Known for starting the first company in Italy to use flowpack packaging for food and non-food products, Mario Cavanna has passed away today at the age of 85.

Cavanna’s initiative led to the creation of Cavanna Packaging Group, which has grown into four factories with more than 320 employees, 100 patents, and 900 customers. The company packages for the food sector, including biscuits, chocolate, breakfast foods, sweets, snacks, and cheese, as well as non-food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical sectors.

Cavanna was also very involved in a host of local as well as industry groups, including chairman of AIN (Industrial Association of Novara), vice president of FederPiedmont (Confindustry), vice president of the Foreign Centre of the Piedmont Chamber of Commerce, and vice-president of UCIMA (Italian Association of Automatic Packing and Packaging Machinery Manufacturers).

Though he was fighting a long-term illness, Cavanna supported the factory and continued to give counsel and advice.

“Mario Cavanna was an entrepreneur of great ingenuity, determination and vision, a man and a president where resourcefulness and courage...has done much for the development of the association,” Fabio Ravanelli, president, IAN, and Aureliano Curini, director, IAN, said in a NovaraToday article.

Riccardo Cavanna and Alessandra Cavanna, both ceos of Cavanna Packaging, will honor their father’s will and keep the company open.

“In this sad moment, following his example will give us the strength to look ahead. Our family keeps together, the company [is] strong and consistent and we will face the future even with greater strength and resolution,” Riccardo and Alessandra said in a statement.