Affari & Finanza interviews Davide Bulgarelli
When thinking about sustainability in the world of fashion, clothes are the first thing that comes to mind. However, labels and tags are also becoming increasingly eco-friendly, made from recyclable materials or produced with low environmental impact processes. This is the path strongly pursued by Bulgarelli Production, a company that designs and produces labels, tags, paperboard accessories, and micro-packaging for the clothing and fashion accessory sectors. The company, headquartered in Carpi, in the province of Modena, uses recyclable raw materials and employs production processes that are certified climate-neutral.
“The pandemic has accelerated consumer sensitivity towards ESG principles, i.e. environmental, social, and governance issues,” notes Davide Bulgarelli, CEO of the company. “Although,” he continues, “our path in this direction began about ten years ago on the basis of my personal sensitivity. As an entrepreneur, I have always felt the need to mitigate the impact of business on the environment and to make the company virtuous from this point of view.” This path led the manager to study the subject, to use specialized consultants, and to attend dedicated courses, setting increasing objectives. It is no coincidence that the group reached carbon neutrality several years ago and later carbon positivity, an expression that indicates the ability to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere than is emitted, and is now also very active in reforestation policies. This includes collaboration with Etifor, a spin-off of the University of Padua, with which projects have been activated for the reforestation of some FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests, all located in Italy.”
“The pandemic has accelerated consumer sensitivity towards ESG principles, i.e. environmental, social, and governance issues,” notes Davide Bulgarelli, CEO of the company. “Although,” he continues, “our path in this direction began about ten years ago on the basis of my personal sensitivity. As an entrepreneur, I have always felt the need to mitigate the impact of business on the environment and to make the company virtuous from this point of view.” This path led the manager to study the subject, to use specialized consultants, and to attend dedicated courses, setting increasing objectives. It is no coincidence that the group reached carbon neutrality several years ago and later carbon positivity, an expression that indicates the ability to absorb more CO2 from the atmosphere than is emitted, and is now also very active in reforestation policies. This includes collaboration with Etifor, a spin-off of the University of Padua, with which projects have been activated for the reforestation of some FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests, all located in Italy.”
The company has also chosen to invest in renewable sources through the installation of a photovoltaic system that allows it to cover its own electricity needs. To compensate for the water footprint of all its employees, the group then collaborated with the Wami non-profit organization to create a new aqueduct to provide potable water for two families in Peru. These initiatives have allowed the company to obtain numerous certifications.
Currently, Bulgarelli Production, which achieved a turnover of eight million euros last year, an increase of 65% compared to 2021 (with a forecast of a further 15% increase in 2023), has a production capacity of 100 million tags, 15 million labels, and one million clothing accessories per year. The focus is particularly on the luxury sector, from which 75% of turnover comes, and in the last two years, 2.5 million euros have been invested in adopting new machinery with cutting-edge technologies in the perspective of Industry 4.0. “We moved in this direction both for efficiency reasons and because, especially working with the high-end clothing world, we want to offer ever more special and complex technical solutions that communicate attention to the environment, for example, with an aesthetic effect that looks natural,” says Bulgarelli. “Tags and labels, which may seem marginal in clothing, are in fact the business card of the garment, and in the luxury world, increasingly particular, as well as environmentally friendly products, are requested.”
Among the upcoming initiatives, after the recent expansion of the Carpi headquarters with a second facility, the company aims to “build a third building within a year so as to have more space to dedicate to production and logistics, which will become increasingly automated and modern,” he adds. This will involve a further investment in new technologies for a total amount (including the new building) of 2 million euros. Initiatives with which the group aims to grow even further, with the goal of reaching a turnover of 15 million euros within the next five years.
