With great optimism

Acceleration by Stefano Lavorini

It may seem strange, even provocative, hearing talk of optimism in a market situation like the current one, but this can happen in the world of packaging.

I heard discordant voices at a recent encounter with two Bolognese entrepreneurs, who were indeed very different in terms of background and professional approach, that though seem to share an iron faith in the capacity of the single person and the company to also know how to interpret things as well as compete in a globalised world.

Bearing witness to two ways of tackling entrepreneurship following totally different approaches, Matteo Gentili and Maurizio Marchesini - the former president of PRB SpA, now in the TMC network, and the latter CEO of Marchesini Group SpA - have among other things shown they are able to dialogue and find agreement, with the prospect of making good use of their own skills and specialisations.

This sentiment acted as a lead-up to Marchesini’s acquisition of the PRB brand and their technology for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical sector (for further information http://dativoweb.net).
«It is an operation that bodes well for both concerns, given that it allows both of us to re-concentrate our focus on the markets where each of us are thoroughly present». Marchesini underlined. Gentili is also very explicit: «We have taken a very different route compared to the “Bolognese” logic, by which one often tramples on one another’s feet. A virtuous rather than a vicious choice».

They also agree on their ways of market approach (here their both being members of Ucima probably helps).
For Gentili «the world has changed and we are forced to face up to international players and multinational customers who need not a machine but the support of a concern, of a partner capable of providing services, such as consultancy, training, assistance… On top of that, there are markets where, if you do not reason in local terms, you are going to find it hard to set down roots there, such as for example in the USA. And in this view of things, even if we already export 90% of our output, we need to become more international, changing our industrial model and company approach».

«We have to try and understand how to exploit the growth of other countries, even if they are far off and “difficult”» Marchesini adds «considering that to sell in China, Latin America and Russia preparation, time and investments are required.
And what is more, what on our own markets are small niches, perhaps with a high technology content, and hence more defendable, are comparatively a lot bigger in size in other areas of the world, highly interesting for us, but not big enough to appeal to  the production capacities of local constructors».

Whether we are talking of the USA or China, South America or Russia what seems to make the difference - over and beyond the quality of the products, which is beyond doubt - on the one hand is the capacity to set up good relations with the customers and the services offered alongside these, on the other is the redefinition of the logic of the chain, that also comprises the world of sub-supply.

Definitively the message is clear: there is still a lot of work to be done, on condition one is able to look to the future.