Business in Italy

In the 20 years since CoLibrì System SpA was founded by Aldo Farnetti and co-founder Paolo Valle to market a system to cover books with a protective film, more than 340 million books have been protectively swathed by CoLibrì’s products. This makes the Italian company the European leader in this particular niche. However, the company’s success is due not just to its absolute technical leadership but also to its early adoption of a widespread export strategy. The company has five sales offices in key markets and more than 40 sales and distribution partners worldwide. Innovation and diversification cement its dominance still further.

Biesse SpA, head of the internationally successful Biesse Group, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2019. Rather than dwelling on past achievements, the group focuses on the future. Its ‘Future On Tour’ initiative started at its headquarters in Pesaro, Italy; the Biesse Campus opened its doors to demonstrate sophisticated technologies, integrated solutions and smart automation which show how production meets efficiency. Other open-days followed throughout the year and more are planned for 2020 to show that Biesse and its partners are creating cutting-edge processing systems for wood, stone, metal, plastic and glass.

In today’s global trade markets, transports do not stop at national borders, and neither do customer contacts. Global trade relies on global relationships. This is something that Italian logistics company, Unitransports SpA, recognized early on. It revels in the international nature of its business and thrives in the high-pressure, tightly scheduled world of international air freight. Managing Director Paolo Maderna talks to European Business about what it takes to be successful on the international stage and how to maintain long distance personal relationships.

Despite its position as Italy's leading software house for corporate treasury management and financial planning, Piteco S.p.A. is still setting itself challenging goals; one of the most important is continued growth. Founded in 1980, the company has already seen extensive change in the market, and is striving to remain at the forefront of future developments.

The cashless society: Is it a global aspiration or rapidly becoming a reality? Either way, it’s a situation which could be achieved in the not-to-distant future. While some countries are still predominantly cash driven, many governments and businesses are working hard to change through the wide-scale introduction of digital payment or prepayment solutions. One such company, and a specialist in the field, is epay Italy, based in Milan. A subsidiary of Euronet Worldwide Inc and part of the global epay business, the Italian firm has the expertise, experience and instinct for innovation which is helping drive the conversion to digital payment services in Italy.

Focaccia, Ciabatta, Pane Toscana, Pane Carasau – Italy is not only famous for the most delicious pizza and pasta but also for a great variety of bread. Bread has a long tradition in the country and rarely is there a meal that does not include bread. Rome opened up a bakery school in the first century AD, and today Italians still have high standards for bread. Rossetto Srl in Mazzè perfectly represents the tradition of making high-quality bread and other Italian treats with soul.

Without colour, the world would be a very drab place. Members of the Italian company Tintoria Emiliana s.r.l., a specialist in the art of dyeing high-value clothing, certainly thinks so. Founded in the post-war era when dyeing clothes to extend their lifespan was a necessity, today the firm works on confectioned garments for the highly demanding fashion labels.

Industry 4.0 is one of the buzzwords of the 21st century. In South Tyrol, the future of industrial manufacturing is already firmly established. While committed to the long tradition of metalworking, the dynamically evolving family enterprise WF Mechanik GmbH uses the latest digital technologies, including advanced online platforms where customers can order parts in a fully automated process. All geared towards further growth, the company has just bought a new plot of land to expand its production and logistics capacities.

Performance and safety are important criteria when it comes to choosing the right lifting system. At the same time, the system must be capable of being adapted to individual needs. Eurogamma Spa in Calenzano, Italy offers a range of lifting systems that is unrivalled in its breadth and adaptability. Individual customer needs can be catered to, even in the case of larger loads such as transport vehicles.

‘You can’t put a square peg in a round hole’. This traditional saying is as true for power sockets as anything else. There are many different plugs and sockets in use around the world and traveling overseas means figuring out what kind of adapter is needed in specific countries. Italian manufacturer Fanton SpA in Conselve near Padua produces plugs and sockets which meet the highest quality standards and are greatly acclaimed all around the world.