160 million euro loan for the growth of the Casalasco del Pomodoro Consortium

An agreement was recently signed by financing worth more than 160 million euros Between the Casalasco Tomato Consortium, a pool of financial institutions and with Cassa Depositi e Presitti (CDP), to support the development of the cooperative's productive and commercial activities.

This operation, which involved several major institutions and saw UniCredit As a bank agent and Deposits and Loans Fund like Arranger together with some banks, highlights the strong support from the banking system for the Casalasco Consortium. Thanks to this funding, the Cooperative will strengthen its financial structure and will be able to make significant investments both on the industrial and commercial fronts.

The participation of Cassa Depositi e Presitti — present in the capital of the cooperative since 2016 through the subsidiary SIMEST — confirms the Group's strong attention to a strategic sector such as the agri-food sector, crucial for the development of the territory and for the growth of Made in Italy.

Today, the Casalasco Tomato Consortium brings together hundreds of farms and represents the first national reality in the industrial tomato supply chain. With more than 1,000 employees and 3 factories, it is present in more than 60 countries worldwide and can count on a consolidated co-packing relationship with the main multinational food companies, as well as on two renowned proprietary brands, Pomì and De Rica, which thanks to this operation can be further valued on international markets.

”A strategic operation - says Constantine Vaia, Director General of the Casalasco del Pomodoro Consortium— to support the work done and, above all, the projects that we will carry out in the coming years. Talking about the future and investments in Made in Italy in these delicate moments for the country is not easy, but it is still possible. The agri-food sector is once again demonstrating its strategic role and the great contribution it can make even in emergency situations like these.”

“The commitment of Cassa Depositi e Presitti is increasingly oriented to proximity to the territory and to the support of businesses, to generate a positive impact on the economic fabric and on local communities - He stated Nunzio Tartaglia, Head of the CDP Business Division - At this particular moment, we feel even more responsible for renewing and strengthening support for the growth of Italian excellence in the world, such as the Casalasco del Pomodoro Consortium, also with the aim of valuing companies engaged in agri-food, a vital sector for the country's economy.”

”Supporting companies and local communities has always been one of the objectives we set for ourselves, even more so in difficult times like the current - he added Marco Bortoletti, Regional Manager Lombardy at UniCredit - The funding to the Casalasco del Pomodoro Consortium, an Italian excellence in agri-food, represents a concrete sign of the desire to support and accompany this entrepreneurial reality active in a fundamental and strategic sector for the country in its growth path”.