Grupo Scala Joins Deloitte’s Best-Managed Companies List

Deloitte’s programme assesses privately owned companies across four areas: strategy and environmental, social and governance matters; culture and commitment; innovation capability; and governance and finance. Its methodology includes a structured review of management practices and feedback on the areas examined, rather than relying only on financial indicators.

Grupo Scala said the recognition came during a period in which it has been strengthening its management structure while expanding investment in sustainability and governance. Cristiano Cerchi Angotti, the group’s chairman, said the company’s more than 60-year history had to be matched by preparation for the coming years. “That requires professionalisation, governance, innovation and an increasingly strategic view of the business,” he said.

The group has established a dedicated sustainability area and obtained ISO 14001:2015 certification. It tracks indicators covering natural-resource use, waste management and reverse logistics. Specific water consumption fell from 19.2 cubic metres per tonne produced in 2021 to 16.0 cubic metres in 2023, a decline of 16.7%. The company said cumulative savings over that period reached about 48.2m litres.

Scala also runs reverse-logistics initiatives for packaging and programmes aimed at reducing and reusing materials used in its operations. Angotti said that expansion increased the need for management systems to develop alongside the business, involving staff, processes, governance and longer-term decision-making.

The group operates four factories: three in Sacramento, in Minas Gerais, and one in Salitre de Minas. It recently expanded its industrial capacity by acquiring Laticínio Deale, a dairy company with 14 years of operations in Rio Grande do Sul. Deale has plants in Almirante Tamandaré do Sul and Aratiba, as well as a cooling station in Catuípe.

Scala’s own dairy facilities can process more than 700,000 litres of milk per day, while Deale adds a further 400,000 litres. Its product range includes mozzarella, parmesan, provolone, blue and gouda cheeses, minas padrão, colonial, meia cura, coalho and prato cheeses, as well as requeijão, cream cheese, butter and fondue products. The group has also introduced Dolci Creme, a line of sweet fillings designed for baking.

Beyond dairy production, the group includes SCL Agro, which makes animal-nutrition products, a grain-storage unit and a distribution centre. The Deloitte event brought together business leaders for discussions, exchanges of experience and networking. Scala said participation allowed it to compare practices with companies from other sectors and apply new management lessons.