Italian packhouse technology supplier Sammogroup, a leading provider of handling, grading and packaging machinery to the international fresh produce sector, has been declared bankrupt.
Mauro Spazzoli, general secretary of Cesena-based Italian machinery federation Fiom-Cgil, confirmed rumours which had been circulating for the past few days, having presented a bankruptcy petition to court authorities in Forlì-Cesena.
'The court has issued the bankruptcy order, although not with immediate effect,' said Mr Spazzoli, adding that the stay of execution would not be indefinite and was purely to allow potential buyers to acquire the company should they be interested.
'A 'temporary operations' exception has been granted which essentially allows the company to process orders and carry out, at least partially, its final after-sales service to customers,' he explained. 'But in reality, the company no longer exists.'
According to sources, the administrator is eager to identify a possible suitor before the end of the summer.
Sammogroup's Spanish subsidiary was close some weeks ago, while the future of its weighing, packaging and palletising division Sammo Packing remains unclear.
The group centralised the three business areas into Sammo Packing late last year in order to reduce its costs, having experienced what it described as a 'difficult' 2009.
Workers at the company were reportedly left angered last month by its inability to pay their salaries.
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