Ciemme S.r.l., a Modena-based company that has been designing and manufacturing solvent recovery distillers and industrial washing systems for 45 years, announces the acquisition of the brand and technological assets of Hydro Italia, a leading company in industrial wastewater treatment. Hydro Italia specialises in chemical-physical treatment plants, flotation units, evaporators, oil separators and filter presses, and has its own line of dedicated chemical products.
Continuity for Hydro Italia customers and markets
Ciemme’s priority is to ensure continuity for Hydro Italia’s business in its core sectors: guaranteeing the supply of chemical products, technical assistance and spare parts for plants already installed, and resuming the construction of new plants under the same brand.
Water and solvent: one integrated approach for industry
The strategic value of the transaction lies in the integration of the two technologies.
Many industries generate both wastewater and waste solvents. Today these streams are often handled by different suppliers, with uncoordinated solutions. With Hydro Italia, Ciemme will be able to offer an integrated approach:
- Solvent: recovery through distillation and reuse in a closed loop, with Ciemme distillers handling up to 20,000 litres/day.
- Water: treatment of aqueous effluents from washing, processing and water-based printing processes, through to compliant discharge or reuse.
- Washing: solvent and detergent washing systems, combined with treatment of the related effluent.
The result for the customer is a single point of contact for the entire cycle of process fluids, with lower disposal costs, greater sustainability and simpler management of environmental compliance.
From Ovit to Hydro Italia: a coherent path of development
The transaction comes two years after the acquisition of the Ovit brand, a historic manufacturer of automatic washing systems for the printing industry, active since 1964. With Ovit, Ciemme added to solvent recovery the washing of the printing components in which that solvent is used. Hydro Italia now adds water treatment: three complementary areas of expertise – washing, solvent recovery and purification – brought together under a single industrial direction.
This path is supported by solid organic growth: in 2025, on a like-for-like basis, Ciemme’s revenues grew by approximately 30% compared with the previous year, thanks to the strengthening of its sales, production and service organisation.
“Hydro Italia is a well-known name in industrial water treatment, with over thirty years of plant engineering experience and a wealth of formulations and projects that should not have been lost,” says Emanuele Galaverni, CEO of Ciemme. “For us it is a natural complement: for 45 years we have been helping companies recover and reuse solvents, and now we can take care of water as well.”
“Our first commitment is continuity,” Galaverni continues. “Anyone who has a Hydro Italia plant or uses its chemical products must be able to count on supplies, assistance and spare parts. Electroplating, tanning, food, automotive and the other sectors served by Hydro Italia remain central: we do not want to distort the brand, but to give it a solid industrial structure so that it can grow again.”
“From today, anyone who needs to recover solvent, treat wastewater or meet specific washing requirements will find in us a single partner, with a range of solutions that is unmatched on the market,” Galaverni underlines.
“Ciemme, Ovit and Hydro Italia bring together more than 130 years of industrial experience,” Galaverni concludes. “It will be interesting to see what these three companies can build together in the coming years, starting from our customers’ needs.”
About the companies
Ciemme S.r.l. – Based in Modena, for 45 years it has been designing, manufacturing and marketing distillers for solvent recovery and industrial washing systems using solvent or detergent, also under the Ovit brand. It serves the printing, photopolymer, paints and coatings, chemical and extraction sectors, with the aim of reducing costs and environmental impact and protecting people’s health. www.ciemme.it
Ovit – A Lombardy-based brand active since 1964, it designs and produces automatic washing systems for the offset, flexographic and gravure printing industry. Part of Ciemme since 2024. www.ovit.it
Hydro Italia – Based in Medicina (Bologna), for about 30 years it has designed and built plants for the treatment of industrial wastewater and sludge, and formulates chemical products for purification. It has collaborated with major international engineering companies and has worked with local partners in China, Poland and Turkey. www.hydroitalia.com
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