When, in the heart of Abruzzo, Refresco began envisioning the future of its Italian facility, the challenge was clear: to build a logistics system capable of supporting growth, flexibly responding to an increasingly diversified product portfolio, and at the same time reducing environmental impact – shaping an innovative industrial model.
Refresco is the world’s largest independent provider of beverage solutions for global, national, and emerging brands, as well as retailers across Europe, North America, and Australia. In Italy, it manages a diverse production mix: “We produce in cans, glass, and PET plastic. The ability to offer different solutions to our customers is fundamental for the company’s strategic development,” emphasizes Claudio Ciavattini, Managing Director of Refresco Italia – a mix that requires a high level of efficiency and responsiveness.
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Logistics as a competitive advantage
Over the years, Refresco has made significant investments in bottling line technologies, eventually reaching a turning point in intralogistics. “We realized it would be the key lever for taking a further step forward,” says Tullio Tiozzo, Manufacturing Director of Refresco Italia. Reducing dependence on external warehouses, making flows faster and safer, and improving ESG indicators led to the decision to partner with a technology provider capable of combining innovation and flexibility.
It is in this context that the collaboration with E80 Group began, tasked with designing and implementing an integrated and automated intralogistics system, recognized for its ability to deliver innovative, tailored solutions.
The solution
The project transformed the Sulmona plant into a strategic hub centered around an AS/RS system served by six stacker cranes, with a capacity of over 25,000 pallet positions. Supporting it is a fleet of 13 laser-guided vehicles (LGVs), performing crucial functions: from supplying auxiliary materials to production lines to handling finished products destined for the AS/RS warehouse or automated block stacking managed by LGVs. As Gaetano Vicino, Supply Chain Director of Refresco Italia, explains, “LGV technology was identified as the most suitable because it allows us to avoid installing additional machinery inside the factory and to automate the existing warehouse within our plant.”
Within the 3- and 4-level Block Storage, entirely managed by LGVs, the environmental navigation system also plays a key role. It allows vehicles to move without artificial references or pre-mapping, ensuring flexibility and precision at every stage. The shipping area is also fully integrated into the automated flow management.
From production to the loading bay
The combination of laser-guided vehicles and the AS/RS, orchestrated by the SM.I.LE80 software platform has redefined the boundaries of production. “Today, production no longer ends at the palletizer, but at the loading bay,” explains Tiozzo. “Integrating a factory in this way results in a cultural transformation for everyone involved.” This transformation has made the entire process smoother, with constant control and full traceability ensured by the software. “We are talking about a warehouse run by a powerful software system, and from a corporate digitalization perspective, this is a crucial step for us,” adds Ciavattini.
Benefits and a shared vision
The project was completed in a remarkably short time: less than twelve months between the initial phase and the first pallet handled by LGVs. “This immediately allowed us to stop movements to external warehouses and improve environmental sustainability, while offering our customers warehousing services,” says Gaetano Vicino. The result has had a direct impact on productivity and the daily work of people at the plant. Thanks to an increasingly precise definition of procedures, speed, efficiency, and enhanced safety are now fully ensured.
For Refresco, the Sulmona project is just the beginning. “The next challenge will be to integrate our other plants in the same direction and achieve fully automated truck loading,” anticipates Tiozzo.
A shared, innovation-driven vision makes the partnership with E80 Group a success—not just in terms of technology, but also in terms of trust, translating into competitiveness, sustainability, and growth.
