The move comes after Egger Group acquires a majority stake (60%) in the Italian recycling company Cartfer Urbania S.r.l.
The investment represents the company’s first site in Italy and a further addition to the international network of recycling collection sites that the wood-based material manufacturer operates under the name Egger Timberpak.
The previous owner, Sara Burani, will remain part of the company management. The site based in the Marche region of Urbania is at the heart of the Italian furniture industry.
Egger believes the strategic move is part of an on-going focus on active backward integration in order to supply its chipboard plants with recycled wood as well as possible. The new recycling collection site in Urbania will supply Egger’s nearby plant in Caorso.
“Italy has an excellent recycling system,” says Giuseppe Conti, plant manager finance/administration at the Caorso plant. “We can benefit greatly from this know-how thanks to our majority investment in Cartfer Urbania and the great expertise of its workforce. Our chipboard plant in Caorso uses 100% recycled wood. We can now make the valuable resource that is recycled wood even more readily available for our production in that location.”
Cartfer Urbania has been a specialised recycling company since 2017 and has already been supplying Caorso-based manufacturer SAIB for over five years, which has been part of the Egger Group since December 2022. The Cartfer Urbania site also offers scope for future expansion investments.
Commenting on the acquisition, Sara Burani, co-owner of Cartfer Urbania said: “I am proud that Cartfer Urbania has joined the large Egger family. This important step will allow our company to grow faster and to be able to face the upcoming challenges with more solidity. It is a great growth opportunity for all of us.”