10_11_L'Opinion
11-01-2010
12:28
Pagina 11
Janvier 2010 IL FOGLIO DEL MOBILE 11
LA PAROLE AUX MANAGERS THE MANAGERS’ OPINION
Michele and Giovanni Gervasoni PDG
Davide Malberti Administrateur délégué
Riccardo Biscarini Président
Gabriele Centazzo Administrateur délégué
Gervasoni
Rimadesio
EMU
Valcucine
A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE CURRENT MARKET SITUATION AND THE OUTLOOK IN THE NEAR FUTURE ACCORDING TO SOME KEY MANAGERS RUNNING SOME RENOWNED FURNITURE-MANUFACTURING COMPANIES
ENGLISH International markets are experiencing a crisis that may change the present social and financial orders. What realities are the companies of your sector going to face in the future? Gervasoni - Giovanni Gervasoni: "in this global crisis, our sector cannot and must not keep still and wait for the events to happen. On the contrary, we believe that being brave enough to make something new in terms of business choices can give better results than those guaranteed by any too hesitant or prudential attitude, without ideal tensions or impulses towards changing. The present financial situation will change both end customers and the situation of competitors. Consumers will think about their purchases, following their actual possibilities and they’ll select useful, innovative and quality products but at proper prices. Companies will have to meet these needs.
Rimadesio - The end user of the furniture industry has changed completely in the last years: consumers are now more demanding and aware. The world financial crisis has further emphasized this change. The quality and contents of any product are going to get more and more important. As it’s going to get the correct price, the service and the customer care. EMU - The deep-seated crisis in consumption has brought about a strong selection, both from the manufacturers’ and from the retailers’ point of view. Only the companies that will prove able to structure themselves in a more efficient way are going to survive. The first ones to spot out winning market niches in the next years will gain an exceptional competitive advantage. The difficulties of international markets have led many companies to concentrate again within their domestic borders, to make their investments more efficacious and not to waste their precious efforts. The market forgives hasty decisions no more and, in such a complex time, it’s more and more important to implement clear strategies, to offer consumers, who are now much more aware, an extremely competitive offer of products, prices and services. Valcucine - We hope this crisis will originate higher awareness in terms of sustainability, so that what is nowadays a declared intention to purchase ecosustainable products will turn into an actually aware purchase. However, we think this crisis is not enough to change one’s lifestyle and, when there’s an upturn in the economy, things will get back to what they used to be.
More and more often, we’re hearing of environmental awareness and we sometimes suspect this matter is ridden as the wave of the latest trend. What does it really mean for a company, being actually ecosustainable today? Gervasoni - Giovanni Gervasoni: Our company is endorsing the principles of environment protection, as well as those connected to the territory we deal with. We have set up an Environmental Management Standard aiming at making sure that our manufacturing and marketing activities focus on a steady improvement of the impact on the environment, as well as on preventing pollution. To be an ecosustainable company nowadays means to make sure that environmental awareness is understood, carried out and supported at any business level.
Rimadesio - In my opinion, this fear is absolutely groundless. We’re talking a lot of environmental friendliness and we’re making a lot of hypotheses about it, but we’re still making little about it. Two years ago, Rimadesio invested a remarkable amount of money for building its own photovoltaic system, pioneering the fully independent production of the power we need. We installed the most important system in the sector: 1,664 panels from Sanyo, on a whole surface of 5,000 square meters, able to supply over 450,000 kW/hour every year and an instantaneous power of 400 kW/h. The exceeding power is then introduced into the public power network. Our products are completely manufactures in Giussano, in Italy, in a very ecologically modern factory. We can honestly say that our furniture and doors are really ecological: to manufacture them, we make use of glass and aluminum, materials that are 100% recyclable, with low impact on the environment. Production rejects are then recycled in the regional territory. The paints we use are of the last generation, too. They’re waterbased, fired at 150°C and applied with a fully automated procedure, without using any solvent. We’ve lately completed our painting system with a machine that allows getting back the powder from the water used in the processing cycle, so to leave it clean and reusable. Solvent-based paints are just a remote memory! These are concrete facts, meaningful goals, achieved to better respect nature and the environment. Even our packaging is certified and 100% recyclable. The new packaging plant minimizes wastes and the pack is single-component, i.e. entirely made of recycled cardboard. Moreover,
in compliance with the regulations in force, we’ve reduced its weight, so to minimize the impact on the environment.
EMU - The sustainability of the product and the manufacturing process are fundamental themes. As I was saying before, we’re now facing much more careful and aware consumers. Concepts such as the so-called cradle-to-grave and cradle–to-cradle are now widely spread in any company and consumers definitely tend to select sustainable products. Reorganizing our companies in an ecosustainable way is extremely complex, but I think that’s an unavoidable process, to start and carry out as soon as possible, though it often has a negative impact on the structure of costs. In any case, a certain return is ensured in the medium run. Valcucine - Practical and ethical reasons require us an about-turn, permitting to turn the destructive economy of the industrial era into a system able to recover our planet’s health and improve the quality of our lives. Valcucine has been working for years, highlighting beauty and creativity, as well as meeting the requirements of the end user, always thinking of functionality, ergonomics and safety, respecting nature and both promoting a system of balance between the usage and the recovery of natural resources, and saving raw materials. This is done by favoring a design of our kitchens, based on environmental friendliness, i.e. on the application of four main principles: dematerialization (that means reducing the use of raw materials and power), the employ of recyclable, or reusable, materials (i.e. thinking of the future of these materials, already at a designing stage), reducing toxic emissions (both at a manufacturing and using stage) and guaranteeing long life to the product itself (both from a technical and an aesthetical point of view).
What are the most interesting international markets to the furnishing industry and the design sector of Made in Italy? What strategies do you usually choose, to push your brand abroad? Gervasoni - Michele Gervasoni: Made in Italy is – and will always be – important in any showroom in the world, though the furnishing industry – both the Italian and the international ones – is going through a highly complex phase. The constant attention we pay to markets, adding to a personal relationship with worldwide customers, allows us to keep a privileged position even in this difficult time. Besides going to the most important international exhibitions, in fact, we rely on three area managers who, supported and assisted by our sale management, are steadily following their reference markets.
Rimadesio - Both for its economic and currency stability, and for its more limited distances, the European market is still the most important to us. While Eastern European markets are interesting for the wider and wider interest they’re showing in design products. On the other hand, the Asian market – particularly Korea, Singapore and China – focuses extremely on high-level quality and brands. We promote our brand abroad mainly through advertising campaigns on local media and by opening flagship stores or spaces, such as that in Hong Kong, where we’ve recently inaugurated a shop of 450 square meters. In 2010, we’re going to open three more showrooms in Beijing, Shenzen and Shangai.
EMU - Some markets of the euro area, which have always been important for Italian exports, are still quite dynamic: France, Germany and Switzerland. The Middle East and North Africa are showing some interesting signs, mainly for the huge amount of investments in the hotel and hospitality segments, which are absolutely interesting for Made in Italy design. The crisis in consumptions is, however, very deep in Spain, the UK and the USA. For the year 2010, EMU has chosen to focus geographically on the domestic market and the most significant European markets, though making use of the uniqueness of our company at best, since we rely on an excellent marketing mix and a very well structured distribution chain. This allows us to compete in three parallel markets: design, outdoor furniture and contract. Through communication and by attending many international exhibition, we’re focusing on our strong suites: brand, design, Made in Italy and people. Valcucine - The most international markets are currently those that have been consolidated through the years, i.e. Europe and the USA, though many of us are seeing a lot of opportunities of growth in the Asian and the Middle East. The expansion and growth of a brand depend by the involvement towards and the sharing of the values expressed by the brand itself. The higher and more shared are the values of the brand and the better will be the company’s coherence and their ability in communicating them and the wider their spreading. For thirty years, Valcucine has definitely and coherently focused on an ethical approach towards manufacturing and on relations respecting human beings and nature.