Italtrans opens new Logistics Hub near Turin – Built in just four months
Source: L’Eco di Bergamo
Built and launched in record time—just four months. This is the new Italtrans logistics hub in Nichelino, on the outskirts of Turin.
Covering 12,000 square metres, the facility—operated by Italtrans subsidiary Mazzocco—is dedicated to the food sector, offering both temperature-controlled areas and cold chain storage for frozen goods.
“We go where our clients’ needs take us,” explains Paola Bellina, head of Italtrans’ e-commerce division. “Whether it’s Lallio, the Lazio region, Tuscany, or—as in this case—Piedmont. There was a need for a location with strong logistics and road connections, ideally placed to serve central Turin and facilitate home deliveries. Nichelino was the perfect choice.”
The new hub responds to the significant growth of Italtrans’ e-commerce services over the past year. The Calcinate-based group—specialised in end-to-end logistics (management, warehousing, transport, and distribution for large-scale retailers and home delivery across all product sectors)—reported a €290 million turnover in 2019. In 2020, its e-commerce services grew by 120%.
“With the health crisis, home delivery has grown exponentially,” Bellina adds. “The Turin opening would likely have happened regardless—just as it did in Rome back in May 2018—but the urgency of the situation in recent months accelerated everything. The new hub had to be built quickly—and it was.”
The Nichelino facility, now fully operational, is also entirely “Made in Bergamo”. Italtrans entrusted the construction to long-time partner Cospe, the San Paolo d’Argon-based construction company.
“We found the site in April 2020,” explains Alberto Pezzotta, Cospe’s owner. “After securing the land, submitting plans, and working with the local authorities—supported by the firm Domus Ing&Arch in Seriate—we obtained the building permit on 14 August. By 10 December, the building was delivered. Just four months—a record.”
With travel restrictions in place throughout 2020, e-commerce and home delivery became essential services.
“In addition to uninterrupted supply to major retailers during the hardest months,” says Matteo Testa, Italtrans’ HR Director, “we never stopped delivering to homes. We were among the few companies authorised, even in the early lockdown phase, to enter Codogno to deliver groceries. That made us incredibly proud. But it was only possible thanks to the strong sense of responsibility shown by our workforce.”
At present, the Nichelino site employs 25 drivers, with plans to double that number in the coming months. In November, Italtrans launched a recruitment drive to hire new home delivery professionals.
“As always,” Testa concludes, “we’re working in close collaboration with local institutions, which have been particularly responsive and supportive—helping us meet both logistical and employment needs.”
