The loan, managed by Cassa Centrale Banca with the participation of 6 affiliated Cooperative Credit Banks in Apulia, is aimed at boosting export and internationalisation activities and the development of innovative projects of Casillo S.p.A., a leading agrifood company in Italy and Europe.
Trento, 09.01.2025 - Cassa Centrale Banca has coordinated a pool of 6 BCCs of the Group (BCC Conversano; BCC San Marzano di San Giuseppe; BCC Locorotondo; BCC Cassano delle Murge and Tolve; BCC dell'Alta Murgia; BCC Alberobello Sammichele e Monopoli) for the disbursement of a loan of € 30 million to Casillo S.p.A., Società Benefit.
The loan is 70% guaranteed by SACE Futuro and will allow Casillo S.p.A. to promote export and internationalisation activities and to support the launch on the global market of an innovative, sustainable and circular flour, in line with the demands of consumers for healthy products and nutraceuticals.
The 96-month loan demonstrates the willingness of the Cooperative Banking Group to support Italian companies in the agricultural and food production chain, promoting their development and ability to innovate with an increasing focus on the sustainability of companies and of the reference areas in which they operate. The Casillo Group is a global leader in the purchase, processing and marketing of wheat with operating bases in 9 Italian regions and the headquarters in Apulia, in Corato (BA).
“We are very pleased to have completed this transaction - comments Letterio Merlino, Chief Lending Officer of Cassa Centrale Banca - which once again confirms our concrete commitment to supporting the companies in our territories, which stand out as examples of Italian excellence, also internationally. We dedicate our personnel to developing communities, companies and their production chains that work diligently on a daily basis on innovation and raising the level of product quality, making a concrete contribution to environmental sustainability”.
“Also thanks to this loan - continues Francesco Casillo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Casillo S.p.A. - we will finalise the research and development work of our laboratories that lasted more than 4 years, with the market launch in January 2025 of a revolutionary flour, Altograno®, which combines excellent nutritional properties (more protein, more fibre and less carbohydrates) with an exceptional taste, to create a new product category for the market, in line with the growing needs of consumers for healthy and sustainable products”.
By also operating with pooled loans throughout the country, the Group contributes to the recovery of the competitiveness of the Italian system, enhancing the excellence of the territories, as in the case of Casillo S.p.A., which intends to innovate its business with a view to responsible development and in line with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.