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Maccaferri is a manufacturer of civil and environmental engineering products. Founded in 1879, It operates over 20 facilities across 4 continents, has 3,500 employees, and a commercial presence in more than 130 countries. Maccaferri provides advanced engineering solutions for reducing hydrogeological risk, as well as for the development and safety of transport infrastructure and urban environments.
More than three centuries later, on May 3, 1879, the Chamber of Commerce of Zola Predosa (Province of Bologna) registered Raffaele Maccaferri’s “Workshop”, located in Gesso, near the Lavino River. Raffaele, a blacksmith by trade, produced wrought-iron items—gates, fences, columns, stairs, and railings—for churches, homes, and shops in the Bologna area.
Among his sons, Angelo expanded the business commercially, while Luigi focused on technical innovation. Luigi introduced wire-drawing technology in the workshop and effectively reinvented the gabion using metal mesh. Although gabion-like structures had existed for millennia, they were previously made from natural materials.
In 1893, Maccaferri launched its first major project: using wire gabions to repair a breach in the historic Casalecchio di Reno dam. These were simple in design—sack-shaped gabions filled onsite with stones. In 1895, the company’s name was officially changed to “Raffaele Maccaferri e Figli”.
In 1906 and 1908, Maccaferri gabions were used to reinforce the embankments of the Tiber in Rome and the Arno in Florence—projects that cemented the company’s reputation in river engineering. During World War I, Maccaferri switched production to military needs, manufacturing barbed wire and other mesh-based products.
Between the wars, under Alessandro Maccaferri’s leadership, the company expanded internationally, including the protection of the Genale dam embankment in Somalia in 1926. In 1944, during World War II, the Zola Predosa plant was destroyed, but it was rebuilt in 1946 by Gaetano and Guglielmo Maccaferri.
In the 1950s and 1960s, Maccaferri introduced PVC-coated wire and invented the Reno mattress, enhancing product durability. These innovations were also used in rebuilding efforts after the 1966 flood in Florence. During the 1970s, the company further globalized by opening plants in Canada, the United States, and Brazil.
In 2000, Maccaferri acquired the UK-based company Linear Composites Ltd, specializing in high-performance geosynthetics. In 2006, the Brazilian BMD Texteis Ltda was acquired, expanding its geosynthetic production capacity for the construction, automotive, and agricultural sectors. In 2020, Maccaferri became part of the Stellex Capital Holdings Luxembourg portfolio. In 2024, investment fund Ambienta SGR acquired a majority stake, aiming to support the group’s development. That same year, Maccaferri also acquired the Italian company Nesa S.r.l., which specializes in advanced sensing and monitoring technologies. In 2025, the acquisition of US-based Synteen Technical Fabrics further strengthened its presence in North America. These actions reflect Maccaferri’s ambition to offer ever more comprehensive and innovative solutions on a global scale.
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