Cross-selling key to sheet-fed growth at Nuceria

The company founded in 1989 by Antonio Iannone to print tapes is a far cry from the package printing Nuceria Group of today. The business, which is still owned and managed by the Iannone family, has grown to become one of Italy’s premier suppliers, with a staff of more than 250 located across four production plants in Milan and Turin in the north, and Nocera and Salerno south of Naples.

The label division opened in 1989, and by 1992 the first international client, Johnson & Johnson, had joined what is now a ‘who’s who’ of premium brands in Nuceria’s portfolio. Other milestones include the opening of a commercial office in Turin in 1997, the inauguration of the 9,000sqm San Giuliano plant in 2002 and the dedicated pharma department launched in 2012. In 2014, the company acquired Appia Etichette, in the wine-growing area of Piedmont, giving it another 6,000sqm of production space, making a total now of 45,000sqm .

Second generation Paola Iannone, today’s sales director, explains the philosophy behind the company’s continued growth and success: ‘For major brand owners, cost saving is no longer the prime concern – what they demand is added value in both product and service. They look to us for predictions of market trends, so investment in our own R&D is essential if we are to be able to respond with creativity and innovation.’

The policy has been highly successful, with Nuceria’s sales rising from 33m EUR in 2011 to a forecasted 68m EUR this year – and most of this has been organic growth funded from Group reserves.

Principle markets served are home and beauty care, which accounts for 42 percent, pharmaceuticals – 21 percent, food – 20 percent, and beverages – 17 percent. Nuceria lists P&G, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Asda, Colgate, M&S, Tesco, Aldi, Morrisons, and Unilever among its international customers. To supply such demanding companies, Nuceria has invested 15m EUR in the new production facility in Salerno, some 75km from Naples, a sum that will rise to 25m EUR over the first five years of operation. The 30,000sqm facility houses the company’s sheet-fed offset printing and finishing capacity for wet-glue labels and folding cartons, and employs 60 staff.

Cross-selling

It is the company’s ability to cross-sell its variety of package print techniques that gives it strength, especially for the top brands, and led to the major investment in wet-glue production technology. Self-adhesive and wet-glue labels serve the same or similar markets, and wet-glue and folding cartons both use sheet-fed offset and off-line finishing techniques. By using all of the Group’s production capability, Nuceria is able to offer single source supply of labels, sleeves and cartons to the major brands, and grow its business organically.