Demolition and reconstruction on 40 thousand square meters. The workers of the group controlled by a Chinese multinational will go from 400 to 650.
With Chinese shareholding (Dong Fang group listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange), headquarters in the Apuan Alps in the Serchio River valley, Fosber is preparing to
double its production of corrugated cardboard machinery – of which it is a world leader – thanks to the new plant that will also be built in Monsagrati , in the small town of Pescaglia (Lucca) where it is based. The start of the works was given in recent days in the presence of the company’s top management and institutions. The investment has risen to 50 million euros . The project involves the recovery of almost 60 thousand square meters of surface on which 40 thousand square meters of industrial plants once stood – formerly Metaform, Rontani, Teloni & Teloni and MacOver – along the provincial road to Camaiore.
An intervention without land consumption
An operation without land consumption – explains a press release – that will redevelop an industrial area created for small and medium-sized businesses, transforming it into a modern and sustainable production hub, designed with energy saving criteria, renewable sources, cutting-edge technologies, attention to the well-being of workers (green areas, work environments immersed in nature). “Fosber Valley will not only be a production site, but a true connection center between industry and knowledge”, explains CEO Marco Bertola.
Two years to authorize the recovery of a disused industrial site
It is for this reason, and for the development that the plant will bring to the territory, that the manager “scolded” the local, regional and national politicians who attended the laying of the first stone: “It took a good two years to authorize the recovery of an abandoned industrial site – explains Bertola – an area in the middle of nowhere that 30 years ago was an important production area of the Lucca area, and that now we will demolish and rebuild without putting in a single cubic meter of concrete more. There is a lot of talk about competitiveness, but the others are competitive, just look at what European countries like Spain do. Politicians should not act like politicians, but listen carefully to entrepreneurs”.
The number of employees will increase from 400 to 650
The new headquarters are expected to be completed by the end of 2027, in two and a half years (40 thousand square meters need to be demolished and rebuilt). With the progressive growth of volumes, the efficiency of machinery and the penetration of new markets, employees will increase – according to forecasts – from the current 400 to 650, with a doubled turnover. In 2024, Fosber Lucca reached 220 million euros in revenues (400 million at a consolidated level), an all-time high achieved by the company, thanks above all to the good performance of North and South America and the drive of e-commerce (which drives the demand for cardboard boxes for shipping) and recycled paper packaging (used instead of plastic). Finding workers does not worry the CEO too much: “We don’t have big problems in finding personnel, because we can draw from both the Versilia basin and the Media Valle del Serchio and the Lucchesia”, explains Bertola.
Academies, laboratories and co-working will be created in the new hub
Furthermore, the future headquarters will host the Fosber Academy, a space dedicated to technical training and the development of internal and external figures, aimed at bringing school and the world of work closer together, in collaboration with high schools and universities. Alongside the Academy, there will be R&D laboratories, co-working environments and creative spaces for digital innovation.
Source : The Tuscan Economic Daily
