Leather should be excluded from the EUDR
This was the strong message delivered on April 8 at the European Parliament by UNIC and COTANCE
Keep reading...FGL International SpA, a leading Tuscan company in the leather chemicals sector and part of the Lapi Group SpA holding company, recently announced the acquisition of the Finishing division of RE.PI.CO. SpA, a historic Lombardy-based company active in the leather chemicals sector since 1948 and owned by the Annunziata family.
This strategic move aims to strengthen FGL International’s position in the leather chemicals market by expanding its range of products and services dedicated to the sector. RE.PI.CO.’s finishing division will be integrated as a new product line—retaining its brand identity and customer portfolio—into FGL International’s current product range.
In 2022, the Tuscan company had already undertaken a similar integration by adding the operations of Finikem (also part of the Lapi Group), a company specializing in leather finishing products, to its own activities.
“The main objective of this acquisition is to offer our customers even more comprehensive and innovative support, combining the know-how of both companies and enhancing our commercial offering,” explains Francesco Lapi, CEO of FGL International and president of the Lapi Group. “RE.PI.CO. is a family-owned business with a long history, just like us. We both have over 70 years of experience in the leather processing industry. This transaction will enable us to implement new solutions, with a focus on innovation and sustainability, within an increasingly competitive market.”
From RE.PI.CO.’s perspective, the sale of the Finishing division is part of a clear industrial vision aimed at consolidating its position in the wet-end product range, an area in which it intends to concentrate investments, technological development, and commercial resources, further strengthening its competitiveness and specialization.
“The sale of the Finishing division represents a fundamental step in our strategic evolution,” states Stefania Annunziata, CEO of RE.PI.CO. “We are convinced that this decision will allow us to focus on further strengthening our presence in the wet-end sector, becoming even more agile and competitive, while ensuring that the divested division has the opportunity to grow under industrial leadership highly specialized in the finishing sector.”
RE.PI.CO. will continue to manufacture and market its product line dedicated to leather processing for the tanning industry, including its range of auxiliary dyes for finishing and retanning, which are produced both at its headquarters and historic site in Cinisello Balsamo (MI) and at its production facility in Inveruno, as well as at the plants opened abroad in recent years.
The transaction clearly confirms both companies’ commitment to growth through targeted industrial decisions, strengthening specialization, innovation, and sustainability in service of the tanning industry.
