Excellent 2022 and “innovation” as the keyword for the near future. Xylexpo 2022 was the occasion to “touch” the new solutions developed by Zator, the company based in Cusano Milanino specializing in adhesive application systems.
We took the opportunity to interview Alessandro Donati, sales manager at Zator, to take stock of the situation.
“2022 was a very positive year”, Donati said. “We managed to achieve excellent figures, and most of all, we had a constant workflow, month after month. An intensive year, rich of satisfaction”.
What do you expect in 2023?
“Telling the future is never easy, even more in the current situation. We are waiting to see what happens, which external events will affect the markets. After two years with “Covid-19” and its long tail, in 2022 the conflict between Russia and Ukraine broke out, which – besides its human toll – caused a long chain of price increases, with soaring costs for energy and raw materials.
With this situation, we can hardly make any long-term forecast, we must be very cautious, ready to react whatever comes. We are carrying on, we are not going to stop. We cannot afford stopping, and most of all, we don’t want to.
With a bit of irony, I might say we are getting accustomed to such situations. Since the “first crisis” in 2008, the production industry has been “sailing at sight” for years. We are not afraid”.
So, what are you going to do?
“We will keep investing in innovation and human capital, like we have been doing in the past few years. In 2022 we invested in the restyling of some valves, a new enterprise management software, a new machine tool to do more and more “in house”, further reducing our reliance on external suppliers, and we also added new valid resources to our staff. These moves are essential to keep growing”.
What was it like coming back to Xylexpo?
“I would say it was really positive. We recorded high visitor attendance. Exhibitions are still important in our industry, but I believe exhibitors must change their point of view. Compared to a few years ago, the opportunities to see products also outside this kind of events have grown exponentially, you can easily find new companies and make contact. In the past, you had to visit an exhibition, now you can get in touch before. So, the trade fair is the place where you can “close” the contact, where you can meet the customer in person, not just through a screen. The difference lies in the effectiveness of the contacts made during an exhibition. Compared to the past, the total number of contacts may be lower, but their quality and the “conversion rate” have increased.
“We have perceived a clear desire to meet again at this edition of Xylexpo. Everyone missed meeting in person, and this was a great opportunity!”.
by Francesco Inverso
zator.it
