Introduction
How an artisanal Italian pasta maker with nearly 180 years of tradition became one of the fastest-growing premium brands in America—powered by craftsmanship, clarity, and modern market intelligence.
When Rummo first relaunched in the U.S. market in 2017, few could have predicted how quickly the brand would rise in one of grocery’s most competitive categories. Despite being the most expensive pasta on shelf, Rummo has become one of the fastest-growing classic and gluten-free pastas for more than six years—backed by an impressive 92% retailer approval rate and distribution across nearly 100 retail chains nationwide.
In this conversation, Jim Donnelly, Chief Commercial Officer for Rummo North America, shares how a heritage brand with deep Italian roots has built a modern U.S. success story through disciplined execution and powerful insights from SPINS.
“SPINS data was essential in finding out that protein pasta was growing faster than any other segment of business”
Q: Jim, can you share a bit about yourself and Rummo’s history?
Jim Donnelly: Hello. I’m Jim Donnelly, CCO for Rummo North America. I have been on my Rummo journey now for about six and a half years. My background is in the beverage world, Pepsi, Snapple, Gatorade, Coke International, Nestle, Twinings, and Rummo. While it’s been a great ride, I believe Rummo will be my crowning achievement.
Rummo was started back in 1846 in Benevento, Italy. Their secret is Lenta Lavorazione®, which means slow processing. They are master pasta makers, sourcing the world’s finest ingredients to bring you their classic pasta, gluten-free, egg nests, and the new 21 grams Protein Maxima.
Q: When did Rummo officially enter the U.S. market, and what shaped that
Donnelly: Rummo really had two US market entrances. The first was around 2010, primarily selling within the Food Service channel. In October 2015, a massive flood destroyed the Rummo plant in Italy. With global support, they rebuilt the Benevento factory even better and relaunched the brand in the United States in 2017.
Even though we are nearly 180 years old, Rummo is very young here in America, unlike Barilla & De Cecco, which came many years ago. We thought the time was right for our authentic Italian family-owned pasta to come to the U.S.
Q: What led you to partner with SPINS for data and market intelligence?
Donnelly: We decided to partner with SPINS two years ago. We were using data, but needed much more. Our salespeople needed better insights to understand what was actually happening in the market. SPINS gave us faster and better access to all our retailers’ numbers. We were definitely able to tell our Rummo story much better.
Today, we are known for our industry-leading presentations because of SPINS. Rummo has been the fastest growing classic and gluten-free pasta for six and a half years, while our lasagna has been the fastest growing for two years ever since its existence.
Q: How did Rummo begin building its retail footprint in the U.S.?
Donnelly: Rummo really started its climb six and a half years ago now. We predominantly began in conventional grocery, food service, and then came to Natural. Our first big retailer account in the U.S. was Stop & Shop, followed by Price Chopper. We now have every retailer on the East Coast except for one. We are national coast to coast with just under 100 chains and growing every day.
Q: How did SPINS data help guide what came next, especially around new product innovation?
Donnelly: SPINS data was essential in finding out that protein pasta was growing faster than any other segment of business. We saw that there was massive potential, once again, for a “best” protein. This information assisted us in distribution, number of SKUs, pricing, and dollar and unit potential. Thus, Protein Maxima with 21 grams of protein was born.
SPINS also helped during the pandemic with real-time pricing intelligence—who was taking price, who was reducing promotions, and who held steady. Today, the team continues to analyze SPINS data for the next category opportunity—whether that’s specialty pasta, gluten-free, or egg noodles.
“SPINS attribute data…creates our [sell] story. Our entire presentation revolves around differentiation”
Q: How do SPINS attributes support your differentiation story?
Donnelly: Being able to differentiate between attributes helped us identify what consumers are focusing on when they shop for pasta. First, it was gluten-free items and being able to see what was trending in terms of different types of pasta shapes and which ingredients were performing (corn, rice, lentils, chickpeas, etc). Then came Protein, which we were able to look by item and see which brands had x amount of protein content, etc. Once we were able to discover these points of difference, my Director of Grocery, Glen Prodahl, knew exactly what points to hone in on when delivering his story. Combining these points of difference along with Rummo’s expertly crafted pasta, we could truly convey what makes our brand so special.
Q: As you look ahead, what would you like people to know about the Rummo + SPINS partnership?
Donnelly: SPINS has been a great partner in our journey. Rummo has come out of nowhere to become an up and coming US player. SPINS helps us tell that Rummo story.
SPINS provides the clarity needed to measure base unit growth, promo performance, ACV, and the expansion of average items per retailer.
Left to Right: Jim Donnnelly - CCO, Glen Prodahl - Director U.S. Grocery , Kevin Leone - Northeast Regional Manager
“I built a best-in-class team, and I like to call them “The Lean, Mean, Pasta Selling Machine!”
A Heritage Brand Thriving Through Modern Intelligence
Rummo’s U.S. trajectory shows what happens when authenticity meets disciplined execution—and when data amplifies a brand story consumers already love. With a nearly 180-year-old craft, a rapidly expanding retail presence, and a strong pipeline of insight-led innovation, Rummo continues to set the standard for premium pasta.
And with SPINS, the brand has unlocked a powerful advantage: the ability to validate opportunities, sharpen its message, and grow with confidence in a competitive category.
