Graziano Mancianti – per VERINLEGNO
More than 300 people from around the world gathered to celebrate Verinlegno’s 50th anniversary. Founded in 1975 by Piero Marchetti with Antonio Bartoli and, since 1979, Sante Zandò, the company began its journey in a garage in Montecatini Terme. Today, it celebrates this milestone under the umbrella of Tambour and the globally renowned Kusto Group. The event reaffirmed Verinlegno’s commitment to sustainability, aligning with Kusto’s vision, through a roundtable discussion moderated by Nicola Fratiglioni titled: “Territorial Evolution: Chemistry, Sustainability, and Business Opportunities”. Matteo Aglio (Director of Avisa – Federchimica) was also present.
Max Sartijev, President of Tambour Group and member of Verinlegno’s Board of Directors, stated: “50 years truly represent a long journey for a company. Our challenge is to try to replicate what Piero Marchetti and Sante Zandò have built over the years, to continue growing and becoming an increasingly solid reality, supporting one another”.
Engineer Lorenzo Bertazzo, President of Verinlegno Spa and Zetagi-Veneziani, added: “Today, Verinlegno and Zetagi are a €60 million enterprise with two major production sites in Tuscany and Veneto, ready to face the challenges of today and tomorrow”.
Marking the company’s evolution, the 50th anniversary also introduced a redesigned logo and a new paint can. Ilaria Maletta (Communications & Marketing) explained: “The celebratory can for the 50th anniversary (typically red on a silver background) features a modern, minimalist design that reinforces our image and reflects our constant innovation. The subtle logo redesign places greater emphasis on the circle containing the stylized VL letters, which have always identified the brand. The phrase ‘le vernici’ has been removed to make the branding more universally recognizable across different languages and cultures. The can is marked ‘Made in Italy’ – a symbol of product origin, artisanal quality, and attention to detail”.
On the commercial front, Italy remains central, with a strategic emphasis expressed by Ugo Pelosin, a new company figure supporting international growth. He will coordinate synergies among the group companies (Verinlegno-Zetagi, Tambour, Kusto) in the wood coatings sector. *“Italian paint”, said Pelosin, “is considered among the best, thanks to Italian furniture and design. The finishing of Italian furniture truly sets it apart”.
In Italy, as noted by Stefano Fiaschi (Italy Sales Director), Verinlegno saw a 4% revenue increase over 2023, and sales volumes rose by 6.5%. Globally, 2024 was a highly positive year in Lithuania, with strong growth in the UAE, good performance in Australia, and revenue gains in Greece, Armenia, Serbia, Romania, and Poland. According to Marco Cecchini (International Sales Director), 2025 will present international challenges, with instability and tariff threats looming, yet Verinlegno plans further expansion in Asia-Pacific, North America, and renewed growth in Canada.
Engineer Silvio Zandò, Board Member and Plant Director, described Verinlegno as: “A dynamic company moving toward greater automation, with plans for new spaces, new roles, new technologies. A company suited for large-scale production but historically strong in specialty coatings and small batches, offering a wide range of products”.
The company’s organizational evolution is based on management systems and a regulatory office that have become increasingly central. Engineer AnnaMaria Cialdoni, Head of Health, Safety & Environment, commented: “Verinlegno is on a long-term path that increasingly integrates and digitizes its management system, achieving outstanding results in health, safety, and the environment”.
In 2024, even near-miss incidents dropped dramatically from 7 to 1, with a zero accident rate. In environmental terms, Verinlegno obtained ISO 14001 certification, and ISO 45001 (product safety) is expected in 2025. Meanwhile, air emissions, already well below regional limits, decreased from 80 tons in 2022 to 43 in 2024, and the complaint rate fell below 0.1% of product weight sold. As for formulations, Gioele Melchionda, Head of the Laboratory, stated: “Verinlegno didn’t just recently jump on the sustainability bandwagon. The company’s vision includes the significant development of water-based coatings, while also working to improve solventbased ones by reducing their harmfulness and increasing their durability. Research quality has been greatly enhanced by the synergy with the Zetagi-Veneziani laboratory”.
During the two-day event, Verinlegno introduced its new General Manager, Daniel Galli, a 45-year-old chemical engineer from Lucca, whose name and résumé underscore the company’s deep roots in its home territory, with a clear outlook on global expansion.
