Lucca, Italy: The Paper Valley of Europe

Piazza dell’Anfiteatro is a public square in the walled center of Lucca. The ring of buildings surrounding the square, follows the elliptical shape of the former second century Roman amphitheater of Lucca.

Written By: Kelly Armstrong, Vice President of Economic Development, Greater Green Bay Chamber

Located 30 minutes from Pisa, an hour from Florence, and a short train ride from the sea, Lucca, Italy sits surrounded by four miles of historic Roman walls that were rebuilt in the 1500s.

Lucca, founded its first real paper mill sometime in the 1500s. Today it is home to some of the largest toilet tissue producers, converting machine makers, and a host of suppliers to the industry.

This past year Greater Green Bay saw tremendous growth in the paper industry and maintains its position as the leader across the country, with an industry concentration 14 times the national average. An example of this growth is Georgia-Pacific, with its recently announced investment of $500 million, expanding the Broadway paper mill and breaking ground on their 1.1 millionsquare-foot warehouse facility. Green Bay Packaging is another success, with its $500 million investment in the first new paper mill in Wisconsin in 30 years. Our Tuscan counterparts have taken notice and established business operations in Greater Green Bay to take advantage of the cluster concentration.

Foreign Direct Investment

When a foreign-based company makes a cross-border investment, the economic development term used to describe it is Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Italy is the Greater Green Bay region’s largest source of FDI and while we have Italian-based companies in several industries here, our largest concentration is in the paper industry. Sofidel, Körber Tissue, Fosber, Toscotec, Maflex, Clean Paper, Pulsar, and Gambini all have locations here, while their parent companies are in Lucca. Likewise, we have companies, such as locally headquartered Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), who have operations in Lucca.

From Green Bay to Lucca

Looking to establish stronger relationships and advocate for growth and increased investment in the region, the timing was right for a Greater Green Bay Chamber employee to visit the parent companies in Lucca. I attended the MIAC - International Exhibition of Paper Industry trade show held annually in Lucca. With more than 250 participating companies, it didn’t take long to uncover Greater Green Bay’s reputation across industry professionals.

Many companies hosted open houses at their plants, providing an opportunity for them to showcase their latest machinery and technology upgrades. I had the pleasure of meeting with some of the CEOs of the Italian-based companies for the first time and was able to tour their operations while emphasizing the global connectivity we have here in Green Bay.

The Future

The Greater Green Bay Chamber is excited to continue building on these relationships and assisting in raising the awareness of our industry strengths while encouraging Italian companies to consider Greater Green Bay for more FDI. To paraphrase one of our newfound friends, Massimo Franzaroli, CEO of Pulsar Engineering, “If you are in the tissue business you should be in Green Bay!”

Luigi Lazzareschi, CEO, Sofidel Sofidel is an Italian multinational producer of tissue paper for sanitary and domestic use. The Sofidel Group was founded in 1966. It is one of the world leaders in the tissue paper market and the second largest producer in Europe.