Press & Media

The Group surpasses the first nine months of the year profitably. Nespolo: “2024 was a year characterized again by a discrete volatility. We started with good results in the first six months, partially driven by a recovery in the destocking trend across the value chains we serve. In the latter part of the year we had a gradual slowdown mainly due to softening growth in some end markets such as luxury and wine&spirit. Overall it was a pretty positive year that we expect to close with revenues to exceed €2 billion (up from €1.8 billion in 2023) and pro forma Ebitda to exceed €370 million, up about 10% from the previous year .”

Yesterday in Rome, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy and with the presence of all social parties involved, a positive solution was reached for Giano, the Fedrigoni Group company dedicated to the production of office paper that will cease operations at the end of the year. The company signed two agreements, with MIMIT and union representatives.
“The agreement signed by all the social parties provides for a year of Extraordinary Redundancy Fund (CIGS) against the withdrawal of the collective dismissal procedure by our group – explains CEO Marco Nespolo -. The goal reached today is not a point of arrival, but rather a starting point: the safeguarding of our people remains an absolute priority for us and the focus for the next 12 months will be to find re-employment opportunities for the highest possible number of people impacted by the closure of Giano, which will cease the photocopy paper production by the end of the year”.

Fabriano, the Italian paper brand renowned for its 800-year history and unique know-how, has been strengthening its presence in North America for several years. With its range of iconic products and recent innovations, Fabriano has become a prime example of Made in Italy excellence. Now, as part of its ambitious industrial plan, the Fedrigoni Group intends to leverage the brand’s tradition and reputation that has seen it used by some of the world’s greatest artists, including Michelangelo and Beethoven, to accelerate its growth across North America.

The management of the Fedrigoni Group met in Rome with the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, together with the trade union representatives and local institutions, called to the discussion table on the Giano case, which produces office paper and involves 195 people.
Marco Nespolo, CEO of Fedrigoni, commented on the meeting that just ended: “I thank Minister Urso and all the social parties who attended. We confirm our willingness to open a technical table with the Ministry to evaluate possible scenarios aimed at mitigating the social impact on the people affected by the decision to close Giano, without prejudice to the fact that Fedrigoni will cease all commercial and production activities related to the office paper business at the end of 2024.”
Nespolo reiterated: “The social plan that we have developed already significantly minimizes the employment impact: over 180 concrete opportunities already identified, two thirds of which in the Marche, to offer redeployment spaces to the 195 people of Giano. In the Marche alone there are 105 jobs available and over twenty possible early retirements with dedicated economic treatment, in addition to 55 open positions in our factories in the North, in Trentino, Friuli and Verona (accompanied, for those interested, by facilitations and benefits). And we are continuing to look for further solutions.

The Group announced that it has decided not to proceed with the previously announced transaction with Shanghai Inlay Link Inc. (a NEEQ-listed Chinese holding company) for a majority stake in BoingTech, a specialized producer of inlays and RFID tags, with operations in China and Malaysia, controlled by Inlay Link. Fedrigoni reached this decision, informing Inlay Link accordingly, as a result of changed conditions in the context of the parties’ mutual obligations and commitments.

This morning, the management of the Fedrigoni Group met with national and local trade union representatives in Fabriano to continue discussions on measures aimed at minimizing the employment impact on the 195 people affected by the closure of the Giano company, which produces office paper, at the end of the year. Giuseppe Giacobello, Head of Industrial Relations at Fedrigoni Group, added new details to what had already been presented during the meeting on October 8 and 9 in Verona, focusing on the job opportunities available in the Marche region and beyond.
“At the moment, we have identified over 180 concrete opportunities, including 105 positions already available in the Marche region and around twenty potential early retirements. If there is interest, a dedicated economic package will be offered, and we are working to identify more opportunities,” explained Giacobello.

The difficult decision comes after a long and fruitless search for partners and allows the Group to focus investments and resources on the segment of specialty papers for packaging and creative communication, including art and drawing, in line with the industrial plan. CEO Marco Nespolo: “We are not leaving the Marche region. We will continue to invest in the development of our production sites in the area and in the Fabriano brand, a symbol of excellence of Made in Italy in the world and a strategic asset for Fedrigoni. We will do everything necessary to mitigate the impact on our people. Dialogue and collaboration with all social parties will be fundamental”.

The Group increased its score to 90/100, remaining firmly in the world’s top 1% of companies in the same industry with the highest ESG performance. Marco Nespolo, CEO: ‘This result is an important incentive to continue striving for excellence, together with our stakeholders and customers. Our path of constant improvement, which includes progress every day, is also guided by the feedback we receive through the evaluations of the most prestigious international bodies’.

With this further acquisition, the fifth this year, the Group continues the path of diversifying its premium product offering, reinforcing its role and size in the RFID inlay and tag manufacturing, and further expanding in Asia, following the acquisition of ArjoWiggins China in January. The deal will bring new opportunities to the Group’s customers both in the pressure sensitive labels market, where the company ranks third in the world, and in specialty papers for luxury packaging, where Fedrigoni holds world leadership.

F-Jet Natural Fibers is the new Fedrigoni Self-Adhesives solution that represents the 100% post-consumer recycled paper alternative to traditional monomeric films for indoor graphics applications. In addition to having a lower environmental impact than PVC film, F-Jet Natural Fibers can be printed with the same technologies as vinyl materials, guaranteeing a very high-quality result.