Fortis has its roots and history in both Emilia- Romagna, an Italian region famous for its strong culinary tradition and the Dutch city of Rotterdam. With the central warehouse based in Modena, Italy where the Italian part of the group was established and still operates, the company acts both locally and globally, ensuring procurement and delivery efficiency through its Dutch office in Rotterdam. Fortis has delivered to sausage factories, butchers, producers of cured meats and sausages and industry retailers for twenty years, providing the best hog, beef, sheep and horse casings produced in Italy and abroad, selected and tailored to customers’ specific needs.
The history of Fortis Italy began between Bologna and Modena, in a place where food is not just about nutrition, but also culture and economy. A 600-sqm industrial shed, a few trusted employees, and a great desire to work were the key ingredients for this successful business.
Six years after its foundation, Fortis Italy grew by building customer trust and prompted expansion by moving to a new location. The area occupied by its headquarters grew from 600 to 2,000 sqm, to ensure attentive service and meet the requirements of increasingly demanding client companies, while maintaining the highest levels of quality and product customisation.
Nearly twenty years after its establishment, Fortis Italy felt the need to grow further, moving into the industrial area of Modena, where a modern 4,000-sqm area became the current warehouse and distribution facilities of a business with more than 30 employees. The company’s larger premises make it possible to manage increasing workflows, where attention to worker safety and certified hygienic conditions are the starting points for developing this new phase in the company’s history.
Quality, service, technical support and customisation are our main goals. Fortis is a constantly growing company that has never stopped investing to provide customers with safe, tailored products. Acting as a bridge between producers and consumers, Fortis selects the best casings according to customers’ requirements, offering the opportunity to customise products. The company’s new Italian facilities has doubled its warehouse capacity to store larger quantities of raw materials and finished products, in order to meet growing market demands and an increasing number of just-in-time orders.
INSCA is a global association that brings together the leading companies operating in the natural sausage casing industry. INSCA deals with scientific research, and promotes business between member companies through an annual meeting taking place in different cities across the globe. Fortis Batavia BV has been a member since 2004.
This Italian consortium was founded in 2001 and Fortis Italy has been a member since its establishment. The main goals of the consortium are to promote and protect the use of natural casings for the production of cured meats and sausages in Italy. The consortium aims to promote local products, especially PDO and PGI certified products, considering natural casings the ideal way to wrap cured meats and sausages made with respect for quality, authenticity and local tradition. Fortis contributes to teamwork and consortium projects through Marco Benati, in his position as deputy chairman of the consortium’s Board of Directors.
ENSCA is a European association representing national companies and associations of the natural casing industry and is engaged in the development of the EU market. It coordinates with INSCA for scientific research and has a privileged channel of communication with EU institutions. Fortis Batavia BV has been a member since 2008.
AIIPA is the trade association of Italy’s most representative food industries. AIIPA is divided into different product categories and is mainly engaged in trade union affairs and relations with institutions, primarily the Ministry of Health with regard to laws and regulations for the industry of casings and cold cuts in general. Fortis Italy has been a member since 2016.
HBS is an association that brings together Dutch operators in the natural casing industry. Fortis Batavia BV has been a member since 1998.