Italian returnable packaging specialist CPR System has confirmed it achieved turnover of some €37m in 2008, with earnings coming in at €1.3m for the year.
The cooperative, which serves more than 900 of the country's leading fruit and vegetable producers and distributors as well as a number of key service providers, managed a total of 108m individual crate movements last year, according to its recently published annual report.
The group also oversaw the movement of approximately 360,000 returnable bins and, during the past year, it has also branched out into reusable pallets.
In terms of its net worth, the company is now reported to have a net worth of around €18m, with its members benefiting from total returns worth €3.8m over the past 12 months.
Renzo Piraccini, president of CPR System, said the company was in good health and always looking to the future, telling reporters that it would begin supplying returnable plastic crates to the Italian meat sector this year, as well as extending its range of available packaging types.
Mr Piraccini also revealed that the group had received new promotional funding from new members Coopfond, Generalfond and Cassa di Risparmio di Cento worth €4m.
'These bring the cooperative's net worth to €24m,' he explained.
Gianni Bonora, managing director of CPR Services, pointed to a recent study carried out by the University of Bologna, which showed that the system of returnable crates and other forms of packaging could create 'significant savings' compared with more traditional, disposable forms of packaging.
'The CPR System project has proving to be a winning one in terms of its business plan and in terms of the environment,' he commented.
No comments yet