Nuceria consolidates Italian acquisition

Nuceria, Italy’s biggest integrated label and package printing group, has completed the integration of Turin-based label converter Appia, which it acquired in March 2014.

Nuceria Group consists of a major PS label operation in Milan and flexible packaging, carton and label operations in the South of Italy. Nuceria Group has a 64m euro turnover - up from 54m euros in 2014 and has invested 28m euros in the last five years in production capacity. Today the company runs 43 narrow web press lines converting some 50m sqm of pressure-sensitive labelstock, in addition to 17 press lines converting cartons, sheet-fed labels and flexible packaging. This already places the Nuceria group among the top five European converters.

General manager Guido Iannone explains where Appia fits in: ‘Firstly, Appia is located in Piemonte, one of Italy’s three great wine areas. Around 60 percent of Appia’s turnover is in the wine market, which is a key focus for Nuceria group. It is also a window for the French market, and I am naturally thinking about champagne and wines. Secondly, Appia has brought digital printing expertise to Nuceria, the only technology we were missing.’ When Nuceria acquired Appia, it was a small company with 25 employees. Today, Appia has double the number of employees and turnover is up by over 50 percent.

Culture clash

Merging Appia into Nuceria’s industrial manufacturing culture presented Guido Iannone with a series of tough challenges.

‘We had to make everyone understand that our program was the only way to have a future. The people in Turin have seen our commitment and investment and are not afraid any more for their future. Everyone can now concentrate on continuous improvement.’

Employees were instilled with pride in the wider company, for example by wearing Nuceria polo shirts, and were educated in Nuceria’s company-wide working practices by exchange visits to the Milan plant.

‘Today we have created an organization at Turin similar to our other plants in terms of organization, equipment and quality standards,’ says Guido Iannone.

A key link between the Turin and Milan operations is Domenico Bianco, quality and lean manager in Milan, who spent six months personally training people in Turin.