Plug pioneers

“If a company wants to be competitive, it needs to clearly understand its products and markets.” The person behind this theory is Fanton’s Commercial Director Vincenzo Rotunno, who joined the company more than a year ago and has ambitious plans. “Thanks to my professional experience, I know the market and its specific conditions very well,” he states.

“My background is in production. I used to work in the area of industrial automation and was responsible for a start-up. However, eventually, I was keen to return to a production company and came to Fanton, which is a well-known player with a long history, and is keen to embrace future challenges. I am more than happy to help pave the way for a successful future.”

Fanton is a traditional family company founded in the 1950s by Mario Fanton and, from the outset, has concentrated on the production of innovative plugs. His son Renzo followed in his father’s footsteps and created products that became synonymous with quality made in Italy. “Veneto is famous for high-quality products,” explains Mr. Rotunno. “Fanton perfectly represents this tradition. Its multi-plugs are greatly valued by plumbers.”

Today, run by the third generation, the company is a major player in Italy and abroad, and synonymous with safe and reliable electronic products such as plugs and sockets. Thanks to its quality-centric approach, Fanton has constantly grown over recent years and now generates revenues of 15 million EUR with 60 employees.

Electrical equipment with a broad range of sockets, plugs and adaptors has always been its trademark. “Fanton is greatly acclaimed for safe and reliable electrical products,” stresses Mr. Rotunno. “All products undergo extensive testing and exceed common quality standards.”

The Conselve site offers perfect conditions to realize outstanding products. Top-notch technology, an automated warehouse, a research and development department, and committed employees ensure products and services that are beyond standard. “We constantly work on new, innovative products,” adds Mr. Rotunno.

“Improving performance, testing safer and longer-life materials and the development of new designs are daily challenges.” Results of this approach are products such as Fido, a bestseller and evergreen of the portfolio. The multi-socket is a must in all environments where additional sockets are required and easily supplies energy. “We are aware that our products are not cheap,” states Mr. Rotunno. “But they offer value for money.

We put great emphasis on performance and design. We offer products made in Italy, among them socalled Schuko plugs that are used in almost every European country and come with and without cables. When it comes to industrial applications, things are a bit easier as there is just one common standard.”

Today, 13% of products are exported across Europe, and to the Middle East and North Africa. “Made in Italy is a quality trademark all around the world,” underlines Mr. Rotunno. “Our aim is to seize this potential and enter more international markets. Middle East for instance will be in focus in the near future.” Fanton is keen to continue growing and has developed a new strategy to enhance the dynamic.

“When I joined this company, it was in the process of restructuring and needed a relaunch,” explains Mr. Rotunno. “We started concentrating on three specific goals. We realized how important it is to have the right people in the right positions. In addition, we placed a stronger focus on products. At the moment, we are growing by 14%. Our aim is to offer products that really make a difference. Thirdly, we needed to bring forward international activities. An export manager will shortly start working for us, the first manager I hired.

Fanton is a company with a certain tradition; this can be an asset. But at the same time, markets are crucial. Multi-plugs for instance are sold in various channels and each channel requires a specific sales strategy. For this reason, deep market know-how is absolutely critical. Competent employees are essential to keep pace with the market.”

Fanton keeps pace with the market and is often ahead of the times. Products such as vintage plugs and a country line collection mirror trends. “We are currently growing in a stable market,” sums up Mr. Rotunno. “There is no real market growth. If I want to be good and stand out, I need to know what customers really want. Exports are a good opportunity to grow. In four to five years, I expect a 30 to 40% growth rate. So far, solid partnerships with selected distributors have helped us a lot. In the future, we do not want to cooperate exclusively with a few distributors. Luckily, we have a great team of enthusiastic young people who are desperate to broaden horizons.”