Paper is our profession – and passion
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The production of paper has a long tradition going back to the ancient Egyptians who made papyrus from reeds. It was made by the Chinese in the second century and almost immediately it was recognized as a valuable secret. The first European paper mill was built in Spain about 1150 and by the end of the 15th century, paper mills existed in Italy, France, Germany and England. By the end of the 16th century paper was being made throughout Europe. C.D.A. has a similarly staggering story. For more than 250 years, the Cima family has been engaged in the production of paper. The first official document dates back to 1757 and originates from a paper mill owned by the Marquis Serponti in Rancio di Lecco that was taken over by Giuseppe Cima. Records document that it was him who founded the paper mill around 1870 in the Bonacina district of Lecco near lake Como.
Everything at C.D.A. starts with recycled raw material.we are committed to strictly use renewable ressources. Roberto SeveriniSales Director
From those early beginnings, C.D.A. has constantly developed according to market needs – the company has regularly invested in state-of-the-art technology always keeping in mind the unique heritage of this exceptional family tradition. Today, it has 300 employees, annual sales of 120 million EUR, two production sites in Lecco, Cartiera dell’Adda, and Lucca, I.C.P., where 300,000 t of grey board paper products are manufactured each year. A commercial and technical office in Milan, commercial offices in Belgium and Poland and three warehouses in the United States complement the group.
“In Europe, we rank among the market leaders,” states Sales Manager Roberto Severini. “Our machines are among the largest ones in Europe. This way, we are able to respond quickly to market needs when it comes to cardboard for paper converting, cartons for the textile and paper industry, pipework companies, for tubes or toilet paper producers. We are grateful that our engineers, under the leadership of our chief engineers and owners Giuseppe Cima and Tiziano Pieretti, have developed special functions and innovations to further improve the use of our machines and production equipment in a particularly innovative way.”
50% of products are exported – mainly to Germany, France and the United States. Customers, among them prominent players like Pringles, appreciate C.D.A.’s quality and technology-driven approach. “We process recycled raw materials only,” states Mr. Severini. “Given this, we have developed a unique technology for the dough preparation and production processes. This way, we widely achieved the goal of utmost product quality in terms of physical and mechanical characteristics. Our cutting plant has a span of 4.40 m and transforms the output product into various shapes always depending on market requirements – satisfying customer needs is basically what we aim for. Now, we strive to continue our growth spurt at home and abroad; further strategic acquisitions are not excluded. And we are optimistic that we will reach this goal – because paper is not only our profession but also our passion.”
