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SNAPSHOT OF THE ITALIAN STONE INDUSTRY
Processing in the Veronese and Apua-Versialia districts

This is the most recent snapshot available and was developed by "Laboratorio delle Imprese", an initiative set up by Banco Popolare to analyse the Italian stone industry. No pre-conceived ideas, no prior assumptions: simply an analysis of the reality covering the three-year period 2006-2008. A complex task that took a great deal of time, which is why 2009 data are not included.
The Italian stone industry is experiencing a difficult period that is probably not only the outcome of the world economic crisis still underway. Nevertheless, in the three-year period the number of companies (the research covers the entire field from quarrying to processing and commerce in stone) actually grew by 1.5% albeit with an alternating trend: -0.89% in the two-year period 2006-2007, + 2.42 % in the period 2007-2008. Overall, there are about 14,000 companies.
Overall turnover in the sector, including quarrying and processing, in 2008 came to more than 4 billion euros, 70% of which from processing slabs and finished articles and the remaining 30% form quarrying. Processing takes a very large portion of material quarried in Italy, joined by significant imports of unhewn blocks. Most exports, on the other hand, involve finished or semi-finished products, although a significant amount of unfinished stone is shipped to China and India.
Quarrying involves ten Italian regions, with Sicily in the forefront with 1.4 million tonnes of material, while processing is focused in two districts: Apua-Versilia with about 1100 companies and Verona with about 550 companies, generating turnover of about 1.3 billion euros with a strong export vocation covering about 80% of turnover.
Marble represents about 60% of turnover by Italian industry and is without doubt the most highly prized stone. Granite follows with a quota of 20%, while the remaining 20% is shared between other stones such as travertine, pumice and slate, as well as granulates and powders.
In terms of value, 2008 Italian Exports of limestones (marble, travertine, Eucassines limestone, alabaster) and silicaceous materials (granite, porphyry, basalt and sandstone) came close to 368 million euro with a drop of 5.8 % compared to 2007. In the same year, imports also fell - much more significantly - by as much as -21%, posting a negative balance of trade of about 928 million euro - figures already affected by the generalised crisis and the consequent stop in the construction and property sector.
Italian exports of unhewn limestones and silicaceous materials, prevalently to Asia, in 2008 represented 39.2% of total. The European Union market (15 countries) was down from 33.5 in 2006 to 27.4 in 2008. India and China are the main Asian importer countries and in the three-year period 2006-2008 their purchases in Italy grew respectively by 53.8% and 37.6%
Imports of unfinished material essentially come from Asia, followed by South America. Africa also improved. Out of imports worth 1.29 billion euros in 2008, India supplied 381 million euro, Brazil 225 millions and South Africa 125 millions; other countries are far behind.
As regards processed stone material, a sector where Italy is one of the leading world producers, values in 2008 came to 1.48 billion euros, with a significant fall of 9.3% compared to 2007. Imports were virtually irrelevant in the same year at barely 121 million euro. However, this figure may well grow in the future, as China - by now the world leader in the stone industry - progressively expands its offering of quality products manufactured thanks to labour costs that are much lower than in Italy.
The main areas of destination for Italian products are the United States and the European Union with 29.5% of total, although both areas in 2009 saw a dramatic collapse in the property sector with direct consequences even on the consumption of stone materials.


Verona, 20 / 5 / 2010