Smurfit Kappa Italia, a leading multinational in paper-based packaging, rewards the Asti plant with millions of investments.
A new machine for the production of American packing boxes was installed at Christmas and will be operational from February.
«And in the course of 2022 – announces the CEO Gianluca Castellini – the upgrading of the corrugator, the heart of the plant, will be completed. It will become one of the most modern and performing in Italy in terms of production capacity and speed ».
In addition, for the third consecutive year, the group received the international Top Employer certification for policies and strategies in human resource management. It is one of the 131 Italian companies considered an excellence in this sector.
Smurfit Kappa attentive to the well-being of workers: how?
“On several fronts, from safety to motivation, from communication to leadership open to discussion. The goal is to create an environment in which people can fully express their potential, their talent. . And this must be true for each of the 26 plants in Italy. The first step is listening to employees, you need to know their point of view to plan, to improve, to check if what we do is going in the right direction. Being a Top Employer certified company means having a great responsibility, first of all towards our employees, it is a strong commitment towards them. We do not do it to be said to be good but because being in the group of the most committed companies on this front at an Italian and international level motivates us to do more and better ».
What are the prospects for 2022 at the group level?
«The year that has just ended saw the Italian system recover and we benefited from the favorable context. The prospects for the paper, cardboard and paper-based packaging sector are very positive mainly thanks to two levers: the exponential growth of e-commerce and policies for sustainability and environmental protection. More and more environmentally friendly packaging is and will be indispensable. We are already operational and ready for the challenge ».
Rising paper costs and increasing demand for packaging: how are you reacting?
«In October we bought the Burgo di Verzuolo paper mill, an investment worth 360 million euros. With this move we are able to satisfy the entire paper needs of the Group, offering customers an extra guarantee ».
In 2021 you launched the E-Bottle line, a new 100% recyclable and biodegradable packaging for wine and beverages. How is it going?
«We have signed agreements with the main online wine shops: they are using our products for wines and spirits and also for beers. The flagship product is the “Save the Bottle” system made with 72% recycled paper and 44% less material than similar products. The most important aspect is that the packaging is safe, it protects the bottles perfectly. The various solutions are tested according to the Ista international standards also required by Amazon ».
Do you have new products for other sectors of the food sector?
«We are implementing the“ safe and green ”line with paper-based trays for fruit and vegetables and gastronomy. They cost a few thousandths more than plastic and polystyrene but we are convinced that they will prevail. The consumer is increasingly attentive to environmental protection ».
Asti has benefited and will benefit from substantial investments.
«The Asti plant is fantastic, it deserved the investments with flying colors. With the 6 million that we have allocated to the new plant for American boxes and the upgrading of the corrugator, the site is reaching 100 million square meters of cardboard per year, which is considered a threshold of excellence ».
Is the closure of the San Marzano plant linked to the expansion of Asti?
«It was a small factory, it produced 6-7 million square meters and it was not possible to imagine its growth because it is in the midst of other companies. The closure, however painful, is part of the industrial logic of economic and productive efficiency. Customers have been transferred to Asti and Mantua. A trade union agreement was signed which provided for the relocation to other factories for half of the 17 employees and incentives for the others to leave. Only one case remained open, awaiting resolution ».
Is the project announced in 2021 to create an innovation pole in Asti confirmed?
«The Experience Center, the second nationwide after the one in Pastrengo, is ready and will be inaugurated by 2022. We are waiting for the emergency phase linked to the pandemic to pass in order to open it to customers. It is a pole dedicated to innovation and research, where a team develops ad hoc solutions using sophisticated software that measure the correct amount of material to be used for packaging with maximum precision. It will employ 5 designers ». –