A capite bona valetudo, or "good health stems from the head" writes Seneca, but also as the history of the Uteco group, that continues to break record after record: new facilities, a new R&D center and, shortly to come, new gravure printing machines. Stefano Lavorini
* Luis Sepulveda, "Story of a seagull and the cat that taught it to fly”
In stark contrast with the current economic situation, October 30 the Uteco Group inaugurated its new UT3 facilities – its third in Italy – adjacent to its headquarters at Colognola ai Colli (VR); having also expanded and renovated the ConverDrome, ie the R&D center in its UT2 facilities. The board, the workforce and numerous guests celebrated the event.
Indeed there is no denying that almost 10 million euros of total investment to realize 7,000 smq of additional production surface, and the 1,500 sqm of the R&D centre constitute credentials that speak volumes for a company that continues to firmly believe in Italian manufacture, not only in words but also in deeds.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony coincides with a boom time for the Uteco Group, leading global manufacturer of packaging print and converting machines, that in 2014 registered a leap forward in orders (+ 27%), approaching the sizeable figure of 100 millions in turnover.
Group photo
Before an exceptional parterre made up of customers, suppliers, technology partners, food user groups, local and sector institutions, the top management of the Veneto based group bestowed deserved recognition on the agents of its success, citing the figures and strategies that made it all possible.
«A special thanks to the majority shareholder Chivilò family, who in full continuity with the foresight of the late president Renato Chivilò, funded these ambitious projects».
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Thus began Aldo Peretti, CEO of the group, noting that this stage follows closely on the doubling of the group’s Uteco North America headquarters (first market of the group with exports at 80%) and precedes the upcoming investment in new work centers, to increase the capacity and quality of production at the group's principal UT1 facilities.
«Sole 24 ore cites us as an example of Italian excellence, which in turn invests in Italian machinery of excellence – added Peretti – and the statistics of MedioBanca for 2013 placed us among Italy's most dynamic medium-sized concerns… All the same, we are and we remains an Italian company, a company that has grown thanks to the contributions of everyone involved: from our industrial and commercial partners to the universities. And now more than ever, I turn to the sector associations because we need an integrated collaboration to promote Italian manufacture, in order to be able to fully grasp the opportunities generated by Expo 2015».
Tomorrow is already here
One always ends up by speaking of people, as the President of Confindustria Verona, Giulio Pedrollo, also confirmed when he intervened among others during the ceremony.
«These are the occasions when all entrepreneurs and managers can “recharge". The role of the entrepreneur is indeed to dream, to put energy into what he does, but these days occasions like these are rare… It is increasingly difficult to witness people who still have the courage to invest in a country that, according to the World Bank doing business rankings, has been demoted to 65th place, despite the fact that Italy is the seventh world economy and among the first four countries for export volumes. This paradox is only offset thanks to our entrepreneurs, our managers and their capabilities. Uteco has been shown to have these prerogatives, to have a vision and to be capable of making decisions».
Evidently, also from our point of view, this group represents a laudable example, which we hope finds imitators … also and not least in its capability for making plans for the future.
In 2015, the 30th anniversary of the Group, Uteco will in fact star in a series of important events: from the launch of the new generation of high-performance gravure presses Next 450 (to be featured in a dedicated open house 21 to 23 April in the UT2 facilities), to the Agents' Meeting, with the aim of extending and enhancing its structuring in further branches and branch-offices the world over, following the example of the recently set up Uteco Deutschland, Uteco South East Asia and South East Uteco Africa.
To finally get to May 2015 with the main event represented by the show Ipack-Ima and Converflex, which will be held concurrently with EXPO 2015, and which will hence mark the arrival of many visitors from all Continents.
Among the things for sure: Uteco will be there.
