Lactalis to invest 400 million in Italy by 2030

The French continue to invest in Italian cheeses. The Lactalis Group, which in Italy owns brands such as Galbani, Santa Lucia, Vallelata, Parmalat, Zymil, Chef, Ambrosi and Mandara, reinforces its key role in the Italian agrifood system with a commitment to invest 400 million euros by 2030. A commitment that reaffirms Italy as one of the strategic markets for the French group, which with this new tranche brings the total investment of Lactalis in the country, between 2015 and 2030, to one billion euros.

The new initiatives (apart from the new Milan headquarters, which alone absorbed an investment of EUR 36 million) will concern a structured development path that aims at industrial strengthening, technological innovation, the enhancement of the territories in which it operates, and the growth of Italian brands in both domestic and international markets.

"The investments," reads a group note, "will be destined for the development of industrial and logistical activities in Italy, the strengthening of production plants and distribution platforms, as well as Research and Development and an articulated programme in the technological and systems security fields. The investments involve numerous sites throughout Italy and are aimed at strengthening production capacity, improving process efficiency and supporting the evolution of the Group's main brands.

"We confirm our commitment to long-term investment in Italy, strengthening our factories and production capacity, with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation," said Giovanni Pomella, CEO of Lactalis Italia. "The new headquarters in Milan represents a further strong presence in Italy, while the expansion of our key plants consolidates our production and logistics infrastructure, stimulates innovation and operational efficiency, to contribute to producing greater value in the territories where we are present, and confirms the trust we place in the people and brands that make up the history and identity of Lactalis in this country'.

The investment plan envisages first and foremost modernisation and expansion of production lines, the introduction of new technologies, the automation of logistics flows, and the optimisation of packaging stages. In particular, investments are planned to automate warehouses and strengthen logistics platforms, such as at the Collecchio site, and to increase production capacity in strategic plants such as Casale Cremasco, Certosa di Pavia, Corteolona, Castenedolo, Campoformido and Mondragone.