Interview with Valerio Soli, CEO, Marchesini Group

05 Nov Interview with Valerio Soli, CEO, Marchesini Group

In 2024, Marchesini Group, founded in 1974, celebrates its fiftieth anniversary. This is a major milestone for one of Italy’s most emblematic packaging companies. From a garage in Pianoro to a global enterprise, the company’s journey reflects vision, innovation and resilience. Could you introduce the group and share what important elements contributed to the growth of the Marchesini Group over these five decades? Which lessons from the early years remain central to your strategy today? How do you manage to preserve the identity of “Made in Italy” while operating on a global scale?

 Valerio Soli: Almost all companies claim to have been born in a garage. We were actually born in our founders, Massimo Marchesini’s garage. Although no longer with us, the company is in the hands of his sons, Maurizio, the president, and Marco Marchesini. Valentina represents the third generation in the company. The company that has a strong family bond. These distinctive values are important for the Italian community as well as the international community. For over fifty years, we have been developing packaging solutions. The company has always been focused on two industrial sectors, pharmaceutical and the beauty and cosmetics sectors. The company’s goal has always been to provide customers with the complete product line. This includes all the necessary technological solutions for the world of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. This exciting path over the past fifty years has made us a global leader, present in one hundred and sixteen countries. We have about three thousand employees, which are mostly from Italy. However, with our sixteen subsidiaries worldwide, there is a diverse group of employees too. About ninety percent of our turnover is from abroad, despite production based mainly in Italy. This is about design to delivery. In 2024, the group generated revenue of over six hundred million euros. Advanced technology, our employees and acquisition of other excellent companies in the region contributed to our growth.

I believe that the identity comes a lot from the values of the Marchesini family. These values are not only through the family ties but have been transferred to me over the years as an employee. The company is recognized globally for its ability to provide customized solutions for its customers. I believe that we can recognize Italian and Bologna identity in innovation and creativity. We satisfy our customer’s requests with our technological capacity, developed through skills that are over one hundred years old. I am referring to areas such as mechanics, electronics, software, artificial intelligence and robotics. In my opinion, very Italian means tailor-made solutions.

Marchesini Group is increasingly recognized not only for automation but also for sustainable innovation, thanks to paper blister packs and recyclable single-component materials. These solutions reduce emissions and waste throughout the entire supply chain. How do sustainability goals influence product design and your relationships with customers? Are customers driving the demand for green solutions, or does the initiative originate from you? What indicators do you use to measure environmental progress?

Valerio Soli: Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility. For us, it is closely connected to our commitment to product safety. In the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and beauty sectors, the consumer always comes first. We contribute by enabling our machines to handle all sustainable materials. Our goal is to be compatible with every material. We do not demonize plastic or any other material. We fully support the industry, recognizing the crucial role these materials play in the products themselves. This represents our ongoing challenge. In addition, there is an indirect aspect of sustainability linked to our eco-friendly facilities, specifically reducing CO2 emissions and designing machines that consume less and less energy. These efforts may be less visible than those focused directly on the product. However, they are equally important and remain central to our work.

With 85% of its revenue generated abroad and operations in over 120 countries, the company is a true global player. Its roots remain deeply anchored in Emilia-Romagna. How do you balance international expansion with territorial identity and artisanal values? Which geographic areas do you consider the most strategic over the next five years? How important is the U.S. market for Marchesini?

Valerio Soli: Marchesini Group has valued the people in the company at every acquisition. Our acquisitions were never made for financial reasons or for impoverishing the company’s territory. Aligning values have been the key for the Group in the region. The acquisitions were made in Italy, especially for a greater connection with other high-tech companies. We are happy and proud of our achievements in Italy, which we owe it to the world. We do not exclude the possibility of acquiring other companies in Europe, he United States and the rest of the world. We look for companies that have excellent products to integrate into our lines without distorting the presence of the local ecosystem. The United States is a very important market for us. Despite these turbulent months, we believe in the North American market and in our relationship with the United States. Latin America, South America and Asia are also very important markets in terms of the pharmaceutical, cosmetics and beauty sectors. Absolutely. I think I previously mentioned our growth goals. We make complete product lines for our customers everywhere in the world. Growth is not just about numbers. The key to our growth is in our offer of the best solutions and technologies that we support and accompany our clients.

Your machines integrate artificial intelligence, sensors and inspection systems to ensure precision and quality control. The digital transition is well underway. In fact, you embraced Industry 4.0 twenty years ago. What is Marchesini Group’s overall vision regarding digital transformation in packaging? How is AI changing the operation and maintenance of your machines? Are your customers ready to face this transition?

Valerio Soli: Digital transformation is a major opportunity for our group, and it must be approached in a structured way. Across many of our group companies, we have teams, particularly in technical departments, dedicated to the application and development of artificial intelligence solutions. We also collaborate with universities. We have acquired startups that include young, forward-thinking individuals with brilliant ideas in the vast field of AI. Artificial intelligence can be applied in many areas. One example is vision control systems. Within our group, SEA Vision ensures the integrity of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Some of our companies use high-precision cameras to inspect filled products for micro-particles and impurities. We have been developing this process for years. The application of AI algorithms has significantly increased both the precision and adaptability of these systems to various industrial conditions. We have also developed numerous robotics applications within the group. In these cases as well, AI plays a key role in object recognition and manipulation, presenting another valuable opportunity. Today, artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated with traditional design processes. However, there is very little that is truly traditional anymore. For years, the world of software and electronics has been evolving rapidly. AI also helps us enhance our after-sales services. We offer highly precise customer support to ensure optimal maintenance of our machines and production lines. We have been providing remote assistance and predictive maintenance for many years. These AI-driven applications have made our operations significantly more efficient.

The pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors were deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the supply chain continues to evolve. Your company adapted remarkably well, especially when global demand for vial filling and vaccine solutions surged in 2021. Now that the pandemic is behind us, how have customer expectations changed, and how has Marchesini responded? What lessons did the pandemic period leave you with?

Valerio Soli: Marchesini Group was asked to stay open and to work during the pandemic. There was a lot of pressure and fear. Nobody backed down. The company guaranteed secure conditions, despite the fact that in the earlier stages, the knowledge of how to protect from COVID not clear. The company responded with a sense of responsibility. While the world stopped, we were building product lines for vaccines even faster. It was urgent to produce vaccines. We learned that if we work together, we could do anything. We learned that we could be part of something much bigger. Our work directly affects the quality of life for the rest of the world.

With over 600 million euros in annual revenue and an ambitious goal of reaching 1 billion through acquisitions and organic growth, the next phase is bold. What will be the key factors to achieve this milestone in the near future? Which markets currently represent the greatest untapped potential?

Valerio Soli: We have three pillars of growth. Firstly, organic growth is about investing in a lot of research and development with the aim of always keeping our lines and machines at the top of the range. Organic growth means increasingly enriching the supply of machines and lines for our customers. Secondly, we are aiming to grow through an acquisition strategy. The mergers and acquisitions may occur in Italy or anywhere in the world. The commonality will be the goal of technological excellence. Companies are important when they have the opportunity to contribute to strengthening our customer product portfolio. Thirdly, geographical and territorial coverage are an important part of the growth. Our customers, the multinationals, are present worldwide. This gives us a huge geographical coverage. We already have sixteen subsidiaries. We are planning to open more subsidiaries, always with the aim of being present alongside our customers. We not only have a financial goal, but to support and to satisfy our customers.

As systems become increasingly complex, the need for skilled personnel grows as well. Your human capital strategy is now in the spotlight. How is Marchesini investing in training the next generation of technicians and engineers? Do you collaborate with universities or technical institutes? How important is internal training for adapting to new digital systems?

Valerio Soli: This is a key point. Companies are comprised of people. People are important and make the company function. Staff training is vital for us in terms of the connection with schools and universities. We have several programs that allow us to get in touch with young people from the technical institute or from universities. This enables them to be involved in the world of work even before obtaining a diploma or a degree. Once in the company, we also provide training in various programs such as technical training, knowledge training of our technologies and managerial training. We collaborate with the BBS, the Bologna Business School, for the Masters for our employees. We collaborate with foreign universities, such as in Spain, to enable young people to become managers. Therefore, training and caring for people is at the heart of our strategy. We do it with great pleasure. Since people stay with us forever, we believe it is very important to contribute to the professional growth of all our employees.

What is your final message to the readers of USA Today? Would you welcome U.S. investors for future innovation projects within the Marchesini Group?

Valerio Soli: Obviously, my message is for the United States and your readers in particular. However, I could actually extend my message to the rest of the world. I believe highly in the power of collaboration amongst peoples. This collaboration should also be about the most important issues, not just the technological and industrial ones. From the point of view of a group that exports to ninety percent of the world, I am mainly referring to our activity. It is very important for us to work with the United States, despite the news these days, which brings great concern. It has caused divisions between Europe and the United States. I am also happy that Europe has not adopted a similar direction. I am an optimist by nature. We will continue to collaborate during this transitional period. We will not only maintain our support for the North American market, but we will implement it. We will be on the side of our customers, the American people.