The General Assembly of CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE – the Italian Association representing the natural stone industry and its processing technologies – held on 26 June in Milan, unanimously renewed its confidence in outgoing President Gianluca Pellegrino, confirming him at the helm of the Association for the 2026–2028 term.
Once again, the General Assembly proved to be a key occasion for assessing the current state of the Italian natural stone industry and defining its strategic priorities, bringing together more than 170 delegates, including entrepreneurs from across Italy and representatives of the country’s leading governmental and business institutions.
Upon the proposal of the President-designate, the Assembly also confirmed the Association’s four Vice Presidents, who will continue to support Pellegrino over the next two years: Francesco Antolini, Nicoletta Caruso, Alessandro Ferrari, and Flavio Stenico.
“We are living through a complex period marked by profound geopolitical, technological and economic transformations. Our goal is to strengthen CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE’s role as the leading representative of the sector in addressing the challenges ahead: innovation, sustainability, internationalization, competitiveness and the promotion of Italian excellence,” Pellegrino stated.
A central feature of the Assembly was the economic and industry outlook presented by Honorary President for Institutional Relations, Flavio Marabelli, who delivered a comprehensive analysis of the sector’s performance in both domestic and international markets.
Italy’s natural stone industry – encompassing both natural stone producers and manufacturers of quarrying and stone-processing technologies – comprises more than 3,200 companies employing over 34,000 people. In 2025, the sector generated a turnover exceeding US$5 billion (+4.6% compared with the previous year), with exports accounting for approximately 70% of total production and contributing to a positive annual trade balance of US$2.9 billion.
According to the latest official industry statistics, total Italian exports of natural stone products and stone-processing technologies increased by 2.2% in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching US$3.465 billion and remaining close to the record levels achieved over the previous two years. The domestic market also recorded strong growth, with sales rising to US$1.555 billion (+10.3%).
Exports of natural stone materials – including both rough and processed products – reached US$2.428 billion, representing a 3.5% increase over 2024. Export volumes experienced only a marginal decline (-0.7%, to 2.097 million tonnes), pushing the average export price to a new all-time high of US$1,157.4 per tonne.
Following the sharp downturn recorded in 2024, exports by Italian manufacturers of stone quarrying and processing machinery remained substantially stable in 2025. Overseas sales totalled US$1.037 billion, broadly in line with the previous year’s performance (-0.8%). During the Assembly, preliminary export figures for the first quarter of 2026 were also presented, showing a strong increase in natural stone exports (+11% in value), while exports of stone technologies recorded a slight decline (-2.1%).
Beyond its institutional role, the General Assembly also offered an important opportunity for networking and dialogue between industry leaders, institutional representatives and key stakeholders.
The audience particularly appreciated the addresses delivered by Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, both of whom reaffirmed the strategic role of CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE as the sector’s principal representative body and highlighted the close institutional cooperation established with the Association.
The Assembly concluded with a panel discussion entitled “Competitiveness and Internationalization: Navigating the Geography of Global Disorder”, featuring Barbara Cimmino, Vice President of Confindustria for Exports and Investment Attraction, Bruno Bettelli, President of FEDERMACCHINE, and Federico Bricolo, President of VERONAFIERE. The discussion explored the major geopolitical and economic challenges facing Italian manufacturing and the strategies needed to strengthen the international competitiveness of the natural stone industry.
