Growth through divestment: how Vega Carburanti built a 500-station network
For Vega Carburanti, a series of strategic carve-outs and targeted acquisitions reshaped a regional operator into a 500-station network across Italy, while strengthening its competitive position in the country’s fuel distribution market.
Vega’s strategy has been built around scale and geographic focus. Fuel prices are published daily and competition is intense, meaning the company prioritised operational efficiency and service quality across a company-owned, company-operated network.
Clairfield advised throughout the process. In this interview for Clairfield’s Outlook 2026, Luca Rossi, General Manager at EVA (the holding company of Vega Carburanti), shares how the strategy unfolded:
- Scaled from 50 to 500 service stations through a combination of carve-outs and bolt-on acquisitions.
- Sharpened strategic focus by exiting non-core assets and concentrating on a company-owned, company-operated network
- Built operational efficiency and service quality as the defining competitive advantage in a high-volume, margin-sensitive market
In this interview, Luca Rossi reflects on what it took to make it work. His central lesson:
« Timing is critical, and you need the right advisors by your side. Complexity is manageable, but only if you see the full path clearly and stay disciplined. »
This interview is included in Clairfield’s Outlook 2026, themed « Refocus: how carve-outs turn less into more. »
Download the full publication here.
