Packaging machines: highly positive signals

First quarter 2017: the turnover generated by the Italian market grew by 6.5% (orders + 9.9%). Exports are also up (+ 13%). Good growth prospects.

As confirmed by the figures gathered by the Ucima (Italian Automatic Packaging and Wrapping Machine Builders' Union) Study Centre, the good run of sales of Italian packaging and wrapping machine builders on the Italian market is continuing.

Innovation recognized. After an excellent + 10.4% at the end of 2016, sales on the Italian market in the first quarter of 2017 grew by 6.5% compared to the same period of the previous year, as a result of an increase in orders of +9,9%.
These results have been encouraged by the fiscal measures, the so-called hyper-amortization, implemented by the government, that should support domestic sales in the coming months.
This is also confirmed by the President of Ucima, Enrico Aureli: «The Industry Plan 4.0 instigated by the Italian Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda is indeed helping to sell our technologies to Italian customers, highlighting the features of innovation that enable us to support users in the optimal and JIT management of their production lines».
The renewal of the systems and plants now underway at many customers will thus contribute to «enhancing the quality and competitiveness of Italian manufacturers in relation to international competition while maintaining our staunch leadership».
 
Exports recovering. After moderate growth in the last two quarters of 2016 (around 3%), the performance of Italian packaging machine manufacturers is also improving significantly on foreign markets. In the first three months of 2017, sales grew by 12.8% over the same period of the previous year, with orders at +8.3%.
Overall, sector turnover grew by 11.6%.
Expectations for the coming months, therefore, can only be positive, also encouraged by the forecasts expressed by half of the companies interviewed by the Ucima Study Center on the maintainment of current business levels.