Quality, technology and the environment

About 50 years ago, an entrepreneur started a new venture, Cartiere del Garda, with one production line and 100 people. Nowadays this is one of the most respected paper mills producing wood-free coated products in Italy, commercialised on both the domestic and the international markets. Industry Europe’s Barbara Rossi finds out more.

The company, which as its name suggests, is located by Lake Garda, in northern Italy (specifically the company is based in Riva del Garda, located within the Trento county), where both the headquarters and the paper mill can be found, has belonged to the Lecta Group since 1997. The Lecta Group, as well as owning Cartiere del Garda, also comprises France-based Condat and Spain’s Torraspapel, and is an international paper manufacturer ranking second largest in Europe for production of coated wood-free paper.

Cartiere Del Garda’s tenets are quality, environmental friendliness, social responsibility and technological innovation. In fact, Cartiere del Garda, which produces wood free coated paper sheets and reels with excellent printability, offers products of high quality standards at a competitive rate, a factor which has led to its success on the market. The main technological feature is blade-on-blade coating, creating matt and gloss papers with an extremely smooth surface and high printability. The range of products on offer includes GardaMatt Art, mainly used for top-quality publishing and advertising work, GardaGloss Art mainly used for advertising and publishing work, GardaCover Hi-Fi mainly destined for top-quality magazine covers and commercial printing, and GardaPat 13, a unique product which

combines high thickness with a velvet surface to provide excellent printing performance.

On a par with quality, service is regarded by the company as being of high importance in order to fully respond to customers’ needs, as proven by its extremely loyal clientele. The company’s strategy is that of specialisation, as well as of continuous investments in R&D. The attention that the company pays to innovation has brought the implementation of fully automated processes, resulting in increased flexibility, productivity and efficiency, while at the same time maintaining productivity levels, with the outcome of an all-round improved service for the customer. With regard to this, the company is particularly proud of its logistics centre, the result of a significant investment it covers an area of 22,000m2 and, alongside the Autostore (for the storage of daughter reels) and Jumbostore (for the storage of mother reels), offers high efficiency levels.

An industry model

The important role that technology has for the company is also reflected in the mill itself, which has become a model in terms of technological innovation and productivity. Here the manufacturing process starts with raw materials coming from certified or properly managed forests and plantations, thanks to which Cartiere del Garda can offer a premium environmental product.

The paper machines employed in the manufacturing process are another excellent example of technological evolution. The coating process, carried out using calcium carbonate and clay pigments and binders, is based on blade-on-blade technology, with the purpose of perfecting the paper surface, endowing it with uniformity. The various mixes employed in the process are prepared in the coating kitchen, a highly computerised room, dedicated to the weighing and blending of chemical components. There is also the finishing department, where the paper is cut and packaged, and it is then transported in pallets to the finished paper warehouse, ready to be shipped to clients.

As mentioned, Cartiere del Garda has a strong focus on environmental friendliness and social responsibility. Because of this, the company is involved in the Alto Garda Power Plant, a project approved in 2006 for the replacement of the thermo-electric power

Tel: +39 0331 877522 Fax: +39 0331 877525 E-mail: home@electromotor.it www.electromotor.it ELECTROMOTOR S.r.l. was established in 1979 and through constant development and hardwork, today it has become one of the leading service industry in repairs and rewinding of electric motors and spare parts sales. Presently with a team of experienced technicians, the company is able to work on different types of electric motors (AC / AD / variable frequency motors, transformers etc.) from 0,5 up to 5000Kw. All repairs and rewinding are carried out on site giving the customers the opportunity to on the job progress.

plant with a new, more efficient and technologically advanced plant, both in terms of fuel consumption and of reduced atmospheric emissions. This has resulted in the foundation of a new company, called Alto Garda Power, in which Cartiere del Garda has an 80 per cent share, while the remaining 20 per cent is held by the local municipal energy authority, Alto Garda Servizi (AGS). Alto Garda Power is a cogeneration combined cycle power plant which supplies Cartiere del Garda’s electrical, thermal and cooling energy, as well as supplying, through AGS, the district heating system for the Riva del Garda community.

The company has also a wastewater management system, which uses a first physicalchemical process for the separation of solid particles, and a second, aerobic biological process, and is a model for the entire Italian paper industry. Cartiere del Garda is also engaged in controlling noise levels, as well as in sorting its waste, so as to be able to recover and recycle it in line with current legislation. A new sludge dewatering system, to which significant investment has been devoted, is currently being put into place. Cartiere del Garda, which holds several certifications, namely ISO 14001:2004, EMAS (Eco Management and Audit Scheme), FSC, PEFC, and is currently adopting a safety management system conforming to OHSAS 18001, is active in various initiatives grounded in its local territory, such as the sponsorship of the GS Riva Basket sports club, a partnership with the Adamello Brenta Park, support given to MART (the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto) and the Museum of Riva del Garda, as well as its contribution to MAGI (International Association of Medical Genetics). n