Every year before Sicam, we have the nice habit to meet and snap a picture of Giplast Group with his founder, Giuseppe Marozzi.
Year after year, this conversation gets more and more “challenging”, because Giplast Group seems to be living a second youth. We thought that integration would create some problems, but instead Giuseppe Marozzi – head to the Giulianova (Teramo) based group, increasingly supported by his son Patrizio, in charge for sales operations – told us a story of hard work and dedication, but also success and satisfaction.
“If I told you that the acquisition of a big historical company like Flexibord was an easy task, I would be a liar.The past two years have been very challenging, because we had to get acquainted with a new organization and understand its peculiarities and weaknesses.We have done a great work to maintain and upgrade all plants to our quality standards, and finally we wanted to create all possible synergies between the two business units.However, this has not distracted us from the key element of our success, namely constant research and commitment to new products and significant industrial projects.
The edges for new application systems (laser, air-force and infrared ) are an example:we have committed our Research & Development department to this activity for a long time and today we can serve all customers who are buying last-generation plants, providing a product that perfectly matches market requirements in terms of quality.
Just one figure:in 2014 our investments in what you can call “new products” amounted to 1.8 million euro, out of total revenues for 35 million”.
Are you telling us that you have almost tripled your revenues in few years?
“It couldn’t be otherwise.you cannot stand still halfway, you have to choose whether you want to be a small company, a handicraft business, or change your mindset and approach, look at the world and the opportunities it offers to those with bigger dimensions and potential.
My son Patrizio and I have taken the second direction and results have been rewarding, and most of all, quickly achieved…”
“For instance, we have invested to have similar technology in both production units, because different equipment gives different results and forced us to test new applications in both factories.Now we can handle each process as if we have one factory, although for us the Giulianova site is the “beating heart” of our system, focused on research and testing, while Luzzara is more focused on production.
But I can tell you that we have just launched the production of our 700 millimeter foil also in Giulianova”.
What’s your purpose?
“First of all, we want to produce with no limits of organization and logistics, shortening time-to-market that is quite long for some products.A revolutionary innovation like edges for unconventional applications requested two years.And fortunately, we could leverage the collaboration with a technological partner like Biesse Group in Pesaro.Our “G Tech” edges have shown that, in the future, these partnerships will be more and more essential and strategic, as to formulate a new edge you have to predict its behavior on the machine, how it will respond to the endless requirements of a production cycle.Not only:for a small and a large business as well, profit margins are narrowing, and this requires each test to be effective soon; it’s crazy believing you can cut research, however it must be a process that brings results very quickly, so you have to collaborate with anyone who can be a valuable partner, and a prestigious one”.
What about sales?
“We are very keen on our organization and brand, we are working to expand our footprint to more and more countries.And if a major market like Russia lets us down, we must be ready to look for satisfaction somewhere else.
My son Patrizio has worked hard on this aspect, closing collaboration agreements in many countries and strengthening our operations in markets, even Germanhy, where we were virtually absent, and now we have excellent references. We keep growing despite the general economic situation because we are proactive and we can surprise our customers with new trends.We have innovative products and finishes requested by the market, and we are presenting them at the next Sicam.I am talking about the “head edge” that can be used to laminate any panel and make it look more similar to a solid wood board, and new decorations that ride the current waves of concrete and natural wood.
And don’t forget our extra glossy decoration called “Mirror”, because it looks like a real mirror.This product has amazed many customers.
Because good ideas are essential to be successful…
“To turn a prospect into a good customer, you need effective topics to increase your reputation, to convey the message that Giplast Group is not one of the many suppliers, but a solid partner to establish a real partnership, maybe to define new opportunities!
Also in the edge business, environmental protection is a key topic…
“That’s true:for a long time now we have been recycling 100 percent of our production wastes and we have eliminated solvent-based paints while preserving very high quality levels of the finished product.Moreover, we submit our products to strict international tests to measure emission levels and chemical composition, an essential premise for a market that is very keen on these details.
Such commitment pays back:we are suppliers of Ikea, which is very serious about environmental protection and eco-compatibility”.
by Luca Rossetti
Giplast, research and innovation
ultima modifica: 2015-10-16T00:00:00+00:00
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