For the second time, Franco Paviotti has been appointed coordinator of the informal group that brings together and represents Italian tool manufacturers affiliated with Acimall, the national association of manufacturers of technologies for the wood and furniture industry.
Franco Paviotti needs little introduction: a successful entrepreneur, co-owner of Metal World in Pavia di Udine, he has a long-standing history in the associative world, with roles of responsibility both in Acimall and Eumabois, the European federation of machine manufacturers.
It is therefore no surprise that in recent weeks he was once again called upon to coordinate the Toolmakers Group, an informal gathering that, in fact, represents the Italian tool industry, a reference product on an international level.
“It is of great importance that such an important and qualifying segment of Italian technology has a point of reference where it can discuss regulations and markets,” Paviotti tells us. “A sector with a long tradition: the Italian ‘team’ has always participated very actively in the various European and international standardization tables, seeking a direct and proactive dialogue with machine and plant manufacturers, whose products we produce, innovate, and improve every day, and which often have a significant impact on the final performance of the technology.”
His call shows that there is indeed a need for great experience…
“These are undoubtedly very complex times, difficult waters to navigate. I believe this is why I have been chosen for the role of coordinator. More than ever, we need to emphasize and claim the role and characteristics of ‘Made in Italy’ tools: this is the mission the Toolmakers Group is now called upon to pursue with renewed vigor in the European and international arenas. We represent an important industry that has always had a lot to say in terms of technical capacity, research and development, contributing to achieving certain speeds of progress, and especially to a higher quality of finish that requires fewer and fewer subsequent interventions.
We have always been very good at expressing these and many other values, first and foremost belonging to a fabric of ideas and entrepreneurship that clearly understands terms like ‘sustainability’ and ‘circular economy’. The Italian tool industry has always demonstrated a wealth of insight, a message that must continue to be heard loud and clear even in the face of fierce Asian competition. That is why it’s time to give new life to associations, to work together again to defend shared goals, but above all, quality and safety standards that we cannot afford to compromise.”
… Competition is an inevitable aspect…
“Certainly, and we are not afraid of it, as long as it is not forgotten that in such a confused moment, where users often don’t know exactly what to buy or where to invest, they need to be informed in a timely and accurate manner about what they can purchase with their money, and what expectations they should have. This opens a very important page on the communication front: now more than ever, we need to work to ensure that those who need to make a choice can do so with full knowledge. I cannot accept that a door manufacturer, furniture maker, or wooden house builder is not in a position to correctly evaluate what it means to equip their machines with an ‘Italian-made’ or ‘German-made’ tool and only considers the price element.”
Much has been done in this direction…
“… but much remains to be done,” continues Paviotti. “The Italian tool industry is predominantly made up of family businesses, with values that have deep roots and cannot be scattered.
In Acimall, there are about fifteen companies represented, and I’d say there are another fifty that could or should choose to join the group, as this would make us even stronger and more effective in defending our interests.”
A very complex world…
“… Certainly, although it responds collectively to a series of truths, the most important of which is that about 80% of our total production is directed towards the world of woodworking and DIY, with only 20% going to the furniture and window industry. These are very different worlds: the industry purchases and invests in maintenance and sharpening, even ‘renewing’ the same tool up to five times; the world of woodworking and DIY uses tools so little that one tool can last up to five years without any intervention: I think this is enough to summarize the dynamics behind the definition of a tool, and the relationship created over decades between manufacturers and service and sharpening centers, always with the goal of providing effective and fast service to companies, which without a tool capable of ensuring certain performances…”
An industry that has always seen Italy and Germany excel…
“Absolutely. Everywhere wood is worked, and not only that, Italian tools compete with the production of German giants: as I mentioned earlier, while the national fabric is structured mostly around small and medium-sized companies, the German production is characterized by a dozen genuine giants. We Italians are ‘specialists by vocation,’ able to supply special tools within a few weeks, results that are not achievable by those producing in large quantities.”
A historic reality that now faces new needs?
“I would say that more than in the past, suppliers are required to establish a partnership that goes beyond just selling: today, logistics allows us to be ‘close’ even to those using our tools on the other side of the world, ensuring precise and timely service. We will have to work even harder on IT platforms, powerful ‘electronic showcases’ that inform customers in real-time about what manufacturers have ready in stock, making every interaction faster. In these ‘collective platforms,’ I see real opportunities for collaboration among Italian toolmakers who could, once again, express ‘guiding values’ at an international level, promoting the availability and professionalism of all while respecting each other’s specificities, a task that could help everyone.
Let’s not forget that there is no manufacturer of tools for wood and its derivatives who has not used their knowledge and expertise to serve industries, processes, and products that are more or less ‘close’: ‘multimateriality’ is a challenge that the Italian tool industry has been addressing for decades, but today it is, and must be, projected into a much broader context.”
