Ardian partners with Wise to accelerate the development of Corob, a global leader in automation solutions for dosing and dispensing

Headquartered in San Felice sul Panaro (Modena, Italy), Corob supplies a wide range of high tech automation solutions used in the production and distribution of paints and coatings, inks and chemical substances worldwide, in addition to the related after-sales services. The current senior management team at Corob brings a wealth of strong global experience, and will continue to lead the company.
Corob was founded in 1984, introducing to the market the first automatic color dispensing system. In 2016 Wise SGR acquired 100% of the capital, and two acquisitions, in Canada and Southern Europe, have expanded the business by strengthening its industrial plants and after-sales service segments.
With more than 700 employees, 10% of which are employed in R&D, and a turnover of over €100 million, in addition to four  production and engineering centers in Italy, India, Canada and Finland and 14 commercial and services centers, Corob is the only player in the market able to combine a wide range of automation solutions with an excellent and widespread after-market service organization worldwide. 6% of the turnover is generated in Italy, 37% in the rest of Europe, Middle East and Africa, and the remaining 57% in America and Asia.

Ardian will work together with the management team in the growth strategy, both organic and through acquisitions, leveraging its international network. Well known for its strong presence in the point of sale market segment, the Company, supported by Ardian and Wise SGR, will accelerate its growth by investing in a further expansion of the industrial plants and the after-market services segments. 

Paolo Bergonzini, Managing Director and Head of Ardian Expansion in Italy, added: ”Corob is an excellent Italian company that already benefits from a strong worldwide appreciation for its highly specialized products. We will provide Corob with our experience and expertise and, together with the company and Wise, we will be able to bring out the full potential of this important Italian industrial company.”

Valentina Franceschini, Partner at Wise SGR, concluded: “We are very proud of how the company has grown in the last two years, both organically and through two acquisitions in 2017, and how we have contributed to the evolution of the group's growth strategy through a new corporate leadership and, more generally, the strengthening of the management team. We have also laid a solid basis on which Corob can continue to rapidly grow, to serve customers with distinctive and individual solutions. Ardian's entry is a great opportunity for Corob to further invest in its growth.”