New Marchesini Group building at Barberino di Mugello

Official opening of the new “Neri” building at via Pia della Fonda, Barberino di Mugello. 
The Marchesini Group has decided to further expand its production facility in the Florentine hinterland by constructing a new building of 4300 m2, containing workshops of about 2500 m2 and approximately 1800 m2 of offices and the new canteen area. Powered entirely by electricity and photovoltaic energy, the building was constructed thanks to an investment of about 12 million Euros and is the completion of the existing facility of about 11 thousand 500 m2 in the La Lora industrial area. 

The “Neri” brand was established in the ‘70s in Florence, specialising in the production of bottle washing and sterilising machines: its collaboration with the Marchesini Group gradually grew in importance over time, culminating in its complete acquisition in October 2008. The newly expanded Neri production facility is fundamental in the design and construction of secondary packaging solutions, in the form of labelling machines for all types of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products: ampoules, vials, cartons, bottles, mascaras, lipsticks and cosmetic containers in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, for medium and high speeds. The Barberino di Mugello site currently employs a workforce of more than 200, with new hirings, especially for technical roles, in the pipeline. 

The cutting of the traditional ribbon to open the new building was preceded by a corporate event, attended by Maurizio Marchesini, Chairman of Marchesini Group and Vice-Chairman of Confindustria, which included reading of the message sent by Marina Calderone, Minister of Labour and Social Policies. This was followed by a round table discussion with Sara Di Maio, Mayor of Barberino di Mugello, Silvano Simone Bettini, Chairman of Federmeccanica, and Valerio Soli, CEO of Marchesini Group.

“We’re an international group, but our strength still lies in the areas where our ideas, machines and expertise are born,” stated Maurizio Marchesini, Chairman of Marchesini Group. “In Tuscany, in Emilia-Romagna and in our other home areas, manufacturing isn’t just of economic importance: it’s part of the local culture, a language in which whole generations have expressed their intelligence and creativity. This Barberino plant doesn’t stand in isolation. It’s a vital node in an industrial and social system that flourishes thanks to the local institutions, the universities, the research centres and our workforce: together, we’re building the real infrastructure of the future. It’s from this alliance of enterprise, the broader community and knowledge that Italian manufacturing draws its competitive strength.” 

“It’s always a great pleasure, especially for a Minister of Labour, to be involved in the opening of a new industrial facility. When industry, the local institutions and corporate responsibility combine and proceed in harmony, success is assured,” reads the message sent by Minister Marina Calderone to Chairman Maurizio Marchesini to mark the occasion. “The story of your industrial Group denotes a clear strategic choice: to defend production within Italy, enabling it to develop and grow and not relocating competencies and values. Having your production plants in Italy and most of your clientele across the world means competing at the global level without sacrificing your industrial identity. I’d like to thank everyone who has made this new plant possible: it’s a great new opportunity, and my thanks and best wishes go to everyone who works there every day, now and in the future.” 

Sara Di Maio, Mayor of Barberino di Mugello, and Valerio Soli, CEO of Marchesini Group, also spoke from the platform. “It’s with great joy and satisfaction that we welcome the expansion of a company that’s been located in our municipality for a long time and that’s shown, with this investment, that it wants to consolidate its presence right here,” commented Sara Di Maio, Mayor of Barberino di Mugello. “We view it as important because of not only the new employment prospects it brings but also its significance for the Mugello district, a remote area that needs to attract residents and resources to help it to grow and to safeguard and ensure the sustainability of a fragile territory that’s also highly strategic for the stability of the more densely populated cities.”

“We intend this new building to further reinforce our production capacity: bear in mind that the Neri plant currently constructs an average of 160 machines a year and order numbers are constantly increasing,” explained Valerio Soli, CEO of Marchesini Group. “Then there’s the challenge of the latest technologies and artificial intelligence, with a market that’s asking us to provide more and more cutting-edge vision and inspection systems, especially in the labelling phase. So to meet all these demands we’ve decided to expand our production area and reorganise our workplaces. What’s more, this investment definitely represents a commitment to the future, also in terms of recruiting fresh talents and adding new roles. At present, the Neri site has a workforce of 200, but we’re planning a 20% increase in the coming years. In fact, we’re constantly on the lookout for specialist technical personnel, especially engineers and qualified technicians, so contact with the universities and the community is crucial for us.”