The has arrived The end of the historic Giano paper mill in Fabriano. Yesterday thelast reel of paper produced by the F3 machine, marking the end of a production tradition that has continued uninterruptedly for at least 50 years. The historic machine, the largest of the Fedrigoni Group, located in the Vetralla plant in Fabriano (Ancona), It had been in operation since 1976 and has produced for decades one of the most famous cards in Italy, such as the famous Copy 2.
THElast sheet produced has been signed by the workers, thus putting an end to a fundamental industrial phase for Fabriano and for the history of paper.
Fabriano, Fedrigoni fails to find partners and exits the paper business
All 8:15 yesterday morninghave F3 machine from Fabriano has been permanently turned off. A symbolic exit for a car that had never stopped, not even during the summer holidays, as city councilor Riccardo Ragni recalled: “A production line that, as far as I can remember, had never been stopped, not even for a single day.”
The decision to close the paper mill came after a long process of finding another partner by the Fedrigoni Group (owned by the American fund Bain Capital since December 2017), which has decided to exit the office paper business, “We have long sought partners willing to relaunch the competitiveness of the site, but without success,” said the CEO Marco NespoloThe closure marks a painful stage for the territory, with a strong impact on a community that has always linked its identity to paper production.
Workers in tears: “It’s a blow to the heart”
Emotion and tears for the 174 employees of the factory. Valerio Monti, secretary of Uilcom and worker of Giano Srl, spoke of a moment of great despair: “The employees were in tears. It's a blow to our hearts,” he commented. The end of production marked not only the loss of an important industrial activity, but also a piece of history for Fabriano, where paper is an integral part of local tradition.
The workers have expressly requested that the last reel produced be preserved at the Museum of Paper and Watermark, so that future generations can remember the importance of this industry.
A year of extraordinary redundancy payments for workers
Despite the closure of the plant, the 174 workers of Fabriano and Vetralla they will not be immediately fired. An agreement between the Fedrigoni Group, local institutions and trade unions has collective dismissal procedure suspended, allowing employees to access to one year of extraordinary redundancy fund.
Furthermore, the company promised to look for alternative solutions, with relocations to other areas of the Fedrigoni Group, including the security business and the production of artistic papers. “We have guaranteed relocation opportunities for all the workers involved,” said the mayor of Fabriano, Ghergo.
For 2025, it will be expected early retirements and the creation of new positions through investments in the territory. Despite the difficulties, the agreement is seen as a guarantee of support for workers, although there remains regret for the definitive closure of the plant.
Fabriano Paper, the End of an Italian Excellence
Il message that many of the employees wanted to share on social media was clear: “Fabriano no longer produces photocopy paper. Yet another dramatic chapter of aItalian excellence“. The F3 machine, which gave work to hundreds of families, not only in Fabriano, but throughout Italy, was the beating heart of a production which marked the history of the country.
