By Peter Buxbaum, AJOTItaly’s success in the US market is not limited to wines. Italian companies are investing in trade networks as well as in production facilities to better penetrate the US market. Colavita, the olive oil and balsamic vinegar exporter, recently took over 80% of New York’s Profaci network at a price of $35 million, according to information provided by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce. The network specializes in the distribution of Italian-made food products and has a sales volume of over $100 million. Colavita is planning an additional investment of $22.5 million to finance the purchase of new headquarters. Around 40% of Colavita’s annual production of 13 million liters of olive oil is exported to the United States. Barilla, the pasta maker, opened a second US production plant, in Avon, New York to supplement the capacity of its original location in Ames, Iowa. Barilla made a $150 million investment in its new operation. Barilla has captured almost one-quarter of the American pasta market, which accounted for $280 million in Barilla sales in 2006. GKN FAD Axles, based in Brescia, a manufacturer of axles for agricultural and earth-moving machinery, recently captured 50% of the US market with the acquisition of the American QDS Henschen of Jackson Center, Ohio, in a $13.5 million deal. Pirelli, a manufacturer of high-performance automobile tires, has invested $15 million to increase the production capacity of its Rome, Ga., plant by 20%. The investment will install a fifth robotized tire manufacturing production line. Pirelli is the exclusive supplier for high performance GM and Ford models and of replacement parts for Mercedes and BMW. On the retail side, Luxottica, which already has 4,500 stores in the US and Canada, is adding an additional 100 points-of-sale in the D.O.C. Optics chain, which it purchased for $90 million. The stores are concentrated in the Midwest and in Florida. In trade traversing in the opposite direction, McDonald’s plans on opening 120 new restaurants in Italy over the next three years, a 32% increase over the 381 existing franchises currently operating in the country. In 2008, McDonald’s sales rose to over $1.1 billion, an increase of 12.4% over 2007. The new restaurants will bring McDonald’s total investments in Italy well over $100 million and are expected to bring its Italian sales to $1.5 billion.