„From Naples to Bulgaria – How We Built the Cherry Empire“
Kuminiano Fruit: Highly Productive Operations in Naples and Plovdiv
By Pino Cerchiello
The Story
Southern Italy is growing—and the story of Kuminiano Fruit illustrates that growth. The Santorelli brothers, hailing from Comiziano in the Naples province, expanded their horizons to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, achieving a quality leap that has made them one of Europe’s primary cherry processors. This dynamic company, born from a family tradition, has transformed into a European leader in the processing of cherries and prunes. Their achievements have also become a subject of study for many young Bulgarian students.
At the University of Food Technologies (UFT) in Plovdiv, students from various fields within the food industry gathered for "Career Days - Career Navigator," where the Neapolitan company was also represented. This well-attended event featured employers from various sectors presenting their operations, internship and scholarship programs, and career development opportunities for young people—an excellent chance supported by government institutions.
The Company
The Santorelli brothers—Michele, Giovanni, and Roberto—divide their time between Comiziano and Plovdiv, where they have built a state-of-the-art fruit processing plant near one of the world’s most advanced cherry orchards. Roberto, who resides in Bulgaria, also serves as the president of Confindustria Italia in Bulgaria, a position that enables him to maintain ongoing connections with the Bulgarian government and senior management in the Balkan state. Roberto has accompanied the President of Bulgaria Rumen Radev on numerous industrial delegation trips.
The company’s involvement aligns closely with the Italian Embassy in Sofia, led by Giuseppina Zara, another Campania native from Avellino, with whom they have developed several economic projects. From a congress in Milan, Roberto Santorelli reaffirmed his commitment to promoting Italian entrepreneurship, especially in the country’s southern regions, where significant development opportunities await.
Courage
“In Milan, at the Italian Stock Exchange Elite Day, we had the pleasure of meeting friends and entrepreneurs and hearing inspiring speakers. Courage, passion, and education are at the core of every great venture. Driven by purpose, vision, and mission, we are building a lasting legacy and shaping a powerful future together.”
With approximately 500 employees and several thousand more in related industries, Kuminiano Fruit has become a cornerstone of Bulgaria’s production process and a key point of reference for Italian industrialists investing in the Balkan country. “Our circular economy policy,” Kuminiano Fruit states, “begins with caring for the land, nurturing bees for pollination in our orchards, and utilizing 100% of the raw material, including pits and pruned branches, to generate steam for our production processes.”
The History
Innovative cycles have enabled this Neapolitan company to become one of the most important on the continent.
In 1925, Michele Santorelli and his wife Filomena began processing hazelnuts on the veranda of their home in Comiziano. These sorted and peeled hazelnuts were exported to Germany and America. In 1950, product diversification started with the sale of brined cherries for confectioners. In 1960, the company underwent an entrepreneurial transformation, introducing technological innovations in cherry processing and entering the U.S. market in 1965.
This success continued with their entry into Bulgaria in 1990, shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Over the next thirty-four years, consistent growth led to the acquisition of a new factory in Katunitsa, expanding production capacity and product range. In 2005, a new facility was established in Tufino, Italy, for processing industrial cherries for the Italian market. This was followed by upstream vertical integration in Bulgaria with the establishment of the first directly managed orchard and the acquisition of new plants, diversifying their dried fruit production.
