Pigna

The Brand

PIGNA Italian quality and design and innovation.

Every year Pigna invests considerable energies and huge financial resources in research and technological development actions.

Extremely active and dynamic also in terms of commercial strategies, the Group moves across the board with initiatives to extend the penetration of its products in various countries. Precisely for this reason Pigna’s products, besides having an excellent quality, are always present and convey positive values appreciated both by young and adults.

Under the impulse of what is a precise business choice, the brand Pigna is evolving towards a very global life-style in school and office world.

Pigna is able to quickly respond to the new markets’ needs and expectations with a spirit that combines pride for the past, commitment for the present and desire to bet and invest in the future.

Brand History

The origins date back to 1675, but Cartiere Paolo Pigna’s recent history begins in 1839, precisely 30th April, the day on which it is founded, by private writing, a company for the paper manufacturing between Mr Tomaso Pastori and engineer Paolo Pigna (Varese 1802 – Milan 1888), as collective members, and the Company Turati e Radice, general partner.

On 19th May 1868, engineer Paolo Pigna assumes the remaining assets and liabilities. Eng. Paolo Pigna, declares the continuation by himself, the same line of business in the factory in Alzano, become of his exclusive property.

Paolo Pigna takes over three pre-existing small paper mills: Ghisalberti, Milesi and Sonzogni, located in Alzano Maggiore, in the province of Bergamo.

In year 1870 with business name Paolo Pigna and registered office in Milan, the distinguishing feature that the founder wants to impart to his company is already evident: qualitative excellence. This goal is achieved through the use of technologically advanced machineries and the formation of an increasingly numerous workforce motivated to pursue the optimization in new productions. Paolo Pigna himself, in year 1872, expressed to the Industrial Inquiry Committee as follows: “There are others, but produce just ordinary paper, while I produce also fine papers, for registers, regular and thin letter paper, telegraph rolls, coloured, marbled papers”.

While the administrative headquarters remain in Milan. Unlike other companies in the sector, which at the beginning of 20th century substantially maintain the same characteristics and dimensions, Pigna’s production doubles, rising from 600,000 to 1,200,000 quintals of processed paper, mainly thanks to the mechanization and progressive enlargement of the structure in the Bergamo area. This has significantly affected the social-economic development of neighbouring countries in Seriana Valley, and in the city of Bergamo.
Unlike competitors, Cartiere Paolo Pigna was the first company to believe that cover illustrations and the iconic message vehicled by exercise books need a special care. Covers could not be overlooked and had to be appealing and attractive, keeping up-to-date and in line with the times, evolving together with the changes in society, habits and people interests.
During the last years, thanks to the high quality of its productions, the company managed to expand both on national and international territory, also thanks to the opening of many branches abroad, and has been appreciated in various international markets (we quote Romania, Spain, Russia, France). Constant innovation, the development of advanced products with higher quality than the competitors’ ones have allowed Cartiere Paolo Pigna to reach the European leadership in stationery sector. The constant technological and quality progress, certified Cartiere Paolo Pigna to ISO:9001 standard. In addition its particular attention to environment allowed to achieve the ISO:14001 certificate, in addition to the PEFC and FSC conservation chain. Cartiere Paolo Pigna can boast the fact that entire generations have written, dreamed and studied at school and at work on Pigna’s products.