(Finance) – UniCredit subscribed a 1.6 million euro bond issued by Perrella Distributiona Salerno-based company among the main realities in the Center-South for the service and supply of food products for all catering sectors.
The minibond, at a variable rate and with a duration of 6 years, – explains Unicredit in a note – is aimed at supporting the investments envisaged in the Business Plan which outlines the sustainable business development plan for the five-year period 2022-2026, aimed at acquiring new market shares on the regional and national territory. Specifically, the company expects strong investments in Naples which, thanks to the opening of the new warehouse, scheduled for April 2022, equipped with about 1,400 square meters of cold rooms, will make the Neapolitan capital the main distribution center of the company for the entire national territory, thanks also to important productive and innovative investments for the transition in a 4.0 perspective. The plan also provides for thehiring about 30 resources in Campania for business development.
The bond issue also provides for a premium for the company in the form of a reduction in the coupon rate upon reaching the predefined annual targets on sustainability performance, the final balance of which will be certified by an independent third party, in this case represented byESG rating agency EcoVadis. The operation is in fact part of the “Bond Food Mezzogiorno”, the first minibond issuance program launched by UniCredit to finance medium / long-term development plans linked to the sustainable growth of Southern Italian companies belonging to the agri-food sector.
“With great enthusiasm – he comments Salvatore Perrella, managing director of Perrella Distribuzione – we take this opportunity which will allow Perrella to grow while at the same time achieving ambitious environmental and social sustainability objectives. In this regard, the goal is to involve more and more customers and suppliers in ESG sustainability activities. We thank UniCredit for proposing an alternative financial product such as minibonds, capable of supporting investment and innovation projects “.
“UniCredit – underlines Annalisa Areni, manager for the South of UniCredit Italia – with this operation, it confirms that it is at the forefront of supporting the sustainable growth of local businesses. This intervention allows us to support Perrella Distribuzione’s investment and innovation projects with an alternative financing solution, such as the minibond, on the basis of which the company is also committed to improving its ESG-sustainability rating “.