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Italian machinery manufacturers Tirelli and Unimac-Gherri are joining forces through a merger designed to create a broader integrated industrial platform serving the food, home and personal care, and chemical sectors.

Under the transaction, Unimac-Gherri will officially become part of Tirelli as a dedicated division focused on food-sector applications.

The merger combines Tirelli's expertise in filling, capping and labelling systems for home and personal care products with Unimac-Gherri’s established capabilities in piston filling, twist-off capping, and traditional as well as robotic end-of-line systems for food production.

Both companies bring decades of engineering experience and complementary technologies, creating what they describe as a stronger and more innovative operating platform.

For food and beverage manufacturers, the combined business is expected to offer a wider portfolio of integrated packaging and processing solutions aimed at improving operational efficiency, reliability and service support.

A key driver behind the merger is increased investment in advanced technologies, including robotics, artificial intelligence and platform standardisation.

The companies said combining resources will strengthen their ability to address evolving technological demands and market challenges while delivering more competitive end-to-end systems.

This is particularly relevant as food manufacturers continue to seek greater automation, line flexibility and production efficiency amid labour pressures and rising operational costs.

The merged organisation will unify design, manufacturing and after-sales services under one leadership structure.

At the same time, all production plants will remain fully operational, with ongoing modernisation programmes continuing across facilities.

The businesses also plan to strengthen collaboration with global key accounts through a unified commercial organisation.

According to the companies, the merger marks “a new chapter of growth” focused on industrial scale, operational structure and shared technological vision. By consolidating capabilities, Tirelli aims to strengthen its international presence in strategic markets while accelerating innovation investment.