Italchimica achieves the twenty-year milestone

(Padua, Italy) Italchimica, deeply rooted in the social and industrial fabric of Padua, was founded in 2003 by Alessandro Fioretto at the age of 23, together with his brothers Fabrizio, Marco, and their father Nunzio.

The region, known for its technical and scientific expertise, as well as its industrial and logistical development, has allowed this micro-enterprise focused on the professional cleaning market to grow into a leading player in the fields of cleaning and cosmetics, including consumer products.

With consistent double-digit growth, Italchimica reached a turnover of 71 million euros in 2022, reaching a peak of 90 million during the pandemic in 2021 when it ensured the supply of sanitation products for schools and public facilities. The growth was facilitated by the strategic decision to transform the company from a family-owned business, attracting experienced managers even from international contexts.

During the press meeting on May 10th at the Pulire fair in Milan, Alessandro Fioretto emphasized this concept multiple times, stating, “Our growth has been determined by our ability to attract talent and give them the right space: a true sharing of skills, possible only when there is a relationship, respect, and empathy.” As evidenced by the company’s promotional video, which premiered at the fair, featuring actors recruited from Italchimica, it becomes apparent that the “chemistry” between people is crucial for creating truly efficient and sustainable chemistry.

During the meeting, Alessandro Fioretto reiterated the company’s values that guide its actions and daily choices, emphasizing “transparency” in relationships with all stakeholders and in formulation claims. He also highlighted the importance of “speed” in responding, innovating, and creating, which has become a significant value in a highly dynamic and competitive market.

Today, Italchimica’s products and sales network are present in 55 countries worldwide. Their well-known brands in the cleaning industry include Sanitec for the professional division, and Dermomed and Dual Power for personal care and household care in the consumer market. Italchimica continues to be one of the most dynamic and innovative players in the creation of high-performance and environmentally friendly cleaning products.

Over 200 people are employed by the company, and future plans involve significant investments, such as expanding production facilities and further technological updates. Alessandro Fioretto provided figures for future technological development, stating, “We have planned investments of 20 million euros in the next three years to strengthen our production lines, expand our facilities by an additional 5,000 square meters, and further emphasize a green transition.” Currently, Italchimica occupies 45,000 square meters dedicated to production, logistics, and offices in the industrial area of Padua.

The drive to innovate is constant and always focused on reducing environmental impact. For example, in 2023, a modern internal packaging facility was launched, replacing plastic refills for hand soap with containers made predominantly of cellulose material. During the press meeting, Monica Rigoni, the marketing manager, specified, “Our new refill box provides large retail chains with an alternative for consumers who make conscious purchasing choices. Furthermore, it offers an enhanced formula to improve dermo-compatibility, considering increased handwashing frequency compared to pre-pandemic times.”

From the perspective of environmental sustainability, internal research develops projects to use natural and biodegradable raw materials that are not classified as hazardous to humans and the environment, not related to microplastics, and, as much as possible, locally sourceable. Luca Pattarello, R&D manager, has identified three main areas of intervention to improve environmental impact: measuring the organization’s environmental footprint, upcycling for water resource reuse, and implementing ecodesign policies. “We are certainly a company that requires large amounts of water,” emphasizes Pattarello. “For this reason, we have implemented processes for recovering process wastewater, substantially reducing waste of this incredibly valuable resource.”

For the past three years, Italchimica has voluntarily prepared a sustainability report according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) international standards, highlighting its achievements and improvement objectives in the economic, social, and environmental areas, in line with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development goals.

Sanitec. Italchimica’s white bear mascot

Sanitec is a well-regarded brand among professional cleaning operators. Sanitec made its powerful debut in 2001, and the significant attention it received from the professional market in its early years led to the establishment of Italchimica in 2003. For this reason, Italchimica has always believed in the strength of its Sanitec brand and has invested in developing dedicated product lines for various applications.

Sanitec represents one of the widest ranges available in the professional cleaning market, with specific lines for kitchen, laundry, disinfection, and large surfaces. The range is completed by skin-care products for healthcare applications and those dedicated to the conservation maintenance of monuments, statues, and buildings with high historical and artistic value, known as Petranova. Continuous improvement of formulas and a commitment to creating highly sustainable products have led to important certifications, including NSF, Ecolabel, PMC (Presidio Medico Chirurgico), and CAM (Criteri Ambientali Minimi).

Italchimica invests in television campaigns where the strength of its professional brand, Sanitec, is endorsed by Michelin-starred chef Matteo Grandi. Watch the commercial at this link: https://youtu.be/f7PIz6giBf0

For its Dermomed brand, Italchimica has recently launched an innovative soap refill box

Italchimica has introduced a new packaging option in its Dermomed range—a 900ml refill box for Dermomed hand soap made primarily from cellulosic material, certified as recyclable by Aticelca according to the UNI 11743:2019 standard. This allows a reduction of 95% in plastic usage compared to three 300ml bottles of Dermomed hand soap. Italchimica’s laboratories have also reformulated the soap to be gentler and suitable for frequent use. In addition to hyaluronic acid, which has elasticizing properties, a lactic acid derivative has been added to improve dermo-compatibility, and an active ingredient derived from Guar seeds has been included to enhance the softness effect.

The new refill box, developed through the ECODermomed research program, features an ergonomic and user-friendly design, completely emptying the contents to avoid product waste. It is easy to recycle, with the bottle being deposited in paper recycling containers and the cap in plastic recycling containers.

A consumer test commissioned by Italchimica from a specialized market research operator gathered opinions from a panel of 600 people, yielding excellent results. The aesthetics were highly rated, emphasizing the product’s innovation. Dermomed Refill Box was considered high-quality with a good value for money. Most importantly, it was seen as more sustainable and eco-friendly compared to the more common doypacks.

The new website www.dermomedmymoment.com has been launched recently, and there is also a dedicated website for the refill box available at this link: https://box-ricarica.dermomedyourcare.com/ where you can also download the presentation leaflet.