Between the present and the future for Cromoloy Italia: innovation, sustainability and the real estate challenge

Daniela Origgi  – ORIGGI CONSULTING S.R.L.

For the Italian paint industry, 2025 was a negative year indeed. The end of important tax incentives supporting energy efficiency upgrades for buildings and growing geopolitical tensions contributed to a decrease in demand, especially in the professional products segment, where Cromology operates with the Settef brand. Volumes are expected to remain stable or slightly down in 2026. In this uncertain environment, what are the growth drivers we should focus on? We’ll discuss this with Massimiliano Bianchi, CEO at Cromology Italia S.p.A.

Strategic choices that go against the market trend
“Faced with a market that, beyond the Superbonus period, shows no signs of growth, our choice was to go against the trend”, Massimiliano Bianchi explained.
Starting in 2021-2022, we lead a path of continuous investment that allowed us to revise our product offering for professionals, develop a comprehensive and cutting-edge technical services program, consolidate and train a dedicated marketing team, and progressively upgrade our distribution network. This enabled us, for example, to engage in ongoing dialogue with leading design firms and large companies on important development projects and to enter into exclusive commercial agreements with major paint distributors. We recorded a 20% increase in revenue, reaching E100 million annually, and tripled our EBIT in five years. Furthermore, these decisions allow us to gain market share and grow despite stable or declining industry forecasts”.

The company circular strategy approach
Cromology Italia’s current strategy goes beyond the concept of verticality: for the past five years, the company has chosen to adopt a circular strategic path that directly involves all stakeholders in the supply chain: “We strongly believed in adopting a strategic vision that not only focused on market growth, but also included other aspects such as sustainability and training, and, linked to the latter, the implementation of services to support designers and large companies”.
This strategy is based on the challenge of offering a value proposition to all stakeholders: from team members to commercial partners and all professional players in the supply chain. “Especially for the professional sector, with Settef we have supported ongoing investments in the development of technical solutions and services that position the brand as a reliable reference throughout the entire process, ranging from material selection to design and post-construction phase”, continues Bianchi. Settef was one of the first companies to introduce the thermal insulation system to the Italian market. Nowadays, the Thermophon range stands out in the competitive scenario as particularly complete and innovative in terms of materials used and certified performance. The thermal insulation system has been combined with other solutions boosting efficiency of the building cladding, such as X-Reflex, a cool roof finish for horizontal surfaces; Thermocolor technology for heat-reflecting colours for facades; and Ciclo Termico 3 Power Tech for interiors and exteriors. The product offering is complemented by a service offering: our Technical Service follows the construction site in all its phases, including advanced services such as building damage analysis with a drone; certified thermographic analysis performed in-house; and design support provided via an app to correctly choose and design solutions.
“Innovation is a key asset for us: 20% of our turnover is generated by the products introduced to the market in the last 3 years”, commented Bianchi.

The best practice for the fourth group of paint manufacturers in the world
Being part of a large international group like Nippon Paint offers operational continuity and financial stability, but not only that: thanks to ongoing investments in research and development, we can count on the acquisition and export of innovations that will then be adapted to the needs of the market in which we work”, Bianchi explains. “However, sharing value is not a one-way strategy. For example, when it comes to sustainability, Cromology Italia represents an international best practice for the Group”. “We welcomed the new European regulation on wGreenwashing, which confirmed that our serious and structured approach in this area was the right choice. Environmental product certifications are no longer something qualifying or differentiating to be used as a marketing tool; instead, they should be considered part of the basic technical documentation of paint products. Sustainability is something much broader, which guides our choices, taking into account the environmental, economic, and social implications”.

Focus on Real Estate and large enterprises
The company’s ongoing commitment to consolidating its product and service offerings for the professional segment has led it to intensify its development efforts for 2026, targeting the real estate and large corporate sectors.
“Real estate is increasingly driven by ESG criteria, brand identity, and the quality of the living experience. In this context, the use of appropriate coating systems and thermal insulation for the building envelope, as well as the use of color for exteriors and interiors, are tools for positioning and enhancing assets. With over 270 years of experience, Cromology has acquired internationally recognized expertise in these fields. Currently, we provide the real estate and large corporate sectors with a comprehensive range of strategic technical solutions and services for the successful implementation of their investments”.

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