Unitec, one of Italy’s largest post-harvest technology companies, has acquired Bolzano-based packing and grading specialist Longobardi and renamed it Unisorting.
The acquisition actually involves the takeover of three Italian fresh produce technology firms: alongside Longobardi itself, the deal sees Unitec also take full ownership of subsidiaries Sammo Group (which Longobardi bought out in December 2010) and Modena-based packing machinery company Sado.
According to Unitec, the new entity will work on developing a range of innovative technologies for the fruit and vegetables sector.
“Unisorting’s purpose is to bring together synergistically the knowhow and experience of three companies,” commented Luca Benedetti, president of the new company.
“This makes it possible for packhouses aiming to improve the way they work to rely on a valuable partner. The pursuit of this goal will start with increasing the professionalism and experience of the company’s staff.”
Eurofruit understands that Unisorting has taken full control of the acquired companies’ leadership, with the Longobardi family exiting the business with immediate effect – a move which it said was designed to give to customers “precise, innovative and reliable answers”.
“The experience gained over the last few years by Longobardi will be strengthened and increased in order to answer effectively with tangible results in the field of fruit and vegetables quality selection,” it added.
“The range of technologies that can meet the requests of the sector effectively goes from the emptying to the packaging phase, including palletisation and platform strapping, to the core phases of sizing and quality sorting.”
