La Prensa Etichette acquires Grafiche Lama and accelerates its development in the in-mold label (IML) market

La Prensa pursues its consolidation of the agri-food and consumer goods labeling sector with the support of Unigrains Italia and BNP Paribas BNL Equity Investments

 The Fulgoni family reinvests significantly in La Prensa and Dario Fulgoni will continue to lead as CEO of Grafiche Lama

Milan (MI), December 16^th, 2024 – La Prensa Etichette, an Italian leader in the printing and finishing of labels for mineral waters and consumer goods, has acquired 100% of the shares of Grafiche Lama, a reference player in the IML segment. This operation, backed by Unigrains Italia and BNP Paribas BNL Equity Investments, marks a strategic step for La Prensa, which further strengthens its complete and customized offer of labeling solutions.

Founded in 1974 in Lombardy Italy, La Prensa Etichette is a leading operator in the printing and finishing of paper and plastic labels for food and beverage products (mineral waters, soft drinks, beers, wines…) with unique technological expertise, an experienced team and investments in new cutting-edge machinery. With sales of over 40 million euros, La Prensa employs 130 people across 4 locations and a 10 000m² production area, covering offset, flexo, IML and sleeve printing technologies serving major clients in every market segment.

Grafiche Lama, founded in 1973 in Piacenza Italy and led by CEO Dario Fulgoni, produces In-Mold Labels for the permanent decoration of plastic containers and objects, as well as printed matter and paper labels for the canning industry. Grafiche Lama completes all production stages in-house including consulting and graphic design, pre-printing, printing and die-cutting, leveraging expertise in numerous mediums such as PP, PET, PC, PE, HDPE, PMMA, PS, SAN, NYLON. With a 5 500m² production facility and a capacity of 450 tons of IML per year, Grafiche Lama’s experienced team of 30 employees generates sales of 5 million euros and exports to 30 countries.

A strategic growth partnership

The acquisition of Grafiche Lama is based on a complementary and shared vision enabling La Prensa to pursue its strategic plan of growth and consolidation and to strengthen its competitive position. The union of the two entities will allow the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery project to be completed, strengthening the group’s position with primary international customers, maintaining unity of industrial guidance between the production sites which are less than 50km apart. The transaction is also in line with the ambitious objectives set in early 2024 when Unigrains Italia and BNP Paribas BNL Equity Investments initially invested in La Prensa. Dario Fulgoni joins La Prensa’s Management Team and will continue in his role overseeing Grafiche Lama.

Emanuele Delfino, President of La Prensa, declared: “The acquisition of Grafiche Lama represents a great opportunity for La Prensa. The experience gained in IML products, combined with our expertise, will create a winning combination, further strengthening the proximity with our customers. We are excited to work with Dario, Paola and the entire Grafiche Lama team to develop a sustainable and innovative growth path together.”

Dario Fulgoni, CEO of Grafiche Lama, declared: “We have grown very rapidly in the last few years, enjoying a number of satisfactory results. Through this partnership with La Prensa, we gladly become part of a wider perimeter to achieve our goals of growth and competitivity.”

Francesco Orazi, CEO of Unigrains Italia, declared: “We are pleased to support the further development of La Prensa through this acquisition, which contributes to consolidating its competitive position in the IML segment. We will continue to seize opportunities in the market both in Italy and abroad.”

Vittorio Ogliengo, President of BNP Paribas BNL Equity Investments, declared: “We are pleased to support La Prensa in its growth path, both internally and externally. Our objective is to make Italian SMEs grow, and this is a concrete example of how these objectives can be pursued in a systemic logic, working for a common, virtuous and lasting development.”