Climate in control

“Altogether, we have over 1,400 individual products,” says Commercial Director Umberto Dozio who acquired the company in a management buy-out in 2007, together with a group of fellow partners. “In addition to brand-name components, we also make private-label products for large customers.”

Vemer is based in northern Italy where it has concentrated all business functions, from research and development to manufacturing and logistics. Since it was created in 1980, the company has developed into a leading Italian supplier of high-quality electronic components in both the B2B and B2C markets.

“We have always pursued a strategy of sustained growth and enhanced international expansion,” explains Mr. Dozio. “Today, we have customers across Europe as well as in Northern Africa. Our current export ratio is 25%, and the goal is to grow this figure to 50%, together with a further development of the product assortment.” Vemer currently has 40 sales representatives in Italy and another 15 abroad, from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia.

The company has 80 employees and turns over 15 million EUR. Vemer is particularly strong in chronothermostats, programmable thermostats that allow for time-controlled regulation of heating or air-conditioning systems. “Automatic control solutions like these account for 65% of our overall revenues,” states Mr. Dozio. Other best-selling products in the comprehensive range are portable power measuring instruments, gas detectors and thermal control devices for switch cabinets. “We want to offer a complete choice in every product line in order to meet each individual customer demand,” Mr. Dozio describes the philosophy of the Italian electronic components specialist.

Its large product assortment of over 1,000 distinct articles causes product lots to be relatively small, which makes automatization in manufacturing difficult. Nevertheless, Vemer is committed to maintaining its comprehensive range. “Because this is exactly our strength and what distinguishes us from the competition,” explains Mr. Dozio. “It is this specialization in individual product lines that makes us unique and gives us a significant competitive advantage.”

While focusing on the energy efficiency and functionality of its products, Vemer is also putting great emphasis on attractive design. “Design is becoming more and more an important issue because people are in touch with our devices every day,” states Mr. Dozio. “Many of our products have touch displays and can also be controlled via apps or voice command.”

Vemer targets both professional and private customers and communicates with its target groups through its corporate website, trade magazines and exhibition appearances at the most important industry events such as Frankfurt’s ISH, the world’s leading trade fair for the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning sector, and the Middle East Electricity in Dubai. “We want to further grow our presence there,” says Mr. Dozio.

To accelerate its international expansion, Vemer is looking for additional export managers and partnerships with local suppliers. “The Italian construction sector is more or less in stagnation,” Mr. Dozio describes the situation. “This is why we are investing abroad to generate growth in a highly competitive market. Before I joined Vemer eleven years ago, I had been working for an international group. Now I can use this expertise to develop Vemer internationally.”