Guala Closures eyes expansion following acquisition
Guala Closures Group is enjoying a period of strong growth, and is planning to expand its reach, with the acquisition of Italian luxury-stoppers company Labrenta, and its focus on research and development
GUALA Closures Group is forging ahead with ambitious plans to grow its global footprint and its solutions within the closures market.
Last year the group, which was founded in 1954, was acquired by Investindustrial, an investment fund led by Italian businessman Andrea Bonomi, whose portfolio includes, among others, Design Holdings and Della Toffola, a company that develops machines and equipment for the wine, beer and beverages industry.
In April 2021 Bonomi brought in renowned Italian businessman Gabriele Del Torchio, as Guala Closures’s new chairman and CEO. He joined the company in April 2021, and his passion and spirit of entrepreneurship is leading him to conquer new territories such as Asia, and particularly China, where the group plans to expand its activities, as well as further increase its market share in European markets where the company still has potential for growth. To achieve these ambitious goals, only a few months after the Guala Closures’ acquisition by
Investindustrial, the company was delisted from the Italian Stock Exchange, to be able to gain value over the long term without focusing excessively on immediate stock market returns
Having led several companies in his career including agricultural machinery producer New Holland, Italian multinational shipbuilding company Ferretti, and motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, Del Torchio brings a wealth of board-level and industrial experience, and is eminently qualified to create long sponsored profile term value for the group, rather than immediate market returns. “As a consequence, one of the first decision was to delist Guala Closures from the Italian Stock Exchange in July 2021,” Del Torchio says.
The group’s turnover has reached in excess of €800 million over the past 12 months, the second consecutive year of strong growth.
“These results mark an acceleration in sales growth, which has been otherwise steady and consistent, at around 5% per year over the past 12 years,” Del Torchio points out.
Looking forward, the luxury segment is a strategic priority for the group. “We have already made significant investments to develop a complete range of luxury products, and are planning on further expanding our commercial presence in fast-growing, high potential markets like China, France, and the US,” he explains.
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INNOVATION
The group continues to expand and grow, both globally (it is planning to move its plant in China into a new plant in Chengdu, and will invest in a new stateof-the-art plant in Scotland to serve the Scotch market) and by increasing its presence in trending sectors through innovation and product development. Last autumn saw the creation of a new R&D centre – its sixth – in Bulgaria, a country fast becoming a centre of excellence for luxury closures with a wide range of production capabilities.
The R&D centres specialise in researching new materials and developing new technologies and products. “We have always been pioneers and leading expert in new materials, finishes and shapes,” Del Torchio says. “This allows for an almost infinite number of special closures across the sector, from non-alcoholic to spirits, wine, water, oils, and condiments.”
LUXURY SECTOR
The company’s luxury segment includes an additional range of more high-end closures, which was presented during PLD Paris in June. This premium range uses prestigious materials such as ceramic, glass, and resin, but also zinc and aluminium alloy, to create an elegant, high-quality solution for high end spirits that has great performance and an “incomparable visual impact”, the company says.
“These finishes respond to the ever growing trend of ‘premiumisation’ that characterises the spirits and beverages segments around the world,” Del Torchio explains. “For us, the luxury closures segment is growing at a double-digit rate, and we expect this trend to continue in the mid- to long-term.”
Sustainability is the core focus for the company. The group’s first annual sustainability report was published in 2011, and it has recently started to implement its latest Sustainability Programme 2022-2030, which outlines ambitious objectives to reduce the use of plastic wherever possible and to reduce CO2emissions, as well as implementing a series of corporate social responsibility and employee strategies.
The ethos is exemplified by the continuous evolution of its Blossom Sustainable Closures range, which was launched in 2020 following the release of its eco-design guidelines. The range uses a wide variety of materials, from aluminium to agave fibres, agglomerated cork to bio-sourced plastic, and aims to use 35% recycled materials in all its products by 2025. Sitting within the Blossom range is Oceanworks, a range of T-bar closures manufactured from plastics collected from coastal ecosystems, which is proving to be a popular addition to the range – customers include The Macallan Harmony Collection, a limited-edition luxury whisky series.
Further investment in innovation and sustainable technologies is planned, as well as in the realm of connected-closure technology – a closure equipped with digital systems such as near field communication (NFC) tags embedded in them. “Today digital solutions make it possible to enhance the fight against counterfeiting through new technologies, as well as consumers interaction” Del Torchio explains.
EXPANSION
Meanwhile, the group continues to expand and grow, following existing plans and by increasing its presence in trending sectors – exemplified by the July 2022 acquisition of Labrenta, a company specialising in the luxury segment. This Vicenza-based group specialises in high-end closures, and has operations in Europe and the Americas. Labrenta’s main plant in Breganze, Italy, will also become a key R&D facility for the production of luxury closures. “Guala Closures has one of the widest ranges of luxury closures in the industry, thanks to the specialisations of its research centres,” Del Torchio says. “This broad product range will be improved and enhanced by the creation of a dedicated division that will include Labrenta’s contribution, in a single offering dedicated to our clients of the luxury segment. This deal represents an important step towards becoming a world leader in the luxury segment.”
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