Hera: a 15-year stream of services
To be sound, a house needs strong walls and firm foundations. Which is exactly how we wanted Hera to be: a house built on the values of integrity, transparency, personal responsibility and coherence. Fifteen years ago, this approach led to the establishment of a fresh, original Italian business model. Founded on 1st November 2002 out of a “galaxy” of 11 small municipally owned companies in Emilia-Romagna, Hera took them on a journey beyond their traditional confines, bringing them into a national context to provide citizens with unified, efficient services.
This process hinged on other key principles – a strong attachment to served areas, environmental, economic and social sustainability, an aptitude for innovation, the quest for excellence, diversity and inclusion – that are the hallmarks of Group strategy.
In short, we wanted to serve our territory, and do so to the very best of our ability. To achieve that, we focused on what we value most: the environment, to be safeguarded via modern waste collection and treatment; water, a precious, universal human right; energy, the force that moves our everyday world. Over these 15 years Hera has doubled in size, incorporating companies from adjoining areas that work in similar fields. Such as Marche Multiservizi, which operates in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, the north-eastern companies AcegasAps and Amga (which merged in 2014 to form AcegasApsAmga), Pisa-based Waste Recycling and the most recent acquisition, Treviso-based Aliplast. Today, Hera employs almost 9,000 people who, in compliance with a Code of Ethics and good working practices, respond to the needs of over 4 million Italian citizens in 357 municipalities every day.
Over these fifteen years we’ve distinguished ourselves both nationally and internationally in a range of sectors. For example, we’ve created “shared value” to generate economic worth for the company, society and the environment, with a particularly strong focus on moving towards a circular economy. A goal that has won us inclusion in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation international CE100 programme.
In 2002 we started out on a challenging mission: to become the best Italian multi-utility for our customers, workers and shareholders by perfecting an original business model based on innovation, strong attachment to the territory and respect for the environment. Now, imagining what we want to be “when we grow up”, we feel this goal is no longer sufficient.
Looking to the future, we know that many challenges still await, that multiple goals still need to be achieved. And, as always, we look forward to achieving them with you. In the meantime, join us in looking back at the key moments in the construction of this ‘home’, a home that is in part yours.
