4 minute read

The master of the house

from La Spola n.174

by Gruppo Editoriale srl

from La Spola n.174, page 66

On the customer’s side

Il Presidente Di Acimit Alessandro Zucchi Presenta Il Salone

by redazione La Spola

In his sixth year as President of Acimit, the Italian association of textile machinery builders, Alessandro Zucchi enjoys his first experience at the ITMA show as the “boss”: born in Bergamo, MD and partner of Ferraro, he coordinated and supervised the preliminary work for the event of all the Italian textile machinery companies, going from the difficulties caused by the pandemic to a more prosperous period with an upturn in orders and production.

In what condition does the Italian textile machinery industry attend ITMA?

Contrary to what is commonly believed, the past few years have not been so difficult. 2020 was, of course, the year of the pandemic, but 2021 was a year of recovery and 2022 was an extraordinary year. We should not feel too sorry for ourselves, although the signs that we have been looking at since early 2023 are disturbing, because what we need to take in account now is not the current order book, which is substantial, as much as the considerable slowdown in collecting orders. That is why the ITMA show comes at a good time for us and makes us hope for a revival of the market.

So this ITMA show does not count for two, considering a few positive effects from Barcelona 2019 that may have been lost due to Covid?

No. We’re starting all over again from Milan, because in the past few years, there have been so many new developments, such as Industry 4.0, and then the European Union introduced the 5.0 with artificial intelligence and putting workers back at the center of the business. All these factors encouraged our companies to work on new projects. Industry 4.0, however, is not over yet and we have still a lot of things to learn about sustainability and green economy. Being the “master of the house” is an honor but also a responsibility. What has Acimit done from the logistic point of view to contribute to organizing the show?

We worked on a project for two years, investing with ICE about € two million to support our companies and carry on all the activities that the association is required to engage in, first of all, education, in order to create a culture for the future generations that says clearly that working for our companies is not demeaning and is not about tightening screws. The textile machinery industry is abreast with the times and has the best technology that is currently available on the market. We carried on the Green Label project and created the recyclability index. You have an absolute record event in terms of exhibition space. But what if the large attendance is matched with a boom in orders? Are the companies ready to handle it?

We need to take a step back and reckon with the pandemic, transport

Al sesto anno da presidente di Acimit, l’associazione italiana dei costruttori di macchinari per l’industria tessile, Alessandro Zucchi “vive” la sua prima ITMA da padrone di casa: bergamasco, AD e socio di Ferraro, ha

Come arriva il meccanotessile italiano a ITMA?

Contrariamente a quanto si pensa gli ultimi anni non sono stati del tutto ci sono stati tanti sviluppi, come ad esempio quelli tantissimo le nostre aziende ad elaborare nuovi progetti che includano questa nuova visione, dove l’operatore diventa la parte preponderante dell’atci sono ancora tante cose da scoprire riguardo alla

Quindi non è un’ITMA che vale per tivo di Barcellona andato perso per il Covid?

Essere padroni di casa è un onore e un onere. Cosa ha Abbiamo elaborato un progetto su cui abbiamo lavorato due anni, investen- associativo, a iniziare dall’education, col quale vogliamo creare una cultura passo coi tempi e chi ci lavora può trovare il meglio della tecnologia che oggi

I numeri vi hanno premiato, con un’edizione record in costs, raw materials out of control, difficulty in finding electronics components, the war in Ukraine, energy costs and inflation; the next thing is a meteor shower and then we’ve seen it all. But we have the advantage of having medium to small-sized companies, thus, flexible enough to respond to any market change almost immediately. A boom in orders is more than welcome, we will be able to meet the requests, although we do have a problem with the shortage of qualified staff. It’s a problem that has its roots in the past and in poor professional training. The latest agreements with technical high schools may allow us to recruit a few people, but the demand is one hundred times greater than the supply, considering that the big industry is looking for young people just out of secondary school too. prire la richiesta? ponentistica elettronica, che ora sembra superata, quindi ben vengano gli collaboratori che mi hanno dato una grande mano seguendo tutta l’organiz- parte alta lascia senza parole, abbiamo un qualcosa di unico e di rarissimo

With all your engagements as Acimit’s president, how do you find the time to run your company?

It is hard to do both jobs, but I have a couple of aides within the association who helped me a lot with the event planning. But I’m kind of addicted to ITMA, I began attending it in the 1980s and I haven’t missed a single show since then, so it’s rewarding to be part of the organizing team.

Thousands of people will be experiencing Milan for a week. What advice would you give to those who wish to combine business and leisure?

Milan has a lot to offer in every way, from ITMA’s side events to culture, including art exhibitions, and food, one of the city’s strengths. There are also those travelling from non-European countries with the family to enjoy the city as tourists, including shopping for Italian fashion. For those who would like to travel outside of the city, I recommend Bergamo, which is just a half-an-hour drive from Milan. It’s Italy’s Capital of Culture, along with Brescia, and the upper part of the city is beautiful beyond words, something so unique and rare in cultural and historical terms that it’s definitely worth the trip.

Con tutti gli impegni da presidente di Acimit dove trova il tempo di fare anche l’imprenditore?

Migliaia a Milano per una settimana. Che consigli dà a chi vuol abbinare lavoro e momenti più mondani?