Fabriano, Fedrigoni announces Giano site closure: 195 workers at risk of dismissal

Fedrigoni will no longer produce Fabriano paper, that collected in reams of 500 sheets, 100% certified pure cellulose, used in photocopiers, fax machines and laser printers, objects that have been considered vintage and for collectors for some years now. The Bain and BC partners funds, which since 2018 have controlled the group that is among the world's most important players in the production of special papers for a wide range of sectors, have chosen to exit the office business and the consequent closure of Giano 1264, the company dedicated to this segment, which will cease all production and commercial activity: too low margins, structural decline in market demand, covered mainly by large specialised international groups, with more efficient production plants due to their size and the large volumes handled, fruitless two years of searching for partners willing to invest, with the last two negotiations foundering during the summer.

'We have searched for a long time, without success, for partners who would give the necessary guarantees for the development and relaunch of the office business,' confirms the managing director of Fedrigoni, Marco Nespolo. 'We have probed all possible scenarios, even to the point of evaluating the sale of the entire Fabriano business, despite the fact that it is a strategic asset for us. Not even in this case have we, unfortunately, identified potential partners'. The closure date has been set for 1 January 2025 and the company's decision will impact 195 employees (a total of 600 between Fabriano, Pioraco and Castelraimondo, ed.): the office paper production, maintenance and materials management and shipping employees of the Fabriano plant (the F3 paper machine only), the converting unit of the nearby Rocchetta site (the cutting department), and the Giano employees.

"We will do everything necessary to mitigate the impact of this decision on our people involved," the CEO anticipates. Discussion and collaboration with all social partners will be fundamental. The decision to close had been in the air for some time, given that already last December the company had confirmed that Giano's employees had the possibility of leaving by taking advantage of the redundancy incentive for the whole of 2024; the unions were informed yesterday morning: now a round table will be opened, at which the Marche Region will also be present, to try to reshape the company's choice, also in consideration of the desire expressed by Nespolo not to abandon the Marche region and "to concentrate efforts on the development of the production sites in the area and the Fabriano brand, a symbol of excellence of Made in Italy in the world and a strategic asset for Fedrigoni".