ICSS

ICSS is a quality-oriented family business founded in 1969 by Carlo and Adriano Garbagna.

It offers optimal packaging products, materials handling systems and specialty components for the building industry mainly produced with EPS, a polystyrene that is expanded in the shape of the final product. As the Group’s products average 98% of air and only 2% of solid matter, its employees are known as Air Engineers, as they teach air to protect, insulate, keep fresh, warm and cold client’s products. More than 50 years after its creation, ICSS Group has 5 manufacturing sites, delivering from 60 to 70 full trucks of products daily.
Vision: To be the best environmental friendly protective packaging specialist.
Mission: Create confidence and earn market trust daily.

Its tradition and openness to transition to new sustainable materials is reflected in the moto “To create change, we must start with ourselves”, always mentioned in ICSS Group’s presentations. A chronological company story is provided below:

1969 production of protective packaging in corrugated cardboard;
1976 the production of EPS packaging begins;
1993 Paolo Garbagna becomes CEO;
1998 renewal of EPS printing machines;
2000 foundation of Galbox LTD in Cardiff/UK;
2004 Poliforce SRL starts up in Mantua/IT;
2005 Espansi One SRL founded in None (Turin)/IT;
2010 Dorabox LTD is born in Turkey;
2011 Poliforce opens the Delta warehouse in Portoviro/IT for fish supplies;
2013 Dorabox’s turnover increases exponentially, at three-digits percentage for 3 consecutive years;
2016 Paolo Garbagna joins the EUMEPS Board as Vice President. Whirlpool Quality Award;
2017 signed the agreement with BEWI Synbra as official BioFoam reseller in Italy. Start of collaboration with the University of Pavia;
2019 ICSS celebrates 50 years of activity. Paolo Garbagna is elected EUMEPS Chair. ICSS is signatory in Brussels of the commitment for recycling 10 million tons of plastic by 2025;
2021 ICSS is recognized by Forbes Italy as one of the top 100 companies for sustainable excellence in Italy. The company enters the EcoeFISHent project;
2022 aim to upscale an ICSS’ dedicated molding line to produce 50 thousand eco-boxes/year till 2025, by the usage of bio-based foams.

Work Package

WP4

ICSS’ goal within the EcoeFISHent project is the sustainable production and distribution of eco-fish boxes.
Towards the production size, by the usage of bio-based foams, polymers with similar structure and mechanical properties to EPS, which is the material most widely used in the packaging industry nowadays. However, the differences in ecological terms are expressive, starting with the raw material of biopolymers (vegetable) compared to fossil based (EPS), passing through the productive process that may reduce CO2 emissions in 60% by the upscale of an ICSS’ dedicated molding line for greener alternatives, and finishing with a better end-of-life as biofoams allow efficient composting.
About the distribution, the dedicated molding line permits the optimization of box shape, which leads to a maximization of the load factor and reduces the unit transport volume, improving efficiency in the transportation of the eco-fish boxes.

Team

Paolo Garbagna

CEO

Manager graduated from Bocconi, Milano, and ICSS’ Group CEO since 1993, leading five manufacturing sites focused on sustainable growth.

Co-founder of Ruster Italia, a company focused on the distribution of gym equipment, especially for Crosstraining. Past president of EUMEPS (2019-21) and former member of the Circular Plastic Alliance Steering Committee. Current member of the Council of Rubber-Plastic Group, and co-professor of Innovability and Circular Entrepreneurship at University of Pavia.

Annamaria Bianchi

General Director

General Director, working in ICSS since 1993. The second in command, being the one in charge whenever Paolo Garbagna is absent.

Responsible for all sectors of ICSS’ headquarters, from negotiations with clients and suppliers, to the administration of the factory’s indicators, and the financial aspects of the company.

Francesca Buttafava

Production Leader

Production Leader, working in ICSS since 1983.

Responsible for the programming of the factory’s activities, as organizing Part Numbers to be produced each day, the allocation of manpower and communication with the production unit cells.

Patrizia Caccavale

National Sales & Shipment Leader

National Sales & Shipment Leader, working in ICSS since 1996.

Responsible for the sales department, acting in the cost and timing negotiations with clients and clients-to-be. Deeply correlated with ICSS’ technical department for the development of new products quotations for clients.

Mauro Gorini

Group Quality Leader

Group Quality Leader, working in ICSS since 1998.

Responsible for assuring the quality of the products in terms of their capability to protect client’s items, and dimensional tolerances. Acts in the development of new projects and supports the Sales Department whenever quotations are necessary.

Riccardo Grumelli

Production Engineer

Electronic Engineer graduated from University of Pavia and Master in Management Engineering from the University of Parma, working in ICSS since 2017.

Responsible for monitoring and evaluating all manufacturing processes and performances in order to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Moreover, responsible for planning raw material purchases for the whole ICSS Group.