(Finance) – After a semester of strong growth, the company Franchi Umberto Marmi expects to grow further in the future in the main outlet markets – China, USA and the Middle East – beyond the economic context, which does not appear particularly impactful for the Group, and confirming its commitment to the sustainability of its business. This is confirmed in an interview with Finance by Alberto FranchiCEO of Franchi Umberto Marmi, a Carrara-based company active in the production of the renowned marble, a flagship of Made in Italy.
Franchi Umberto Marmi confirmed also in the second quarter the solid growth achieved in the first three months. How do you look at the second half of the year? And how will a challenging economic environment impact?
“The results obtained in the first half of the year demonstrate the value of our international growth and expansion strategy, which we will continue in the second half of the year, and which will be aimed at strengthen our positioning in the main reference markets for Franchi Umberto Marmi, with particular attention to United States, China and the Middle East. Certainly, the current economic situation is challenging, but we are aware that the unique peculiarities and qualities of Carrara marble will continue to make it an attractive stone for various sectors that are not significantly impacted by the geopolitical scenario, such as that of luxury. “.
Carrara marble and statuary have always been the most popular products in the world and China, the Middle East and the United States and the most active markets. Do you see opportunities in other markets as well? What do you expect for the future?
“As already mentioned, we confirm our interest in the main outlet markets: China, the Middle East and the United States. Italy remains one of the key countries for our business. Furthermore, should the international scenario improve, we may also consider other markets now closed to expansion “.
The company is also characterized by attention to the environment. How does your commitment to ESG issues materialize?
“Our attention to sustainability remains one of the founding pillars of our growth strategy. We know that stone is a natural asset and we are also working on how to extract it to limit the impact of these activities on the landscape. A complete picture of the objectives and results obtained to date will be contained in ours first sustainability reportwhich will be published in September: an extraordinary achievement, demonstrating Franchi Umberto Marmi’s commitment to environmental, social and governance issues, thus becoming a distinctive trait and which still today sees a constant passion on the part of all our resources towards these issues, always necessary for the correct function of our supply chain “.
Looking ahead, is there interest in M&A operations and, if so, are you looking more to Italy or abroad?
“Up to now the acquisition strategy has been aimed at strengthen our presence in the area and the ability to interact with the supply chain through strategic partnerships with operators in the sector, mainly in Italy, in Carrara where our quarries are located “.