(Finance) – With an investment of 15 million euros, SIMEST, a CDP Group company that supports the growth of Italian companies around the world, contributes to international growth and the implementation of an important ecological transition plan of AFV Beltrame Group, a historic company from Vicenza, a leading Italian steel group. With the transaction, SIMEST became a minority shareholder of Stahl Gerlafingen AG, the Swiss subsidiary of the Vicenza group. The resources thus provided will make a solid contribution to the realization of the ambitious development plan of the company which envisages total investments of over 58 million euros and a particular focus on reducing the environmental impact.
The Beltrame Group has in fact prepared a plan aimed at promoting the increase inefficiency of the production process through the reduction of energy consumption and the efficiency of the plants. The investments will lead to a reduction of about 20% of CO2 emissions – to which is added a further 10% for the hot injection of the raw material – and to lower energy consumption. There liquid assets supplied by SIMEST will also help the Group to consolidate its leadership in the steel market in Switzerland and neighboring countries. The realization of the foreseen investments will in fact favor the raising of the quality of the products and the productive efficiency, strengthening the international competitiveness of the company. The operation also benefited from the intervention of the Venture Capital Fund, a facilitating instrument managed by SIMEST in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“Sustainable growth is now the basis of the new development models of companies: a concept that AFV Beltrame Group, an important Italian steel group, has made its own for some time with a series of interventions in this direction, also witnessed by the publication of the financial statements of sustainability “- he declared Mauro Alfonso, CEO of SIMEST. “With the investment of SIMEST, Beltrame will be able to renovate an existing plant, making it not only more efficient and productive but also managing to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a polluting element and an increasingly cost factor. A twofold motivation that makes reducing the environmental impact a strategic action to ensure the competitiveness and profitability of any business. “
“The main strategic objective to which we dedicate our investments is to maintain high plant standards in step with the most recent innovations, so as to guarantee the highest quality of a product that at the same time also meets ESG criteria. It is precisely with a view to continuous and sustainable growth that the partnership with SIMEST is inserted: for the Swiss headquarters in Stahl Gerlafingen, modernization works are planned for the entire production plant which will allow to increase productivity, significantly improve energy efficiency and, with the installation of a new furnace in the rolling mill, reduce polluting emissions. This will allow us to be more competitive in an increasingly competitive steel market. ” – he has declared Raffaele Ruella, CFO & Head of Corporate Services Managing Director of AFV Beltrame Group.