Gian Luca Sghedoni becomes sole shareholder of Litokol Spa

The new shareholder is preparing to revolutionise the sector once again with a bold and pioneering vision.

Rubiera (RE), 19 December 2024 – Gian Luca Sghedoni, through Napura, the family office he founded and leads, announces the acquisition of Litokol Spa, a company recognised worldwide for the technical excellence of its professional ceramic installation systems.

The transaction involved the acquisition of shares held by Daniela Cottafavi, the company’s reference shareholder and daughter of founder Luciano Cottafavi, as well as by several company managers.

This strategic transaction represents a decisive step towards redefining the future of the industry by introducing a visionary approach that combines scientific creativity with individual talent.

“Taking full control of Litokol demonstrates the strong commitment and involvement of both myself and my children,” Sghedoni said. “Building a new industrial leader is my main challenge. In Litokol, I identified a company of excellence, focused on technological research and supported by highly qualified professionals. My goal is to develop an ambitious growth project.”
“My sons Jacopo and Riccardo are by my side, and together we want to start again with kindness, ethics and respect for all stakeholders. Human capital lies at the heart of our corporate vision for creating value,” Sghedoni continued. “The acquisition of Litokol is an act of confidence in the future of the surface installation industry, which for too long has lacked true innovation. Our goal is to create an environment where scientific creativity and individual talent can thrive, generating solutions capable of redefining industry standards.”

A new approach to innovation

Litokol will become a hub for groundbreaking ideas, bringing together materials science, artificial intelligence and human creativity. It will be a place where researchers, designers and craftspeople can collaborate to develop solutions that combine technical performance with an unprecedented environmental impact. Key objectives include:

· Developing highly innovative installation materials optimised for performance, sustainability and durability;· Exploring the application of advanced technologies, such as nanomaterials and smart coatings;· Promoting an open innovation model through collaboration with universities, research centres and industry professionals.

“The courage to dream and the drive to innovate are the pillars of our project. We want to build a future in which technology and human capital are placed at the service of genuine progress,” the entrepreneur concluded.

“The sale to Gian Luca Sghedoni represents, for me, the best future I could have imagined for the company,” said Daniela Cottafavi, “and ensures it has solid prospects ahead. This agreement is exactly what we wanted and pursued with determination over recent months, thanks to the strong sense of unity and partnership that Gian Luca and I built with perseverance and conviction. We worked as a team, united by the same goal.”

Litokol Spa, founded in 1968 in Rubiera, in the heart of the Italian ceramic district, is a company recognised worldwide for the technical excellence of its professional ceramic installation systems, with unique expertise in epoxy- and polyurethane-based technologies supported by international patents.

Gian Luca Sghedoni, 57, is married and has three children. He joined Kerakoll in 1988 at the age of 21, when the company had revenues of €11 million, and led it to reach €500 million in turnover by 2019, when he left the company following irreconcilable differences of opinion with the current shareholders regarding corporate management and the appointment of Andrea Remotti as CEO.

In 2008, he received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in 2014 he was presented with the Leonardo Qualità Italia Award by the President of the Italian Republic. He is also a passionate collector and enthusiast of contemporary art and design.