Back in 1928, almost a century ago, young Guido Lapi acquired for his enterprise based in Santa Croce sull’Arno (Pisa province) the sub-agency of Forestal London, that produced and sold tannins worldwide. Guido was the son of Francesco Lapi, the forefather of Lapi Group’s industrial future, who, in 1884, had opened a wooden matches factory in Santa Croce. The relationship with Forestal London, a bond that progressively grew in the following years, was one of the cornerstones of “Figli di Guido Lapi”, founded in 1951 by Guido’s sons, that is, Francesco, Mario and Dino. A firm that last year, together with the other branches of Lapi Group, celebrated its 70th anniversary, an amazing milestone, but also a boost for a rewarding future, rich in entrepreneurial achievements and focused on the group’s further development.
Another pivotal turning point took place in 2004, when FGL International was established from a branch of “Figli di Guido Lapi”. Currently, the firm is led by the managing director Francesco Lapi, whom we interviewed on the occasion of the APLF Dubai exhibition. Initially, he provided additional details concerning the history of the family business.
How was Gruppo Lapi established?
“It all started in 1951 that is, a period at the dawn of a new era for the tanning world, a sector that would develop on a global level starting from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Before WWII, on the other hand, the firm was called Lapi & Pescini and it was the sales agent for tannins as far as the Italian market and the chemicals for tanneries were concerned. During the first post-war period, the word tannin was basically synonymous with quebracho and chestnut, then came mimosa, the latter produced in South Africa: my grandfather imported a huge quantity of these products, thus paving the way for the modern tanning industry, with this new tannin which, together with chestnut, is still the basis of the traditional process of sole leather slow tanning in vats.”
How did the organization in the tanning sector then evolve? And when was FGL International born?
“Through years, we had already divided the firm into three distinct branches: the Chemical Area, the industrial part devoted to the jelly factory in Empoli and the Services Area, all belonging to the holding company. The beginning of the 2000s coincided with an important step for the company, with the arrival of two new operating partners, Massimo Rinaldi and Luigi Stoppa and the foundation of Toscolapi, yet another branch.”
How is the Chemical Area set up today?
“FGL International features two facilities, one based in Castelfranco di Sotto and the other in Arzignano (Vicenza province), and it focuses on the chemicals’ wet phase. Finikem, on the other hand, deals with finishing processes; they both own the branch Lapi Mexicana which represent the business in Mexico, whereas “Figli di Guido Lapi”, the historic family business, manages the sector of vegetable tannins and products for leather factories. Last but not least, the Chemical Area of the Group is completed by Toscolapi, that distributes basic chemicals and solvents for the tanning field (its core business) as well as for new sectors we are currently developing. Toscolapi has four production sites, three in Tuscany, in Santa Croce and Castelfranco, and one in Arzignano.”
Who is the Industrial Area composed of?
“The Gi-Elle-Emme tannery for the production of sole leather, which also owns the Punto Suola shearing shop to offer an increasingly complete service to its customers; Lapi Gelatine which reuses by-products for the production of gelatines for the food and pharmaceutical sector; up to the customization and processing of leathers and finished products for high fashion followed by the Npa Mosè company. We are a constantly evolving and growing group. As a matter of fact, in November 2021 we took over the Spanish company Juncà Gelatines: an operation that opened the Lapi Group to an international panorama with the creation of a European gelatines pole.
As members of the historical family group, how did you distribute the managerial roles?
“I take care of the whole chemical area, more specifically of the four companies related to said sector, while my cousin Tommaso manages the gelatines field with Lapi Gelatine and the Gi-Elle-Emme tannery (together with two partners Mario Gazzarrini and Francesco Martini). The board is completed by the president of Lapi Group who is currently Roberto Lapi, my uncle, and by his cousin Alessandra Lapi. Ours is a family that has been carrying out its work for four generations and undoubtedly, our group is experiencing a considerable expansion phase.”
Let’s move on to the domestic and international markets: what are your expectations for 2022 and for the following years?
“This is a period marked by significant changes and the market is very dynamic, companies are on the lookout for innovative solutions, with a growing interest in sustainability and traceability. Another pivotal aspect concerns certifications: tanneries and fashion brands alike pay close attention to this specific detail. We have always kept up with market demands, investing in sustainability. Figli di Guido Lapi obtained the ISO 9001 certification back in the ‘90s while FGL International was one of the first enterprises in Italy to participate in the ZDHC platform, level 1 and, later on, level 3. Lately, we have kicked off some strategic research projects in collaboration with CNR, that is, the National Research Centre.”
Are you carrying out other new projects in the social and training fields?
“The latest project concerns the FGL Academy, an initiative in which we are investing significant resources. We cooperate with schools to promote the education and training of technicians and industry professionals, figures that are in high demand. This synergy is carried out both in the Arzignano district and in the Santa Croce cluster, as well as with the Mita Academy of Scandicci, thanks to the support of our experts in the tanning and chemical sectors. Our group strongly believes in future generations and our hope is that young people will get more and more involved in the tanning world. Last March, we completed a course at the Arzignano institute concerning the chemical analysis of formaldehyde inside leather, a topic that aroused the students’ interest, many of which care very much about eco-sustainability.”
www.fglinternational.com – www.fgl.it
www.lapigelatine.com – www.lapigroup.com
www.toscolapi.com – www.gielleemme.it
www.finikem.com – www.npamose.com
www.gelatinesjunca.com
Francesco e Tommaso Lapi