Franchi Umberto Marmi S.p.A., leading international company in the processing and trading of Carrara marble, listed on Euronext Growth Milan announces that total revenues as at 31 December 2021 amounted to Euro 65.1 million, with an increase of 28%, compared to Euro 51.0 million in the same period of the previous year, with a significant recovery in sales in Italy and China. Year 2021 ends with the best result ever for FUM in terms of sales, exceeding the record level of 2019 achieved before the pandemic.
In the fourth quarter of 2021, sales were equal to Euro 17.4 million, growing by 16% compared to the same period of the previous year, thanks to the significant increase achieved in China (+8% compared to the same quarter of 2020), in the United States (+30% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020) and in Italy (+14% compared to the fourth quarter of 2020). This result is even more reassuring when compared to the sales of the fourth quarter of 2019 (+39%) made in the pre-pandemic period.
In particular, in 2021 sales in China achieved a significant growth of 100% compared to 2020, reaching Euro 17.1 million, equal to 26% of total sales for the period, demonstrating the strong economic recovery that characterised this market throughout the year. The result achieved is even more relevant if we consider that sales in 2021 in China also exceeded the levels achieved before the pandemic in 2019 (Euro 16.3 million with an increase of 5%).
Sales on the Italian market in 2021 recorded a growth of 13%, compared to 2020, reaching Euro 27.3 million equal to 42% of total revenues, confirming the recovery underway not only on international markets but also on the domestic market.
Among the main products sold, it is possible to find Calacatta and Statuario, representing over 53% of total sales. In particular, Calacatta, with revenues of Euro 17.8 million, marks a growth of 35% compared to the results recorded in 2020, whereas Statuario recorded an even more significant increase, 52% compared to 2020, reaching sales of Euro 16.5 million, confirming Franchi Umberto Marmi’s positioning strategy on high value-added products as an important driver of success on international markets.
Alberto Franchi Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company commented: “The financial year 2021 represented an historical result for our Company. We have exceeded the turnover achieved in 2019, which represented the maximum annual sales ever recorded in the 50-year history of Franchi Umberto Marmi.
These results show the vitality and solidity of our company, which in a few months has managed to overcome the difficulties of the pandemic by resuming the growth path undertaken since the 2000s. We are particularly satisfied with the extraordinary commercial results achieved, which confirm the soundness of our development strategies, aimed at growing in high value-added markets.
At the same time, the acquisition of the company Ingegner Giulio Faggioni Carrara, finalised at the beginning of the year, was strategically important, as it allowed FUM to strengthen its competitive positioning by achieving world leadership on the quality of Calacatta and Statuario, which represent the most coveted products in international markets.
In 2021, we particularly focused on ESG, whose values play an increasingly central role in the company’s strategy. We are currently working on our first sustainability report, and we are proud to note the growing appreciation of the low environmental impact of FUM products by our customers, especially when compared to synthetic and ceramic products.
Lastly, our next investment will focus on value-added activities related to the transformation of blocks into slabs, with particular reference to the recovery and enhancement processes of blocks damaged by mining. The implementation of these processes will allow us to improve production yield, minimising waste and making a significant contribution to the youth employment rate in our area.“
