In our video interviews, Federico Mari (COO) and Roberto Mari (CEO) shared their perspectives on where SIGMA is heading and how we’re preparing for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Newsletter
Since 1990, SIGMA Group has grown from a single warehouse in Locate Varesino into a global leader in high-performance refractories for the glass industry. But behind the numbers—two production facilities, over 100 colleagues, and customers in more than 60 countries—there is a story that has never been told quite like this.
The global refractory and glass manufacturing sectors are currently facing a challenging operational environment. Manufacturing margins worldwide are under pressure from tightening environmental regulations, strict sustainability mandates, and an escalating need for energy efficiency. Concurrently, modern manufacturing demands higher melting rates and involves increasingly severe furnace working conditions.
These new green technologies bring a hidden challenge: they create an environment of extreme temperatures and high moisture levels that standard refractories simply cannot withstand.
At SIGMA Group, we haven’t just been watching this transition; we’ve been engineering for it.
We know that “Sustainability” has become a buzzword in the industrial world. But for the glass industry, words aren’t enough—you need measurable results, certified audits, and technical solutions that actually lower your plant’s environmental footprint.
Standard market lead times for specialized refractories can often stretch to several months, a luxury most plants don’t have during a crisis. At SIGMA Group, our integrated production between Italy and Bulgaria allows us to effectively provide halved lead times.
In an increasingly unpredictable global market, the resilience of your supply chain is your most valuable asset. At SIGMA Group, we have evolved from a family-run business into an international leader by focusing on one core principle: Reliability.
Celebrating 36 years of excellence, SIGMA Group continues its journey as a global leader in high-performance refractory solutions. Guided by three generations of the Mari family—now including the addition of Valentina Mari to the Sales and Marketing team—the company remains committed to innovation, exporting over 80% of its production to more than 60 countries worldwide.
Our investments in renewable energy, intelligent controls, and electrification are transforming how we produce, what we consume, and how we impact the planet. And today, these aren’t just plans on paper—they’re real, operational, and already delivering results.
At SIGMA, revamping means rethinking how we work, how we monitor, and how we serve our customers. Through connected machines, intelligent controls, and smart maintenance strategies, we’re making our production not just more efficient—but more agile, resilient, and ready for the future of refractory manufacturing.