What Ghelfi Ondulati does

Ghelfi Ondulati S.p.A. is a privately held Italian manufacturer of corrugated cardboard packaging, founded in 1952 in Talamona (now headquartered in Buglio in Monte, Sondrio) and still operating under founding-family ownership. The company produces standard American boxes, trays, lidded containers (bauletti), and a portfolio of seven patented products including the flagship ESA packaging system, Geasy 3 shelf-ready displays, Esa no-crush reinforced trays, Sila aeration trays, Milla octagonal containers, Maxi Bin bulk containers, and Epi-Pal cardboard pallets. Manufacturing relies on a BHS corrugator with IoT integration (Corrugator 4.0, installed 2016), Bobst flexo (Masterflex HD+, Mastercut 2.1), and HP PageWide T1190/T1100S digital presses for variable-data and photo-quality print up to 1200 DPI. Capacity is 91 million square meters per year on 36,000 square meters of plant, with 202 employees.

The business model is B2B direct sales of custom packaging, with revenue split between one-time product sales and a professional design-consultancy service covering structural design, prototyping, and graphic support. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven: the company maintains dedicated stands at Fruit Logistica, Macfrut, MedFEL, Fruit Attraction, MARCA, and other European trade shows, and operates a dispersed assembly-center network for finished-product distribution. The primary customer segment is Italian and European fresh-produce growers, cooperatives, and distributors, supplemented by named enterprise accounts in wine (Mondodelvino), coffee (Polti), cosmetics (Alkemilla, Estée Lauder), and branded food (Barilla, Melinda, Zespri). Pricing is quote-based on specifications, quantity, and print requirements and is not publicly disclosed. The company reports €112M annual turnover, EcoVadis Gold recognition, ESG Gold Rating, and a full stack of ISO 9001/14001/22000/45001, FSSC 22000, FSC, and PEFC certifications.

Underlying the commercial operation is a significant R&D apparatus: the dedicated Ghelfi 1905 basic-research division, an 18-year collaboration with Politecnico di Milano (Chair affiliation, biennial research fellowship, annual workshops, Final Synthesis Laboratory), partnerships with the University of Florence and the University of the Republic of San Marino, and a social-inclusion production partnership with Cooperativa Il Sentiero that produced 420 million ESA pieces in 2024. Proprietary in-house technology includes the Zero Defect System (ultrasonic defect detection), internally developed low-cost process sensors, and custom corrugated-cardboard optimization software. Distribution is direct, with no disclosed channel partners, and ownership remains concentrated with the founding family.

Name

Ghelfi Ondulati

Legal name

Ghelfi Ondulati S.p.A.

Website

https://ghelfiondulati.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ghelfi Ondulati is a privately held Italian manufacturer (founded 1952) of patented corrugated cardboard packaging, serving fresh-produce, food, wine, and cosmetics customers across Europe via HP PageWide digital printing and a dedicated assembly network; 202 employees, €112M turnover.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corrugated Cardboard Packaging

NAICS

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211), Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing (322219), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Commercial Printing (2750)

akta.pro primary industry

Corrugated Packaging (Boxes, Sheets, Pads) (IMALACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA), Specialty Paper Packaging (Gift Boxes, Luxury Cartons, Composite Paper Cans) (IMALACAI), Paper & Paperboard Packaging Converting & Finishing (Die-Cutting, Gluing, Windowing, Coating) (IMALACAL), Corrugated & Case Printing (Preprint/Postprint) (IMALAKAI)

Keywords

• Corrugated cardboard packaging
• Printed packaging solutions
• Shelf-ready packaging
• Produce trays containers
• Food-grade packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Buglio In Monte

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corrugated Cardboard Packaging Sales: Manufacturing and sale of corrugated cardboard packaging products including boxes, trays, display stands, and custom packaging solutions. Revenue generated through direct sales to food producers, retailers, and industrial clients.
2. Design Consultancy Services: Technical and graphic design support for packaging development, including structural design, prototyping, and integrated communications on products.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ghelfi Ondulati designs and manufactures corrugated cardboard packaging, including American boxes, trays, lidded containers, and patented specialty products, for food producers, retailers, and industrial clients. The company operates HP PageWide digital printing and 7-color flexographic printing to deliver customizable, sustainable packaging with variable data, QR code, and anti-counterfeiting capabilities, complemented by design consultancy and an assembly center distribution network.

Product overview

Ghelfi Ondulati is a manufacturer of corrugated cardboard packaging solutions consisting of American boxes (Scatole Americane), trays (Vaschette), and lidded containers (Bauletti). The company holds multiple patents including Geasy 3® (shelf-ready packaging displays), Sila® (aerated produce trays), Esa no-crush® (reinforced trays), Milla® (octagonal containers), Maxi Bin (bulk storage containers), Epi-Pal (cardboard pallets), and the flagship Esa® (reduced-impact packaging exported worldwide). Supporting services include digital printing via HP PageWide technology for variable data and QR codes, flexographic printing (7-color), die-cutting, and folding-gluing. The company also provides design consultancy and maintains assembly centers across Italy for product distribution. Founded in 1952 as Scatolificio Ghelfi, the company employs 202 people and produces 91 million square meters of cardboard annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ghelfi 1905: A division dedicated to basic research and development of innovative packaging solutions

Products and services

• American Boxes (Scatole Americane) Standard and custom-sized American-style corrugated cardboard boxes designed for the protection and transportation of goods, from delicate items to perishable produce, serving food producers, retailers, and industrial clients.
• Trays (Vaschette) Corrugated cardboard produce trays including classic trays, trays with handles, closed trays with lids, and heat-sealed trays for fruits and vegetables.
• Bauletti (Lidded Containers) Corrugated cardboard container boxes with integrated or separate lids for produce packaging applications.
• Geasy 3® Patented American-style corrugated boxes that convert into shelf-ready packaging (SRP) displays, combining shipping protection with point-of-sale retail visibility.
• Sila® Patented corrugated produce tray engineered to ensure perfect aeration between palletized packages, preserving freshness and shelf life of palletized produce.
• Esa no-crush® Patented corrugated tray with angular corner reinforcements that deliver high crush resistance at contained cost, with corner pieces produced via a social-inclusion partnership with Cooperativa Il Sentiero.
• Milla® Patented corrugated container with a distinctive octagonal shape designed for small fruits, providing unique presentation and structural benefits.
• Maxi Bin Patented corrugated cardboard alternative to wooden bins, used for bulk storage and transport of produce and industrial goods.
• Epi-Pal Corrugated cardboard pallet providing a sustainable alternative to traditional wooden pallets for logistics and material handling.
• Esa® Flagship patented corrugated packaging with reduced environmental impact, exported worldwide, providing material savings and high compression resistance.
• Coffee Packaging Custom corrugated cardboard packaging for coffee products including pods, capsules, beans, and ground coffee, with box configurations from 25 to 150 units per box, serving coffee brands and machine manufacturers.
• Design Consultancy Joint design project service that helps customers identify optimal corrugated packaging solutions, providing technical and graphic support across structural design, prototyping, and integrated on-pack communications.
• Geographical Presence Service (Assembly Center Network) Network of assembly centers distributed across national and international territory that deliver assembled packaging products to customers, operated through partnerships with specialized assembly companies.
• Digital Printing (HP PageWide) High-speed digital printing service on corrugated cardboard using HP PageWide Thermal Inkjet technology with water-based inks, enabling variable data, QR codes, anti-counterfeiting features, and high-resolution customization up to 1200 DPI for food and consumer brands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mondodelvino wine boxes increased sales by up to 30%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AlkemillaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 July 2026Sustainable packaging collaboration for organic cosmetics products, aligning with natural cosmetics sector values.
• Ánako APScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Collaboration on the + Vicini da lontano project awarded Compasso d'Oro ADI 2026. Ghelfi contributed development of foldable emergency cribs made of corrugated cardboard for newborns in vulnerable situations, emergency, and migration contexts.
• University of the Republic of San MarinominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Workshop collaboration (3rd year Architecture faculty) on packaging, in partnership with Comieco. 1st edition in 2014.
• University of FlorenceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Workshop collaboration since 2009 (3rd year Architecture students) on packaging for 2015 Milan EXPO, in partnership with Comieco. 4 editions conducted.
• Cooperativa Sociale Il SentierocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Social inclusion partnership since 1999 creating the Corrugated Cardboard Laboratory where profit company and social enterprise collaborate. Cooperativa produces semi-finished products and components including ESA angular pieces on 4 production lines. In 2024, produced 420 million ESA pieces enabling 105 million boxes.
• BarillacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Annual workshop collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and Ghelfi Ondulati for packaging design challenges. July 2016 Workshop of Excellence project. Ongoing collaboration bringing real-world design challenges into classroom.
• Politecnico di Milano - School of DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Long-standing collaboration since 2006 including Final Synthesis Laboratory projects (Bachelor's and Master's), annual workshops bringing real-world projects to students, Chair affiliation with Department of Industrial Chemistry (since 2008), biennial research fellowship on package evolution in retail (since 2012), eCommerce Observatory research sponsorship, Retail Observatory sponsorship (2019), and various thesis projects since 2007.
• ZespriminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project to guarantee better performance for products shipped overseas. Ghelfi provides packaging design consultancy and custom packaging solutions for Zespri kiwifruit products.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mondi Group: Integrated paper and corrugated packaging group with strong European footprint; overlaps with Ghelfi in fresh-produce and FMCG packaging, particularly in Italy/Central Europe.
• DS Smith: Major European corrugated and recyclable packaging producer; directly comparable end-markets (food, produce, retail-ready) and overlapping sustainability positioning.
• Smurfit Westrock: World's largest containerboard and corrugated packaging producer; competes with Ghelfi on European fruit/vegetable and FMCG accounts but at vastly greater scale and with a global plant network.

Emerging players

• Ondulati Giusti: Italian corrugated cardboard producer with overlapping fresh-produce and FMCG customer base; useful mid-market reference point for Ghelfi's pricing and product-mix positioning in Italy.
• Carton Pack: Italian corrugated packaging specialist focused on food and fresh-produce end-markets; comparable in scale and customer profile, providing a close niche benchmark for Ghelfi's primary segment.

Direct peers

• Burgo Group: Italian paper manufacturer and packaging converter; overlaps with Ghelfi in coated paperboard and corrugated-adjacent packaging for publishing, food, and specialty applications.
• Saica Group: Spanish-headquartered corrugated packaging and paper group with extensive Italian operations; closest mid-to-large European competitor on corrugated boxes and trays for produce and FMCG.
• VPK Packaging Group: Privately held European corrugated and solid-board packaging producer with a similar mid-size, family-influenced profile and strong focus on recyclable fiber-based solutions.
• Pro-Gest: Italian integrated paper, corrugated, and packaging group; the most direct domestic comparable on vertical integration from paper to box and on serving Italian fresh-produce customers.
• Klingele Papierwerke: German family-owned corrugated packaging manufacturer with comparable size, integrated paper-to-box model, and emphasis on sustainable fiber-based packaging for food and industrial customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ghelfiondulati
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ghelfi-ondulati-s-p-a

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ghelfi Ondulati