Lucart

Lucart is an Italian paper manufacturing group headquartered in Porcari, in the Lucca paper district of Tuscany. The company originated in 1953, when five Pasquini brothers established a mill in Villa Basilica under the name Cartiera Lucchese of the Pasquini Brothers. Its initial specialization was monogloss paper, a lightweight paper used in flexible packaging. The business later expanded its manufacturing base and in 1966 moved to Porcari, which remains the center of the group. Lucart gradually broadened from packaging papers into tissue and hygiene products. A major step came in 1988 with the acquisition of the Diecimo facility, which produced tissue paper and converted it into products such as toilet tissue, kitchen towels, napkins and hand towels. This move placed the company in the away-from-home and household-hygiene sectors in addition to its earlier packaging-paper activities. International expansion followed through France, where a customer-management company was established in 1993, and through the creation of Lucart Ibérica and a French operating company in 1998. During the 2000s, Lucart strengthened its professional and hospitality offering. Fato Professional was established in 2007 to manage the Fato business, known for colored and decorated tablecloths and napkins for the hotel, restaurant and catering market. In 2008, the group acquired the tissue activities of Novacare in France, including the Laval-sur-Vologne plant, which was focused on away-from-home products. In 2009, the wider Cartiera Lucchese group adopted the Lucart Group name, providing a unified identity for its expanding businesses. Sustainability and recovered-fiber production became important elements of the company’s development. In 2010 Lucart built its first plant capable of producing paper from cellulose fibers recovered from beverage cartons such as Tetra Pak containers. The company’s portfolio consequently came to include both virgin-cellulose tissue and products made with deinked or recovered fibers. This manufacturing capability supports paper products positioned around resource efficiency and recycled-material use, while also supplying materials for further industrial conversion. Lucart expanded its branded portfolio and Italian production footprint in 2012 by acquiring Georgia-Pacific’s factories in Castelnuovo Garfagnana and Avigliano, together with the Tenderly and Tutto brands. The former Georgia-Pacific Italian business was subsequently renamed Airtissue. In April 2013, the group consolidated its Italian companies into a single legal entity, Lucart S.p.A. Further geographic expansion followed with the acquisition of the assets of Hungary’s Bokk Paper in 2016, the acquisition of Spanish company CEL Technologies through Lucart Ibérica in 2018, and the acquisition of British Essential Supply Products Ltd in 2021. Lucart’s activities span consumer tissue, professional hygiene, food-service and hospitality disposables, flexible-packaging papers, and selected raw materials for the paper-converting industry. Its brands and product families include Lucart Professional, Grazie, Tenderly, Tutto, Fato, Velo and Smile, alongside private-label production. The group describes itself as a leading European producer of thin machine-glazed paper for flexible packaging and as one of the larger European producers of hygienic paper. Its market position is built on a combination of paper-making expertise, converting capacity, branded products, private-label supply and recovered-fiber technology.

Lucart began in 1953 in Villa Basilica, where the five Pasquini brothers founded a paper mill called Cartiera Lucchese of the Pasquini Brothers. The original business focused on monogloss paper for flexible packaging. Expansion led to a move to Porcari in 1966, placing the company in the Lucca paper district and providing the industrial base for later growth. The company entered tissue and hygiene paper in 1988 through the acquisition of the Diecimo plant. That facility combined paper production with converting into toilet tissue, kitchen products, napkins and hand towels. Lucart then developed a broader international structure: a French customer-management operation was established in 1993, while Lucart Ibérica and a French commercial and manufacturing structure were formed in 1998. The group developed its professional and hospitality presence during the following decade. Fato Professional was founded in 2007 to manage the Fato business, whose products included decorated tablecloths and napkins for the hotel, restaurant and catering sector. In 2008, Lucart acquired the tissue division of French company Novacare, including the Laval-sur-Vologne facility dedicated to away-from-home products. In 2009, the group changed its name from the Cartiera Lucchese Group to the Lucart Group. A significant technological and environmental milestone came in 2010, when Lucart opened its first facility capable of making paper from cellulose fibers recovered from beverage cartons. The business continued to combine virgin-cellulose and deinked-paper production, serving both hygiene applications and industrial paper customers. In 2012, Lucart acquired Georgia-Pacific’s Italian factories in Castelnuovo Garfagnana and Avigliano, together with the Tenderly and Tutto brands. Georgia-Pacific Italia was renamed Airtissue, and in 2013 the Italian companies were merged into Lucart S.p.A. International acquisitions continued after the Italian consolidation. Lucart acquired Bokk Paper’s assets in Hungary in 2016 and renamed the resulting company Lucart Kft. In Spain, Lucart Ibérica acquired CEL Technologies in 2018 and renamed it Lucart Tissue & Soap. In 2021, Lucart acquired the entire share capital of British Essential Supply Products Ltd. The same year, it created Newpal with CPR System to develop recycled plastic pallets made from recovered beverage-carton materials. Today, Lucart operates across several connected areas: consumer and professional tissue, hospitality and food-service disposables, flexible-packaging papers, private-label products and recovered-fiber materials. Its brands include Lucart Professional, Grazie, Tenderly, Tutto, Fato, Velo and Smile. The company’s historical evolution shows a shift from a specialized packaging-paper mill to a diversified European paper group with manufacturing, converting, branded products and circular-material initiatives.

1. 2021British acquisition and Newpal venture

   Lucart acquires ESP Ltd and jointly establishes Newpal with CPR System for recycled plastic pallets.

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2. 2018Spanish acquisition adds tissue and soap operations

   Lucart Ibérica acquires CEL Technologies and renames it Lucart Tissue & Soap.

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3. 2016Hungarian assets acquired

   Lucart acquires Bokk Paper assets and creates Lucart Kft.

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4. 2013Italian companies merge into Lucart S.p.A.

   Lucart completes the consolidation of its Italian companies into one entity.

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5. 2012Georgia-Pacific assets and brands acquired

   The group acquires two Italian factories and the Tenderly and Tutto brands.

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6. 2010Recovered beverage-carton fiber production begins

   Lucart commissions its first plant for paper made from cellulose fibers recovered from beverage cartons.

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7. 2009The group adopts the Lucart name

   The Cartiera Lucchese Group changes its name to the Lucart Group.

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8. 2008Novacare tissue assets acquired

   Lucart acquires Novacare’s tissue branch and the Laval-sur-Vologne plant in France.

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9. 2007Fato Professional is founded

   A dedicated company is created to manage Fato products for the hospitality and catering market.

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10. 1998Spanish and French structures expand

    Lucart Ibérica and Lucart France are established, with the French operation including a plant in Troyes.

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11. 1993French expansion

    Cartiera Lucchese France is established to manage French customers.

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12. 1988Entry into tissue products

    Lucart acquires the Diecimo plant, adding tissue production and conversion into hygiene and food-service products.

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13. 1966Operations move to Porcari

    The expanding company relocates to Porcari in the Lucca paper district.

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14. 1953Cartiera Lucchese is founded

    The five Pasquini brothers establish a paper-making company in Villa Basilica focused on monogloss paper for flexible packaging.

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An integrated European paper and tissue manufacturer combining branded and private-label hygiene products with professional, hospitality, flexible-packaging and recovered-fiber paper solutions.

• Lucart ProfessionalProfessional hygiene

  A professional-facing range of tissue and hygiene products for workplaces, public facilities, hospitality and other away-from-home settings. The range is part of Lucart’s broader professional distribution activity and is supported by the group’s European manufacturing and converting network.

• TenderlyConsumer tissue

  A consumer tissue brand acquired by Lucart with the former Georgia-Pacific Italian business in 2012. It belongs to Lucart’s household-hygiene portfolio and is associated with products such as toilet tissue and other everyday paper-hygiene formats.

• TuttoConsumer tissue

  A paper-hygiene brand brought into the Lucart portfolio through the 2012 acquisition of Georgia-Pacific’s Italian operations. It serves consumer tissue needs within Lucart’s branded and private-label-oriented business.

• FatoHospitality and food service

  A professional hospitality range centered on colored and decorated paper table products, including napkins and tablecloths. Fato Professional was established in 2007 to manage the brand and its presence in the hotel, restaurant and catering market.

• VeloTissue and hygiene paper

  One of the branded product families identified within Lucart’s tissue and hygiene-paper portfolio. Detailed product specifications and launch information are not established in the supplied sources.

• SmileTissue and hygiene paper

  A Lucart tissue brand included among the group’s branded paper products. It complements Lucart’s consumer, professional and private-label offerings, although detailed range information is not provided in the supplied references.

• Recovered-fiber paperRecycled paper materials2010

  Paper produced using cellulose fibers recovered from beverage cartons such as Tetra Pak containers. Lucart introduced dedicated production capability in 2010, linking tissue and paper manufacturing with the recovery of fiber from composite beverage packaging.

• 2021Acquisition of Essential Supply ProductsM&A

  Lucart continued its international expansion in professional and supply products.

  What changed. The parent company acquired 100% of the share capital of British Essential Supply Products Ltd.

  Aftermath. The acquisition added a United Kingdom business to Lucart’s international operating structure.

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• 2021Creation of NewpalStrategy

  Lucart extended its recovered-materials activities beyond paper production and partnered with CPR System.

  What changed. The two companies founded Newpal to print and market recycled plastic pallets made from recovered beverage-carton materials.

  Aftermath. Newpal broadened Lucart’s circular-materials activities into reusable logistics products.

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• 2013Consolidation into Lucart S.p.A.Strategy

  Following years of acquisitions and the development of multiple Italian group companies, Lucart pursued a simpler domestic corporate structure.

  What changed. All Italian companies of the group were merged into a single company named Lucart S.p.A.

  Aftermath. The merger created a unified Italian legal entity for the group’s domestic activities.

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• 2012Acquisition of Georgia-Pacific’s Italian factories and brandsM&A

  Lucart aimed to strengthen its Italian manufacturing footprint and branded tissue portfolio.

  What changed. The group acquired factories in Castelnuovo Garfagnana and Avigliano, together with the Tenderly and Tutto brands. Georgia-Pacific Italia was subsequently renamed Airtissue.

  Aftermath. The transaction increased Lucart’s Italian production and expanded its consumer tissue brand portfolio.

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• 2010Launch of recovered-beverage-carton fiber productionProduct launch

  Lucart sought to expand its paper technology beyond conventional cellulose and deinked paper while making use of fibers recovered from beverage cartons.

  What changed. The group built its first plant capable of producing paper from recovered cellulose fibers obtained from Tetra Pak-type beverage containers.

  Aftermath. The capability became part of Lucart’s sustainability-oriented materials platform and supported products made with recovered fiber.

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• 2021Lucart acquires Essential Supply Products

  Lucart acquired all of the share capital of British Essential Supply Products Ltd, known as ESP Ltd.

  M&A
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• 2021Lucart and CPR System establish Newpal

  Lucart and CPR System founded Newpal to print and market recycled plastic pallets made from recovered beverage-carton materials.

  Other
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• 2018Lucart expands its Spanish tissue and soap operations

  Through Lucart Ibérica, the group acquired CEL Technologies in Spain and renamed the business Lucart Tissue & Soap.

  M&A
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• 2016Lucart expands in Hungary through Bokk Paper assets

  The group acquired the assets of Hungarian company Bokk Paper and renamed the acquired business Lucart Kft.

  M&A
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• 2013Lucart consolidates its Italian companies

  The Italian companies of the group were merged into the single company Lucart S.p.A.

  M&A
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• 2012Lucart acquires Georgia-Pacific Italian assets and brands

  Lucart acquired Georgia-Pacific factories in Castelnuovo Garfagnana and Avigliano, as well as the Tenderly and Tutto brands.

  M&A
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• 2010Lucart establishes a recovered-fiber paper plant

  The group built its first plant capable of producing paper from cellulose fibers recovered from beverage cartons.

  Product launchOther
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1. Lucart
2. Lucart Group official website