PRESS RELEASE

NEW MEDIOCREDITO ITALIANO LAUNCHED,
BUSINESS FINANCE HUB OF THE INTESA SANPAOLO GROUP

INTEGRATED OFFER FOR STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN
GROWTH IN SIZE, INTERNATIONALISATION AND INNOVATION

• 37 billion euro in loans, of which 28 billion disbursed to SMEs
• Over 80,000 customers
• 7 regional hubs
• 80 business finance specialists throughout the country; a total of 750 professionals dedicated to specialist financial support for SMEs
• Extensive network enhanced with leasing and advisory services for the agricultural industry

Milan, 27 January 2014 − The new Mediocredito Italiano has been launched, the Business Finance Hub of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group dedicated to assisting companies with their investments and growth paths, a point of reference in Italy for advisory services on business finance, specialist finance and leasing.

Reorganised in 2008 after a 50-year history of specialising in medium to long-term credit to SMEs, Mediocredito Italiano was strengthened through the merger with the Group’s leasing business (Leasint, Centro Leasing and the leasing branch of Neos Finance) by means of a reorganisation aimed at supporting the Italian manufacturing industry with new tools and aiding the economic revival.
The same date also saw the finalisation of Mediocredito Italiano’s acquisition of 100% of the share capital of Agriventure S.p.A., the organisation dedicated to the agricultural industry previously owned by Intesa Sanpaolo and Banca CR Firenze.

The new Business Finance Hub of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group will serve over 80,000 customers, with a loans volume of more than 37 billion euro, 28 billion of which disbursed to SMEs. This is the new Mediocredito Italiano’s response to the emerging requirements of businesses: growth in size to reach critical mass, the need to exploit production chain strengths, investments in innovation and internationalisation, optimisation of the financial structure for growth in Italy and abroad.

To accompany businesses towards the achievement of these goals, the Business Finance Hub will rest on three pillars: a complete, integrated product mix for strategic and growth investments, sector-specific specialisation in the approach to customers, integration with the country-wide network of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group.

The activities of Mediocredito Italiano, sharing the service model of Intesa Sanpaolo’s Banca dei Territori, of which it forms part, are based on three main lines of business that propose targeted business solutions:

- Consulting/advisory: new services include advisory services to company owners in terms of business finance, extraordinary financial transactions (mergers and acquisitions, share listings and bond issues with Banca IMI); liability optimisation; internationalisation; aggregation into Business Networks; and a sector-specific approach (e.g. in the agri-food industry). When fully operative, 80 business finance specialists are expected to operate throughout Italy.
- Specialist loans and subsidised credit: sector-specific loans, to research and innovation activities, with specific funding, subsidised loans, financing and co-financing with Italian public entities and European subsidised instruments.
- Leasing: real estate, operating leases, vehicles, aircraft, energy production plants, trademarks and works of art.

Mediocredito Italian will manage the subsidised finance and research and innovation finance for the entire Intesa Sanpaolo Group, also through agreements with trade associations, business associations and other partners offering consulting services to Group customers and companies.

The specialist sectors on which Mediocredito Italiano will focus will initially be: Food & Agribusiness, Electronics, Energy, Large-Scale Distribution, Infrastructures, Luxury & Fashion, Materials and Consumer Goods, Engineering, Media & Entertainment, Health and Pharmaceutical, Home and Tourism.

With the inclusion of the leasing hub and Agriventure in the new Mediocredito Italiano, led by newly appointed General Manager Andrea Bressani, the Group takes a major step in the process of simplifying the Banca dei Territori’s operating structure. A further boost is given to rationalisation of the product mix, the increasingly closer bond with the community and the constant focus on customer needs.

“The crisis has changed traditional relations between the customer and the bank,” says Carlo Messina, CEO of the Intesa Sanpaolo Group, “prompting the bank to make the transition from financial partner to strategic partner for businesses. With the setup of the business finance hub, Mediocredito Italiano becomes the bridge between business needs and financial solutions that can lead to a new balance between venture capital and debt capital.” “This new approach”, Carlo Messina concludes, “will allow our Group to take another step towards structural simplification and skills development.” 

“By expanding our expertise with business finance consulting and leasing products, Mediocredito Italian’s strategic role as a specialist centre of excellence is strengthened”, said Roberto Mazzotta, Chairman of Mediocredito Italiano. “From today we can rely on greater incisiveness in our support for strategic investments, development and growth processes of businesses, reiterating our commitment to hook into the recovery as soon as possible.”

“Through the new structure of Mediocredito Italiano we will be satisfying the emerging needs of businesses with a targeted, integrated product mix that enables them to best exploit growth opportunities as they arise on the market”, stated Andrea Bressani, General Manager of Mediocredito Italiano. “We will be a real partner to companies, capable of satisfying their financial requirements and valuing them even further, also in view of the world’s growing interest in Italian SMEs”.

 

For information
 
Intesa Sanpaolo
Media Relations - Banca dei Territori and Local Media
Tel. +39 02 87962677 - 87962642
stampa@intesasanpaolo.com