ITALY – The Egger Group has secured a 60% ownership in Cartfer Urbania S.r.l., a leading recycling company situated in Urbania, Italy, at the core of the Italian furniture industry.

This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Egger as it expands its international network of recycling collection sites under Egger Timberpak, heralding the establishment of its inaugural collection site in Italy. By bolstering its collection infrastructure and capabilities in processing recycled wood, Egger is actively advancing its strategic goals of augmenting recycled wood usage and ensuring a sustainable raw material supply chain through backward integration.

On March 27, 2024, Egger finalized the majority acquisition of Cartfer Urbania S.r.l., with Sara Burani, the previous owner, retaining a managerial role within the company. Additionally, the highly skilled team of 8 employees will seamlessly integrate into Egger. While specific details regarding the transaction, including the purchase price, remain undisclosed, Giuseppe Conti, Plant Manager Finance/Administration at the Caorso plant, underscored the significance of this investment, stating, “Italy boasts an outstanding recycling system, and we stand to gain immensely from this expertise through our majority stake in Cartfer Urbania and the exceptional skills of its workforce.” This strategic move fortifies Egger’s capacity to efficiently utilize recycled wood, especially at its chipboard plant in Caorso, Italy, which currently operates exclusively with 100% recycled wood.

Cartfer Urbania, a specialist in recycling since 2017, has been a trusted supplier to SAIB, an Italian wood-based material manufacturer acquired by the Egger Group in December 2022. This collaboration is poised to deepen further, presenting opportunities for expansion investments at the Cartfer Urbania site. Sara Burani expressed her excitement about joining the Egger family, highlighting the growth prospects and enhanced capabilities this partnership affords.

Egger’s steadfast commitment to resource conservation is evident in its extensive track record of utilizing recycled wood. For nearly three decades, the company has been integrating recycled wood into its particleboard production, sourcing materials from discarded items such as old furniture and production residues. Through proactive backward integration and its Egger Timberpak sites, Egger collects, sorts, and processes recycled wood for use in its plants, thereby ensuring a sustainable supply chain and championing a circular economy approach.

With recycling collection sites established across various countries, including the recent expansion in Poland with a new Timberpak site in Gdańsk, Egger continues to fortify its position in sustainable wood processing and resource management, underscoring its dedication to environmental stewardship and innovation within the industry.