the next 87 years.
1923: the first Calendar
The company rolls out an innovative marketing tool to communicate with our clients/friends, the Carli Calendar, that to this day allows us to spend every day of the year with them.
1924: the trademark is born
Once again it is Plinio Codognato, inspired by a photograph of Angiola, Giovanni’s little daughter, who creates the trademark, the famous ‘little girl with demijohn’ image.
1927: suppliers to the Pope
The warrant granted by Pope Pius XI authorizes us to proclaim our status as Suppliers to the Vatican.
Oneglia, 1911
Starting from the origins to go far
That year, our family’s olive grove produces an exceptional yield of olives. Giovanni, twenty years old, one of six sons of Carlo Carli, a printer in Oneglia, conceives the idea of selling the oil obtained in such abundant quantities not to the local retailers but directly to the families living in the nearby Piedmont region.
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1911-1912-1919
1911: Giovanni Carli’s journey starts here
On his Bianchi bicycle he takes off to visit the homes of the first clients who immediately acclaim the quality of the product. In come the first orders.
1912: the first price list
The family’s printing works are a major asset. We print out our first price list so as to keep in contact with our new clientele.
1919: the first real headquarters
The company moves from the original office to a three-story building in downtown Oneglia where the top floors provide living quarters for the entire family.