During the late 1980s, attempting to sell recycled wood panels in the furniture industry meant encountering resistance from a sector that was notably indifferent to ecological concerns and the circular economy. Today's numbers, however, indicate that the path was correct. Saviola, a tiny production business, has grown into a complex conglomerate with fifteen units in Italy and abroad (in Germany, Belgium, and Argentina), 2,000 employees, and an estimated sales of 830 million euros in 2023. The enterprise from Viadana, in the province of Mantua, is located on the left bank of the Po River, where poplars have historically supplied the industry of a region profoundly associated with wood and paper. The first panel left the facility on July 13, 1963, and was transported to clients via a truck purchased in installments from a wrecker. Today, there are hundreds of trucks in Saviola, and the company takes pride in sparing thousands of trees from being felled each day. Every year, the company collects 1.3 million tons of wood for recycling. In terms of investments, the last two years have been very substantial. The business raised €128 million, first in Belgium, where it purchased 100% of Advachem, a formaldehyde and resins manufacturer, and subsequently in Germany, where it acquired Rheinspan (chipboard). However, the international reach has not prevented the Lombard dynasty from remaining firmly attached to the ground of Viadana, where the control room still exists, from which Alessandro Saviola rises through the ranks of a corporation that generates 48% of its revenue abroad. Dreaming of opening a plant, sooner or later, in the United States.
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