stylish and sustainable: florim awarded benefit corporation status

founded nearly 60 years ago, florim ceramiche spa SB continuously strives to manufacture stoneware surfaces as stylish as they are sustainable. they encompass a range of brands to meet the needs of architecture and interior designs, from CEDIT – ceramiche d’italia through to casa dolce casa – casamood, rex, floor gres and cerim but the group’s environmental commitment goes further beyond just their product portfolio. in fact, florim became a benefit corporation in march 2020, officially recognizing their responsible and sustainable business operation to protect the environment. the achievement was years in the making, a momentous development that has – and still is – benefiting the local people, communities and environment.

all images courtesy of florim

‘the way that we do business is changing and I believe that today companies must take serious steps to reconcile economic goals with the interests of people and the environment: this is the only way that we can conceive a sustainable future,’ states florim’s chairman claudio lucchese.

florim has achieved benefit corporation status through a strategy that minimizes environmental impact and supports employees and the local area. this is guided by three watchwords – beauty, simplicity and humility – and based upon two main drivers of the group – innovation and sustainability. as such, they pay considerable attention when delivering their durable, stylish and continuously innovative ceramic products. they control all the raw material used through specific software that monitors suppliers’ information on safety, distance from the quarry and recycled content declarations.

the products are made at two production sites in italy and the united states, where over 1,400 people are employed in total. 45,000 sqm of solar panels line the roof of the italian factories which, as well as two congeneration plants, can generate up to 100% of the electricity necessary to operate. on top of that, 100% of the water used in the production cycle and 100% of the raw production waste can be recovered.

‘we became the first ceramic company in the world to obtain the international UNI EN ISO 50001 certification for our energy management system in 2013,‘ announces claudio lucchese. ‘the florim plants have also been certified – since 2010 – with UNI EN ISO 14001 for environmental management, which attests that our procedures comply with internationally codified processes.’

having a positive impact on community for florim means a whole host of cultural, health and youth initiatives. in education, the company offers a 6-month training program that targets different professions, called master in florim, and a scholarship for the highest grade student at the istituto tecnico industriale statale a. volta in sassuolo, called ‘premio lucchese’. in health, the company offers a range of free conferences opened to everyone and check-ups for employees. they also accommodate a 600 sqm ‘health&training’ center in their headquarters, where medical staff from sassuolo hospital and the santa maria nuova hospital in reggio emilia carry out training activities. in culture, the group supports the peggy guggenheim collection in venice and the museum’s artwork.

‘I sincerely believe that today profit is a goal that can only be consistently achieved over time if companies operate responsibly, sustainably and transparently towards people, the local community, the local area and the environment in order to generate a positive impact at a global level,’ concludes claudio lucchese.

portrait of florim’s chairman claudio lucchese