Our great adventure begins
Industria Droghe e Affini is founded in San Martino di Lupari to handle the grinding and preparation of spices and aromatic and preserving brines.
Since 1920
Our story
From a family business founded in 1920 to part of an international group: the story of Italdroghe and Almi Italia.
Family stories
Two countries, two families, one great shared passion. In Italy the Smania family with Italdroghe, today a benchmark brand for the HORECA channel. In Austria the Mittermayr family with Almi, among the global leaders in semi-finished products for the food industry. For ninety years the two companies grew in parallel, each in its own market, each with its own story — until in 2021 the two roads met, giving life to a single great project: Almi Italia S.r.l.
Italdroghe Italy
Almi Austria
1920
Italdroghe
1926
Italdroghe
F.I.D.E.S. is founded
Angelo, Lodovico and Giuseppe Smania found F.I.D.E.S. (Fabbrica Italiana Droghe e Surrogati).
1931
Almi
Alfred Mittermayr
The story of what would one day become Almi begins: Alfred Mittermayr realises a long-held dream by opening a small shop in Linz-Urfahr, Austria.
1949
Almi
First production licence
Almi receives the licence for the production of spice preparations, curing salts, soup spices and raw vegetable preserves.
1955
Italdroghe
Giuseppe Smania
Giuseppe Smania founds the company that bears his name, responding to new market and consumption trends that were transforming Italian eating habits.
1970
Italdroghe
Italdroghe
Virgilio Smania, Giuseppe's son, creates Italdroghe, separating from the rest of the family. At first, production is highly varied and includes substitutes, preparations, flavourings, sweeteners and spices.
1972
Almi
The new plant in Leonding
Almi builds a new production facility in Leonding: the company's first large industrial investment.
1977
Italdroghe
Almi
The corporate image is defined
Italdroghe specialises in natural spices, aromatic herbs, and blends for brines and cured meats.
Partnership with Viskase
Almi secures the strategically important cooperation with the packaging group Viskase in Austria, entering the world of casings.
1980
Almi
Export begins
Almi starts exporting its preparations beyond Austria, beginning its international expansion.
1986
Italdroghe
A first major step
To meet new requirements for space, storage and production, the company headquarters is moved to the current facility.
1995
Almi
Leonding expands
On 5,000 m² a four-storey production building is erected, with state-of-the-art technology for grinding, blending and packaging, plus a new raw material warehouse.
1999
Almi
Almi Academy and Technical Center
The Almi Academy and the Almi Technical Center open: training and product development become an integral part of customer service.
2005
Italdroghe
A second expansion
A second plant is built and new machinery is introduced in production, including the first multi-head packaging machine.
2006
Almi
The new corporate headquarters
The new headquarters is built across 19,500 m², with corporate offices, a warehouse and a packaging plant, for a total investment of EUR 35 million.
2010
Almi
Almi enters the Italian market
The first Almi commercial office opens in Italy, through which the Austrian company begins to earn the trust of major food manufacturers across the country.
2013
Almi
Europe in focus
Almi and its subsidiaries complete a comprehensive presence across Europe: with new works on 14,000 m², the head office reaches a total area of 56,000 m².
2020
Italdroghe
Almi
The new image is unveiled
A complete corporate renewal is launched: new packaging and production equipment, and above all a new logo and new packaging, reflecting a constant effort to adapt to consumer demands.
Growth in Germany
Almi acquires Bioscience Food Solutions and Rüther Gewürze in Germany and extends its headquarters by 3,600 m², with new areas for product development and research.
Italdroghe becomes part of the Almi family
Almi Italia Srl is born and Italdroghe becomes part of the larger Almi family. The San Martino di Lupari plant becomes the HORECA and B2C packaging hub for the entire Almi Group, which operates internationally.
Part of Almi Group
All Almi Group information is available on the official website