Grupo PADANA

What Grupo PADANA does

Gruppo Padana, legally registered as ortofloricoltura dei F.lli Gazzola S.S. (a società semplice / general partnership under Italian law), is a horticultural and floricultural nursery based in Paese (Treviso), in Italy's Veneto region. Founded in 1988 when brothers Giorgio and Paolo Gazzola took over 8,500 m² of greenhouses from their father Albino, the company specializes in the production of young plants (seedlings and cuttings) from both seeds and cuttings, supplying professional growers, farmers, and nursery operators across Europe with an assortment of more than 2,000 items spanning ornamental plants, vegetables, herbs, and roses. By 2016 the operation had scaled to approximately 250,000 m² of greenhouses and around 30,000 m² of accessory agricultural facilities.

The company's core technology is greenhouse cultivation for propagating young plants, complemented by in-house breeding programs that generate exclusive genetics. It commercializes proprietary registered brands including GPman (Dipladenia/Mandevilla), Top-Tunia (Petunia), Viola Superba (pansy/viola), Primabella (Primrose), Lavinia (Lavender), and vegetable/herb lines such as Horty Games and HORTISUPER AROMA. Product assortment is organized into Spring-Summer and Autumn-Winter seasonal categories, and the portfolio also includes third-party rose genetics from breeders such as Meilland and Kordes.

The business operates a sales-led, B2B go-to-market model, selling young plants directly to professional growers across at least nine European markets (Italy, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, and Spain) through a direct sales organization and contact-based ordering. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quoted on a per-customer basis. Revenue is generated through one-time sales of young plants; there is no evidence of subscription or recurring revenue mechanics. The company is entirely family-owned with no external investors, parent company, or subsidiaries; it employs an estimated 101-250 people.

Name

Grupo PADANA

Legal name

ortofloricoltura dei F.lli Gazzola S.S.

Website

https://gruppopadana.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Gruppo Padana is an Italian horticultural nursery that produces young plants from seeds and cuttings—ornamental plants, vegetables, herbs, and roses—supplying professional growers and farmers across Europe with an assortment of over 2,000 items.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Horticultural Young Plant Production

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142), Floriculture Production (111422), Other Food Crops Grown Under Cover (111419)

akta.pro primary industry

Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) / Vertical Farming (Indoor LED Farms) (AFAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Nursery Stock & Propagule Production (Cuttings, Rootstocks, Grafts) (AFAGAIAO), Vegetative Propagation (Cuttings, Clonal Forestry, Tissue Culture) (AFAMADAE)

Keywords

• Young plant production
• Greenhouse horticulture
• Ornamental plant propagation
• Floricultural nursery
• Vegetable seedling production

Headquarters

HQ city

Paese

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Young Plant Sales (B2B): Sale of young plants (seedlings and cuttings) to professional growers, farmers, and nursery operators. Products include ornamental plants, vegetables, herbs, and roses. The company serves customers across Europe with an assortment of over 2,000 items.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gruppo Padana is a horticultural nursery that produces young plants (seedlings) from both seeds and cuttings. Operating approximately 250,000 m² of greenhouses, the company supplies professional growers, farmers, and nursery operators across Europe with an assortment of over 2,000 items spanning ornamental plants, vegetables, herbs, and roses.

Product overview

Gruppo Padana is a horticultural nursery specializing in the production of young plants from seeds and cuttings. The company operates approximately 250,000 m² of greenhouses and 30,000 m² of accessory agricultural facilities (as of 2016), serving customers throughout Europe with an assortment of over 2,000 items. The product portfolio is organized into two main seasonal categories: Spring-Summer (including Dipladenia/GPman, Pelargonium/Geraniums, Sunpatiens, Top-Tunia, Pot Plants, Vegetables, Herbs, Annuals) and Autumn-Winter (including Cyclamen, Poinsettia, Pansies/Viola Superba, Primroses/Primabella, Perennials, and Roses). Key branded products include GPman (Dipladenia), Viola Superba (Pansy), Primabella (Primrose), Top-Tunia (Patio Plants), and Lavinia (Lavender). The company also produces vegetables (Tomato, Pepper, Grafted Plants) and herb varieties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GPman: Dipladenia (Mandevilla) brand with exclusive genetics from Gruppo Padana breeding - includes varieties like GPman PINK, GPman WHITE, GPman BRILLIANT RED
• Viola Superba
• Primabella
• Top-Tunia
• HORTISUPER AROMA
• Lavinia
• MAJESTY
• JAMBO
• FIORDORO
• KOKORITA
• TINKLEBELL
• CONTESSA
• DUCHESSE
• Soiree
• Sensy
• Pot-Prince

Products and services

• Young Plants from Seeds and Cuttings

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Consorzio Innovaa - Innovazione AgroalimentarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Project coordinator for the 'Future Agriculture and Functional Food' (F.A.&A.F.) research project funded by POR FESR 2014-2020. Gruppo Padana is a co-proponent in this initiative focused on innovation in the agri-food sector including floriculture and horticulture.
• Rete Innovativa RIBEScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Partnership in the 'Future Agriculture and Functional Food' (F.A.&A.F.) project focused on innovation for health and smart nutrition ecosystems.
• Distretto Ittico di Rovigo e ChioggiaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Co-proponent in the F.A.&A.F. research project focused on functional foods and sustainable agriculture.
• Università degli Studi di PadovacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Research center partner in the F.A.&A.F. project contributing expertise in agriculture, biotechnology, and food science.
• Università Ca' Foscari VeneziacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Research university partner in the F.A.&A.F. project focused on sustainable agriculture and functional foods.
• Università degli Studi di VeronacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Academic partner in the F.A.&A.F. research initiative contributing to agricultural innovation.
• Centro Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020National research center partner providing expertise in biotechnology and diagnostic technologies for the F.A.&A.F. project.
• EcorNaturaSìminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2020Agricultural producer and organic/natural products company participating in the F.A.&A.F. research project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Selecta One: German breeder and producer of vegetatively propagated ornamental young plants (Pelargonium, Poinsettia, Calibrachoa, Petunia). Competes head-on with Padana in branded, cutting-based ornamentals sold to European growers.
• Kientzler Jungpflanzen: German family-owned young-plant producer of bedding and balcony plants, including Pelargonium and Poinsettia. Comparable mid-sized European competitor with similar breeding-and-propagation model.
• Florensis: Dutch breeder and propagator of annual and perennial young plants (Pelargonium, Primula, Pansy, Poinsettia). Comparable to Padana across the same autumn-winter ornamental assortment including Primabella/Viola equivalents.
• HilverdaFlorist: Dutch breeder and young-plant supplier specializing in cut flowers, pot plants, and garden plants. Comparable as a European breeding-to-young-plant player serving growers with proprietary genetics and broad assortment.
• Dümmen Orange: Global Dutch-based leader in floricultural breeding and young-plant production across ornamentals. Directly comparable to Gruppo Padana as a B2B young-plant supplier with proprietary genetics, large greenhouse footprint, and European grower customer base.
• Beekenkamp Group: Dutch family-owned young-plant and pot-plant producer active in ornamentals and vegetables. Closely comparable business model (family ownership, large greenhouse footprint, branded genetics, European B2B sales).
• Volmary GmbH: German family-owned horticultural company producing young vegetable, herb, and flower plants. Directly comparable for Padana's vegetable and herb young-plant lines (Tomato, Pepper, herbs, grafted plants).

Broad incumbents

• Ball Horticultural Company: US-headquartered global horticulture major with breeding, seed, and young-plant businesses across ornamentals and vegetables. Comparable to Padana at the category level, though significantly larger and geographically broader.
• Syngenta Flowers (Syngenta Group): Global seed and crop protection major with a commercial flowers and ornamentals business. Overlaps with Padana's young-plant assortment at the broad-portfolio level, with materially larger R&D and capital resources.

Emerging players

• Suntory Flowers: Japanese breeder that licenses and propagates premium ornamental varieties (e.g., Surfinia petunias, Sunpatiens impatiens). Comparable to Padana in branded ornamental genetics sold via European propagators; overlapping in Top-Tunia and Sunpatiens-adjacent categories.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@gruppopadana1246/featured
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gruppopadana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Grupo PADANA