Cardboard processing as a timely 360° service for all kinds of customers. Imballi spa was born from this intuition, in 1994, in Castelfranco Veneto: it is a reference company in Italy and Europe that creates packaging, in every format of paper and cardboard, maintaining all production processes internally: from the study of the idea to the prototype, from printing to the storage of products for customers, up to the disposal of waste for recycling. A company that has conquered the world of packaging and which this year celebrates 30 years of activity.
30 years of imballi Spa
An entrepreneurial story that takes root in the heart of the North East of Italy and bases its growth and success on the flexibility typical of a family-sized company that has been able to cultivate a strategic vision of a multinational. Rapid decision-making, production speed and timely delivery, both for large national and international players and for larger customers: these are the strengths of Imballi. All this is supported by cutting-edge technology, professionalism, confidentiality and product customization, which have become the distinctive characteristics of the company.
A story that moves from father to son and whose roots – in reality – go back much further, with a singular anecdote in the brand. It was created by Livio Ballan, who – after having worked as a programmer in a graphics and paper converting company in the area, first as an employee and then as a manager – in the early 1980s decided to set up his own business, taking over, together with some friends-partners, the same company where he worked. With a very clear objective: to respond to the needs of medium-small customers excluded from the strategic restructuring pursued by that company and who instead asked for a “trusted paper and cardboard converting company”.
In 1994, the birth of Inballi: in the first brand an N, as an acronym for Industria BALlan Livio. Soon the transformation into IMBALLI, a company which today, led by his son Marco Ballan, president of Imballi Spa, has reached absolutely important numbers: over 150 employees and a 2023 turnover of 46 million euros. With a well-founded and clear guiding idea to guide strategic and entrepreneurial choices. Focusing on the packaging product in close contact with the customer and gradually improving the manufacturing and production process, investing in the most innovative technology capable of increasingly reducing execution and delivery times, without ever sacrificing product quality. A growth and positioning in the sector that has led them, over the years, to a continuous growth.
The new production site 4.0
Hence, the expansion of the first company headquarters, then in 2016 the decision to build, again in Castelfranco Veneto, the new production site, which sees the start of works in 2018, the operational start-up in 2021 and the arrival of the new robots in 2023. An innovative 4.0 system that extends over 40,000 covered sm, with more than 75,000 sm of greenery and 1,000 kW of photovoltaic panels. By the end of 2025 the company will add a fully automated “vertical” warehouse, with another 500kW of photovoltaic panels: this required a total investment of 55 million euros.
Recycling, environment, people and territory: sustainability for packaging
Technology and customer service, but not only. Another growth driver for Imballi is sustainability which is expressed in respect for the territory and the environment; in the almost total recovery of paper and cardboard scraps sent to the pulp mill to produce new paper; within the same production process, where – for example – the steam from the machines is recovered to heat the company. The photovoltaic system guarantees a quarter of the necessary energy. Furthermore, particular attention was given to the well-being of people with the care of green spaces, offices with welcoming furnishings and exposure to natural light, even in the production area.
“With the operation carried out with this new headquarters and production site, we want to be an example in the area. Thus demonstrating how business can be done while safeguarding the environment and looking at people’s well-being. They have defined us as the ‘first aid of the paper industry’ because we know how to guarantee requests at very short notice. And this, thanks to the technological innovation in which we have always invested. We have the best technology in the sector and have become reliable interlocutors of the largest technology manufacturers who use us as a test company for their projects. A job that we do in full synergy, responding with indications that improve the machines themselves”, says the founder, Livio Ballan.
“Alongside attention to the customer, our company philosophy has always put the worker and the territory at the center. The choice to build the new headquarters in Castelfranco Veneto is also based on this vision, impacting local development both in terms of employment and training. On this front, we are working on initiatives that involve graphics schools and universities to meet the strong demand for qualified personnel that the market requires”, underlines Marco Ballan, president of Imballi Spa.
