ECONOMY AND MARKET
Italian technology plast / October 2025
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Profitability( 2023)
Index |
Average value |
Member enterprises |
Ebit Margin |
9.7 % |
11.1 % |
ROI |
11.5 % |
11.8 % |
ROE |
10.6 % |
10.8 % |
Finance and Investments
• Investments / Turnover: 5.5 %
• Liquidity / Financial Debt: 113 %
• Financial Leverage: down from 50 % to 31 %
• Average age of plants: 9.7 years
• Foreign-controlled companies: export performance + 11.6 %( 2023)
Governance and People
• 88 % are Italian family-controlled companies
• Average number of members in boards: 2.9
• Female presence in boards of directors: 25.5 %
• Average age of directors: 58 years
• Average age of owners: 58 years( women 56, men 59)
point of view. Total turnover grew on average by 5.4 % per year, driven mainly by exports which increased by 6.9 % on an annual basis. Sales on the Italian domestic market also grew, albeit at a more moderate pace(+ 3.7 %). In 2023, the share of turnover originated in foreign markets reached 54.6 %, with significant penetration in the European Union markets( 70 % of exports). Interestingly, 80 % of the companies in the district sell their products abroad and, among exporting companies alone, the share of turnover generated abroad averages 57 %. Growth also benefitted employment figures, which increased by 1.7 % per year in the same five-year period. The best performance were recorded by middle-sized Italian enterprises, which saw their workforce increase by 3.3 % per year. 2023 recorded a general slight decline(-2 %), partly offset by the good performance of foreigncontrolled companies(+ 1.4 %) and middle-sized Italian enterprises(+ 1.3 %).
SOLID PROFITS AND GROWING PRODUCTIVITY From the viewpoint of profits, 2023 marked satisfactory levels: the average EBIT margin stood at 9.7 %, while the return on investment( ROI) reached 11.5 % and the return on equity( ROE) 10.6 %. Companies associated with Associazione Produttori Guarnizioni del Sebino, the local gasket manufacturers’ association, shown aboveaverage performance, with a gross operating margin of 11.1 %, compared to 7.7 % recorded by non-members. Productivity improved significantly. Net added value per employee rose to 69,300 euros in 2023, compared to 59,700 euros in 2019. This result was achieved by keeping under control the increase in labour costs per employee, which grew by an average of 2.7 % per year. On the financial level, the sector is showing signs of strengthening: liquidity exceeded the value of financial debt( 113 % in 2023), and the financial leverage decreased from 50 % to 31 %. Investment capacity is also expanding. The investment / turnover ratio grew from 4.3 % in 2019 to 5.5 % in 2023, with an average annual increase of 11.9 %. The average life of the production plants is slightly increasing, but the average age of assets is diminishing compared to 2019, a sign of an ongoing technological renewal.
FAMILY GOVERNANCE AND HUMAN CAPITAL The Sebino district stands out for the strong presence of Italian family-controlled businesses: 88 % of the companies analysed are managed by individuals without the support of investment funds or listed groups. Boards of directors are generally small, with an average of 2.9 members. The average age of directors is 58 and, although still a minority, female directors in boards have reached 25.5 %. From the point of view of human resources, the companies show a growing interest in personnel training and qualification, well aware of the fact that innovation also originates from the enhancement of in-house skills.
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CRITICAL- ITIES: THE PFAS CASE The Mediobanca study dedicates an in-depth analysis to the challenges related to sustainability, in particular to the issue of PFAS( perfluoroalkyl substances) subject to increasingly stricter regulation in the EU and in the United States. The tightening of environmental requisites will have a significant impact on many of the district’ s companies, which will be required to review their production processes and invest in technologies to reduce or eliminate these substances. The risk is an increase in costs and limitations in access to certain markets. The sector is also exposed to difficulties in the sourcing of natural rubber, whose production is threatened by climate change, pathogens and financial speculation. For this reason too, many companies are investing in alternative solutions based on bio-based materials or recycled materials, in line with the new European directives on industrial sustainability.
AN ITALIAN EXCELLENCE NEEDING SUPPORT The Sebino gasket district is today a virtuous example of a specialised supply chain, capable of combining industrial tradition, technological innovation and international openness. In an increasingly complex global scenario marked by ecological transition, digitalisation and geopolitical instability, the Sebino companies are proving to be resilient and focused on change. However, in order to fully develop this industrial heritage, strong support from the institutions will be necessary through industrial policies that promote sustainability without affecting competitiveness. www. plastmagazine. it