CMI looks to the future

Davide Miserendino

Forty years of experience, numerous patents to its name and a strong drive towards the future, embodied by its young CEO Davide Comoli. This is CMI Industries: a company that, from the rural area of Marano Ticino in the province of Novara, supplies packaging technologies worldwide for chemical, food, parapharmaceutical and cosmetic products. Comoli welcomes us to CMI’s headquarters with the courtesy and openness we have come to expect. He approaches the world of packaging – a sector he has known for a long time – with curiosity and attentiveness, the same mindset that guides him throughout this interview.

Which technologies will CMI be presenting this year at interpack (Hall 13, Stand A94)?

CMI will be unveiling a rotary machine based on flowmeter technology. It is a high-performance solution and we expect a positive response from visitors. We do not want to reveal everything in advance, though – we prefer to keep a little suspense until the doors of the Düsseldorf trade fair open.

How important is the European market for you?

It is a key market for us. At interpack we also expect to meet many Italian visitors: Italy continues to be a very strong market and a core area for our business. In Düsseldorf we also want to build continuity in the German market, following two very positive participations at FACHPACK in Nuremberg.

Which sectors are currently showing the strongest growth for CMI?

At present, the most important sector for us is chemicals, particularly home care and personal care. This area has generated the bulk of our turnover for years. We also maintain a solid presence in the food sector, with machines for spreadable creams, jams and honey. Worth mentioning are our technologies for paint handling with ATEX Explosion Proof certification, as well as a small niche presence in the cosmetics sector.

In the current context, strongly affected by geopolitical tensions and intense competition – particularly from China – which strengths does the company focus on?

Today our main strength is our closeness to the customer. We develop projects together with the customer, interfacing throughout the entire process to fully understand their needs and provide the most effective solutions. The key features I would emphasise are flexibility and product customisation. We are also investing heavily in service, which is a distinctive aspect of our approach and helps strengthen long-term relationships. Our dedicated spare parts and service portal will soon be online: customers will have a personal login granting access to machine manuals, interactive spare parts lists, and the ability to place orders remotely with ease.

CMI operates in Africa, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe and the Americas. What are the main directions for future development?

Our main growth area will be the Americas, and particularly the United States. We have recently started a collaboration with BlueBay Packaging Corp. and will be represented at Pack Expo Chicago. This represents an important springboard for us.

You have been active in the African market for many years, an area with specific business dynamics – for instance, word of mouth still plays a major role. What feedback have you gathered and how have you managed to establish yourselves?

We strongly believe in the African market, where we have been present for a long time. It will undoubtedly become a key market in the coming years, thanks to significant growth, also in terms of the adoption of advanced technologies. It is true that word of mouth is particularly relevant: we work closely with local agents to effectively promote our products to end customers.

Finding new talent, especially skilled technicians, is increasingly challenging. Do you collaborate locally to recruit and train new resources?

For around two years now, we have been working with several local technical institutes. These are forward-looking schools with excellent laboratories. We supply materials, and our software and design managers teach directly at the institutes. Three students started an internship programme last September aimed at long-term development within the company, and we are very pleased with the outcome so far. We strongly believe in young people – not by chance, the average age at CMI is around 40-45.

As the saying goes, the future is full of promises.