Bench inaugurated in memory of Pino Cima, Founder of Cartiera dell’Adda

Bench inaugurated in memory of Pino Cima, Founder of Cartiera dell’Adda

On Thursday, June 12th, in the park adjacent to the Paper Mill, a bench was inaugurated in memory of Pino Cima, founder of Cartiera dell’Adda, on the fiftieth anniversary of his passing.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the Calolziocorte Municipal Administration, his daughter Elvira, granddaughters Lodovica and Chiara, a small delegation of current and former employees, representatives of many local associations, Don Andrea Pirletti, parish priest of the Pascolo district, and a delegation of students from I.I.S. Rota.

The bench, a gift from the family to the citizens, was strongly supported by the Municipality, in particular by Tina Balossi, and was designed by Architect Claudio Lopasso.
Not just an ordinary monument, but a bench with a distinctive shape resembling an embrace — an element that is not only decorative but also serves the community.

Bench inaugurated in memory of Pino Cima, Founder of Cartiera dell’Adda
Inaugurata la panchina in ricordo di Pino Cima, fondatore di Cartiera dell’Adda

ICP at Tissue World Düsseldorf 2025: our paperboard takes center stage, even in the stand design

ICP at Tissue World Düsseldorf 2025: our paperboard takes center stage, even in the stand design

This year as well, ICP took part in Tissue World Düsseldorf, the leading international event dedicated to the tissue industry. Three intense days of meetings and discussions with operators, clients, and stakeholders from around the world, during which we had the opportunity to present our products and strengthen the value of our network within the PBA Group.

Our exhibition stand was particularly appreciated, designed and furnished using PBA’s recycled paperboard. The material was cut and crafted to create an original setup that highlighted both the aesthetic and functional potential of our product.

A concrete and creative way to showcase the quality of our work, through the very raw material that represents us every day.

ICP al Tissue World Düsseldorf 2025: il nostro cartoncino protagonista anche nello stand
ICP al Tissue World Düsseldorf 2025: il nostro cartoncino protagonista anche nello stand

PBA, two paper mills, one goal: meeting our clients’ needs

PBA, two paper mills, one goal: meeting our clients’ needs

PBA proudly features two productive sites, over 300 employees, and three continuous machines, which differ in mechanics and design. These allow our group to approach different markets and ship our cardboard to more than 80 countries all over the world. The main uses for our paperboard are: paper for the production of spiral and in-line tubes, edge protectors, envelopes, laminated paper, layer pads, Tissue cores, paper for corrugates, and honeycomb panels. Our group’s strength is the study and implementation of unique systems: Cartiera dell’Adda features one of the largest trim widths (4400mm) for grey cardboard in all of Europe, with a production rate of one train per hour. ICP has two systems that can produce grey paperboard, but also white/white and white/grey, which is particularly appreciated for cores in the Tissue sector.

We put a significant amount of care into the technical specifics of our cardboard, notably: we can provide cardboard with a minimum weight of 140 g/m² and a maximum of 990 g/m², considering the three systems. Consequently, our paperboard’s thickness can start at 210 microns and reach up to 1500 microns.

We create dedicated products to meet all of our clients’ needs by altering certain characteristics.

Thanks to the end-of-machine rewinders, one of which was built by our group’s company Tecno Paper, and thanks to our external cutting centre, we can cut reels up to a minimum of 45mm, and create layer pads in sizes between 400x400mm and 1600x1600mm.

Another basic aspect that our group greatly focuses on is the Research and Development sector, with special attention on sustainability – we only use paper from domestic and industrial waste, with a pre and post-consumer ratio of over 4:1. In 2023, the group used about 300’000 tons of pulp for the production of our paperboard. But PBA’s “green” side doesn’t only come from raw materials – Cartiera dell’Adda features a biomass cogeneration plant which uses wood chips from public and domestic cleaning of forests and green spaces to produce energy and gas for paper production. Furthermore, Cartiera dell’Adda features an aerobic and anaerobic wastewater treatment plant, which allows us to obtain biogas for our productive site. The adjustments to the dryers and calenders of the ICP plant allowed for an increase in hourly production, and an increase in paper quality.
All of the productive procedures are improved to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions, as well as using less clear water than the average – almost the entirety of the water we use is re-introduced into the productive cycle, thus reducing our environmental impact. The group also boasts various certifications, among the most important are: 100%FSC, ISO9001, ISO 14001, and ISO45001.

ICP celebrates 100 years of excellence in the paper industry

IICP celebrates 100 years of excellence in the paper industry

ICP celebrates 100 years of activity – a century of passion, commitment, and innovation – establishing as a point of reference in the paper industry, a great achievement for the company. ICP produces recycled paperboard for industrial use, with a high specialization in the production of paperboard for toilet paper cores and paper towel cores. This great milestone will be celebrated with two special events, dedicated to sharing and participation. 

Celebrations will begin on Tuesday 8th October with an exclusive meeting reserved for clients and a selection of guests: an exclusive moment to confirm the bond between ICP and those who choose the company daily; a moment to show the production process, to explain what’s new, and illustrate future projects. 

On the weekend, celebrations will continue with a Family Day dedicated to employees and their families. On Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th October, ICP will open the doors of its headquarters to welcome all employees and their families in a place of fun and sharing. ICP cares greatly about this event, which is meant to strengthen the bond between the employees’ professional and home life, promoting inclusiveness and participation. The well-being of its collaborators is at the heart of ICP’s philosophy, who recognizes its employees as the real engine of the company’s success.

On both occasions the production systems will be available to visit, to observe first-hand the production process of ICP’s paperboard, and admire a series of photographs  which portray the employees during their daily activities: a tribute to those who contribute with professionalism and dedication to the company’s growth, now centenarian. 

Founded in 1924 as a factory specialized in straw paper, today ICP is part of the European paper group Paper Board Alliance, as well as Cartiera Dell’Adda (Lecco, Italy). The recent acquisition by the Cima family, who has ten generations of experience in the industry, has brought a new boost to the company, with an expansion of the markets, an upgrade in investments, and optimization of the production process, yet maintaining sustainability as a core principle. 

“We are extremely proud to celebrate this historical achievement – says  Giuseppe Cima, President of Paper Board Alliance – “A great success thanks to our collaborators, the support of their families, and the trust from our clients. A special thanks goes to those who came before us and built the foundations of this solid tradition. The challenges we’ve faced and the results we’ve achieved motivate us to look at the future with ambition, ready to write new chapters of this extraordinary story.”

PBA supports the Master’s Degree Programme “Technology and production of paper and cardboard”

Master's Degree Programme “Technology and production of paper and cardboard”

PBA will support the Master in “Technology and production of paper and cardboard” held by the University of Pisa (UNIPI) and promoted by the Cassa di Risparmio Foundation of Lucca. This programme is one-of-a-kind in Italy, and was created to respond to the needs of the paper and corrugated cardboard industry by educating highly specialized engineers in a sector that combines advanced technology and sustainability. 

This master’s degree was designed to train professionals who can manage and innovate complex processes which are typical in this industry. The goal is to create interdisciplinary skills which range from design and chemical procedures to automation, digitalization, energy, and circular economy – fundamental elements for the evolution towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In this framework, the programme represents the culmination point of an educational chain that covers every academic level, contributing to the reinforcement of the local paper and paper converting district.

PBA’s collaboration with this master’s degree reflects the importance of creating synergies between industry and education, with the aim of supporting innovation and promoting a sustainable growth in the sector. This commitment finds its expression also through the active participation of qualified professionals. Among these, Elena Troia – PBA energy manager – who has been a teacher at this master’s for many years. This year too she will hold lessons, offering a precious contribution based on her direct experience in the sector. 

Applications for the Master in Technology and production of paper and cardboard are open from 24th July to 31st December for students of the European Community. For more details, please check the website: https://epc-masterdegree.it/

Sustainability, care, and concern for the environment: the values of our Group.

esperienza, innovazione e rispetto dell'ambiente: i valori di PBA

Sustainability, care, and concern for the environment: only a few among the values of our Group, which cherishes not only the company’s development, but also the impact that its choices can have on the territory. Preserving the future, treasuring resources, and respecting the world we live in, all represent aspects of the utmost importance, just as much as the business aspect. From power consumption to emissions, from how much water is used in the production systems to recycling: PBA’s engagement in the protection of the environment is meticulous and in constant growth.

One example is the exclusive use of recycled paper for the production of paperboard, sourced from domestic and industrial waste. This choice, in fact, allows us to reduce the demand for natural raw materials – also indirectly reducing how many trees are cut down – thanks to the use of a unique technology, both in the paper mixture preparation, as well as in production.

The technological development in a sustainable perspective is not for nothing one of Paper Board Alliance Group’s main focus points. In fact, the Group has many highly specialized characters who cooperate in an entirely dedicated sector.

The politics relating to plastic material have become more and more demanding, and have increased the production of paper and modified its composition; in fact, paper has a bigger percentage of impurities today compared to the past. Having professionals in the industry who are always updated, and who handle research and development is therefore fundamental for our ever-expanding companies, but always in a green perspective. This represents a boost towards new avantgarde projects, with ambitious goals like recovering all the fiber present even in the most difficult mills, and in the worst quality materials.

Thanks to years of study and experience, our Group’s companies today have achieved great results. Cartiera dell’Adda, for example, is able to produce one ton of paper using only 220kWh of energy: one of the lowest values in Europe. Cartiera dell’Adda uses renewable sources to produce energy and has a biomass power plant fueled by wood chips, recovered at 60% from public and private prunings, and at 40% by cleaning the forests. A solution that not only allows to have CO2 impact equal to zero, but also contributes to preventing hydrogeological disasters and creating jobs.

In terms of water used in production, the numbers are excellent as well. To produce 1kg of paper, a company like Cartiera dell’Adda only uses 5 litres of water, compared to the Best Available Technology which expects 5/12 litres per kg of paper. Thanks to the integrated cycle of water in the productive process, 95% of water used is recycled, while only 5% is fresh water.

A guarantee to the care for the territory on the part of our companies are all the certifications that prove compliance to current regulations, for example on waste management, on the protection of the environment, and on work safety and health. These are acknowledgements of reliability, transparency, and observance of the law requirements, but also of PBA’s will to improve more and more every day, investing resources to protect the environment, and support local communities where the activities reside.

A paper mill’s heart is the continuous machine.

A paper mill’s heart is the continuous machine.

A paper mill’s heart is the continuous machine. “A monster of technology and speed that feeds on dirty water and produces rolls of paper.” This is how an inexperienced visitor would describe the machine. By only using words to describe the machine, we cannot add the noise that is part of the magic, and which heightens its importance. The continuous machine has been used in paper mills since 1800. It was built in Holland, and then evolved throughout the years to become more and more powerful. It’s called continuous because usually it’s a really grand system which works non-stop. It treats paper paste until it becomes real paper, making it an essential machine for any paper mill and any kind of paper.

Cartiera dell’Adda holds at the heart of its plant a continuous machine that the company defines a gem. The machine is exemplary in the production of grey cardboard. The machine is 100m long, and it’s the first in Italy in terms of width in the production of the paperboard roll. It was built by the company Carcano di Maslianico who was forced to transform their space to meet Pino Cima’s technical requests, the founder of Calolzio Corte. The year is 1956, the Cima family looks to the future and designs a new performing plant. The result of these investments is a highly technologically advanced company. Pino Cima’s intuitions on using recycled paper as a raw material were ahead of his time, as well as the idea of recovering heat for the production of electric energy.

The machine contains all the work segments which are distinctive of paper or cardboard: the Headbox where the paper paste is inserted, the Wire section where excess water is removed to form the sheet of paper, which is then pressed in the Press, dried in the Dryer, smoothed and shined in the Calendar section, and finally rolled up thanks to the Reel. During this operation the characteristics of the product are defined, like weight, candling, thickness…

Every kind of paper requires a different machine with different specifics. This is why in Cartiera dell’Adda, the continuous machine was designed and started in tight collaboration with the designer and the entrepreneur who commissioned it, producing only carboard and recycled paperboard.

Today, Cartiera dell’Adda’s continuous machine has undergone many transformations and improvements in the last 68 years of activity, always keeping up with modern times, and featuring a very sophisticated technological part which is licensed – the section where the sheet is formed.

The carboard sheets can be a few kilometers long, and the working speed can break 30km/h.

At the moment, Cartiera dell’Adda’s machine can produce more than 25 tons of paperboard every hour.

ICP’s first 100 years

ICP’s first 100 years

One hundred years.

A century of history, dedication, passion, and perspective. Industria Cartaria Pieretti reaches an important milestone with PBA Group, and becomes a testimony for how constant innovation and foresight can make a difference in a company’s project. Today, ICP produces recycled paperboard and is a leader in the tissue sector over the international and domestic market. The road to get there though has been long and full of decisions, trials, and changes.

The Beginning

Everything started in 1924 with the foundation of the F.lli Pieretti factory, which produced straw paper. Over a few years the company extended its production to different plants in Bagni di Lucca, Marlia, Ghivizzano, and Margherita di Cuneo – their first activity outside of Tuscany. Unfortunately, during the second world war the company was forced to suspend its activity and resume it only after the war, with the two paper mills in Marlia, the one in Ghivizzano, and the one in Ponte all’Ania.

In 1960, the company transformed by starting the production of paper in reels for bags and corrugated paper. Two years later, riding this wave of excitement for the expansion, a new plant was built in Marlia for the production of corrugated paper, and another plant dedicated to the production of corrugated cardboard for boxes.

In 1973 the plant in Marlia opened a new department for the production of corrugated carboard in sheets. The core business has now become the production of corrugated cardboard for industrial applications. This change of direction entails a new trade name and a new denomination: F.lli Pieretti becomes Ondulati Pieretti. This kind of expansion requires more resources, in fact in this period the company counts more than 100 employees.

Over the course of two years, Ondulati Pieretti strengthens its role as a producer of corrugated cardboard in sheets. The company starts producing paperboard for the production of tubes in the industrial and tissue sectors, first in the plant in Marlia, then in the Ghivizzano plant. These two plants are soon upgraded, opting to close the department dedicated to the production of corrugated cardboard. In 1981, the plant in Ghivizzano also started the production of paperboard for industrial use, made out of wastepaper and cut into strips to produce tubes and tissue cores.

The Production of Cores

The new phase starts in 1990 when Industria Cartaria Pieretti (ICP) is highly specialized in the production of paperboard designed for paper roll cores. ICP becomes a prominent company in the Italian market, leading to important collaborations with machine and tube producers, with the aim of making efficient cores that can meet the market’s demands.

By paying attention to the product’s quality, to the client’s needs, and to constant improvement, ICP participates to the first edition of Tissue World in Nice, 1993. Tissue World is a landmark in this sector, and ICP’s attendance to this expo show as well as China Paper in 1995 – Beijing’s first Tissue expo – launched a new expansion phase towards European and global markets.

In 1996, the second continuous machine arrived, and a new 5 megawatt cogeneration system is launched. This new system allows for better efficiency in the production of steam and energy in Marlia’s plant, along with great improvement in terms of environmental sustainability. Ghivizzano’s plant production is instead interrupted.

The 90s

The installation of the second continuous machine and the profound company renovation in the 90s allowed ICP to expand its market outside of national borders, therefore becoming a leader in the production of paperboard for tissue cores.

ICP’s growth continues. In 2008, Toscotec – a company of the Mennucci Group – awarded ICP during the third edition of “Technology and Passion. Award for innovation 2008” for having successfully installed an innovative system of paperboard pressing.

The following year marked ICP’s 85 years of activity, and the outcome is extraordinary, starting with the annual 140.000 tons of production, 45% of which are exported. ICP achieves leadership in Europe in the production of paperboard designed for tissue paper roll cores, yet continues its development while always caring for the environment. In fact, ICP start an important improvement in energetic efficiency thanks to the modernization of its implants, which also allowed for an increase in productivity.

At this point the company decided to invest even more by building a new groundbreaking biological purification system, aimed at reducing water use during the process. Meanwhile, the extremely modern continuous machine PM2 is modernized even more.

In 2009, ICP attends many conventions and meetings. Among the most important: Tissue World (Nice) in March, Chipec (China) in April, Paper Arabia (Dubai) in October, Paperex (Dehli) in December.

It was a rich, intense, and fruitful year. Not only does the company enjoy the results of this long successful journey, ICP keeps an eye on the future with determination and insight.

In fact, in 2010 a new 7,5 megawatt cogeneration system is launched for the production of steam energy for the whole plant. This new system guarantees an improved environmental safeguard.

Meeting PBA

In 2018, the company’s values, history, and goals contribute to the decision of merging ICP to Cartiere dell’Adda, creating the biggest European Group in the production of recycled paperboard for industrial applications. Today ICP continues to be a growing company that aims at quality, innovation, and cares about the environment. At the same time, the company maintains its great international vocation, high specialization, and unique know-how.

By joining the PBA Group, ICP opened up to new markets, reinforcing its position where already present, increasing investments, and optimizing the production and organization process.

Today, ICP has many new and extraordinary challenges, more projects to be made, goals to pursue, and a team of people with great professional and personal value, without whom most of the work would not have been possible.

One hundred years of history represent a wonderful and uncommon milestone of a journey which aims at an even longer future.

This is only the beginning.

PBA’s products. The future’s keywords? Customize and diversify.

PBA products

“Let’s think of Ford’s first model. When Henry Ford built his first car, the Ford Model T, he said ironically ‘you can choose any color you like, as long as it’s black’, because he could only produce black cars. Today, instead, any car can be customized by choosing the color, the accessories, the interior, and much more.” Through this clear and straightforward car analogy, Roberto Severini, PBA Group’s Marketing Director, describes how Cartiera Dell’Adda’s and Icp’s approach to the client has changed over the years. Few and simple words that show us sharply what direction the two companies have taken: to meet the client’s needs, and to create something that is tailor-made for them adapting to their needs, not vice versa.

A different outlook, a more open one, that has allowed the companies to focus on an important aspect over the years: improve the quality of production by limiting the industrial approach, in favor of a more client-oriented attitude. Something which was not as present in Cartiera dell’Adda as it was in Icp. In fact, it was the combination of these two entities and their unique features that made it possible to develop a series of new products, by revolutionizing the companies’ strong points, and reinforcing the “niche” ones.  

The final result was significant, and the numbers can confirm it. As for sales, the Group’s main product at the moment is paperboard for tissue, which is made in Icp. The second one is paperboard for industrial tubes which is made in Adda, and the third is paperboard for edge protectors. “These are the first three which make up a very important share of our production – Roberto Severini explains – Together, in fact, they account for 60% of our business”. But that’s not all, following these products are tubes for thermocouple sensors, as well as paperboard for food use. 

Moreover, production is looking at new markets. A direction which is revealing to be a winning choice, although it brought a significant change inside the company organization, and in particular, a change in the study and design of the product, completely switching up the order of things. 
The first step, in fact, is to ask the client “What do you need? How can I create a product that is best suited to your expectations with two productive plants and three continuous machine?”. Only then can the work get started. In this perspective, Roberto Severini points out that marketing has chosen to follow a very clear approach: diversify. “

The market is so volatile that if we standardize certain products too much we risk missing out on important opportunities, and we become victims of the industrial pace of the market itself”.

Cartiera dell’Adda supports the Molinatto campus

Cartiera dell’Adda supports the Molinatto campus

Cartiera dell’Adda supported the second- and third-year students of the Molinatto Campus, in Oggiono (Lecco), who, on the open day, presented their project “An enterprise for adults“. The project envisaged their participation in the national competition 10X Challenge, which was aimed at strengthening economic-entrepreneurial skills.

The two groups worked as real start-ups, carrying out a market survey and creating a logo for their company. They also deal with the social media communication and built prototypes, conceiving the points of sale to display their products.

Cartiera dell’Adda has strongly supported their creations, linked to the concept of eco-sustainability and the value of the circular economy.

The company has in fact supplied the cardboard useful for the creation of the “Ecobomb” packaging; it has been used also for a chromatic variation of the “SEI” object holder.

The students had many purchase requests and their next commitment will be the creation of the products.

To know better the Molinatto Campus: https://www.campusmolinatto.it/
For more information on the 10X Challenge project: https://www.jaitalia.org/10x-challenge/