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Acquisitions create major refrigeration group

ITALY: A group with a turnover of nearly €75m has been formed following the acquisition of Padua-based refrigeration equipment manufacturer Criocabin and Brianza-based refrigerated display case manufacturer CierreEsse.

The new company, Ciam Industrie, is also the holding company and owner of Ciam SpA a leading Italian company in the HoReCa sector. Based in Petrignano di Assisi, Ciam SpA has been operating in high-end commercial refrigeration for nearly 50 years. Ciam is recognised for its expertise in the world of pastry, pralines, and ice cream.

The combined group was born with the aim to expand the offering in the food retail world and strengthen its presence in international markets. Together, the new group will encompass 11 product brands, have 470 employees, and operate 60,000m2 of production and commercial sites distributed between Assisi, Milan, Padua, Brianza, Paris, and Miami.

Federico Malizia, who heads the new group as president, said: “The objectives are simple: to grow organically while maintaining the identity and excellence of each company, respecting their roots and territory, to overcome the managerial and bureaucratic complexities of doing business with group synergies, and to use the generated profits to strengthen the perimeter with new acquisitions consistent with the completion of the offer and positioning.”

Criocabin was established in 1984 as a manufacturer of cold stores, which was later expanded to include refrigerated counters. With a strong international focus, Criocabin has around 200 employees and a turnover of around €30m. 

The acquisition includes all the activities carried out by all the companies of the Criocabin group as well as the related production properties. These include Zoin Refrigerazione, the refrigeration equipment company it acquired in 2019. 

Established in 1996, CierreEsse specialises in the production of refrigerated furniture and display cases. The agreement includes the acquisition of 100% of CierreEsse’s shares, including its AMC brand of and patisserie and cheese display counters and Benius brand of vertical refrigerated display cases and wine bottle cabinets.

CierreEsse has around 50 employees and a turnover of approximately €8.5m.

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