Carrara marbles defying the odds

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The Italian marble industry is seeing all-time high sales despite COVID and the steady decline in the Italian economy over the last two years, with 1.2 million jobs lost, a third of Italians experiencing a loss of income, and nearly 700,000 small and midsize businesses still risking bankruptcy.

Specifically, companies like Franchi Umberto Marmi reported impressive numbers for the first quarter of 2022, as the company sold €21.1 million worth of marble, a 27% increase from the previous year. According to the chairman and CEO of Franchi Umberto Marmi, Alberto Franchi, “the result is particularly important because it arrives after we experienced record sales in 2021, and this further growth during the first three months of 2022 demonstrates a clear trend that allows us to look to the future with optimism.”

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Noteworthy is also the fact that customers are investing in quality materials. Nearly 60% of the marble Franchi Umberto Marmi sold came from their high-end Calacatta and Statuario lines. Franchi Umberto Marmi also saw a 100% increase in orders from China between 2020 and 2021.

However, the industry is facing different problems. One of them is the fake marble flooding the international market. The regional government is helping the situation by moving a trademark process through the Massa-Carrara Chamber of Commerce, which will allow “Carrara marble to finally defend itself from all the imitation materials that have damaged its market.” This trademark will give freedom to any company that wishes to use it and will be an effective way of shutting down those trying to pass off porcelain tile or vinyl flooring as genuine Italian marble.

Another industry obstacle is the confrontation by environmental groups, who view quarrying as a threat to the Apuan Alps. In August 2021, the Consiglio di Stato in Lucca denied an appeal by several environmental groups, declaring their claims groundless. The lawyers of Henraux S.p.A, the defendant company, stated, “This is a historic ruling that absolutely restores the fundamental and unquestionable economic value of the marble caves for our local population […] and clearly and precisely declares how the marble caves are not associated with any environmental damage.”

Carrara marble will carry forward its legacy for many generations to come. This €4 billion industry boasts 3,200 companies and 34,000 workers while offering unparalleled marble quality.

Source: italicsmag.com