ASSOMAC: AN INTERLOCUTORY YEAR FOR A RENEWING SECTOR

The Italian industry of manufacturers of Footwear, Leathergoods and Tanning Technologies has reached a total value of production of 620 million €, with a 70% share of Export (update 2019).

• The Footwear, Leathergoods and Tanning Technologies & Machineries outlook of the first semester 2020, presented in the ASSOMAC Annual Assembly, shows a global negative framework, but with a minor shock for Italy: only -35% for Export and -25% for Import.
• ReStart & Global Relaunch ASSOMAC project: a new identity and new guideline of the Association have been released during the first national lockdown, an identity rooted in the heritage and in the industrial traditions but with a glance to the future and projected with an innovative vision of community, and to a changing Market.
  
  
•  The new ASSOMAC President has been elected: Maria Vittoria Brustia, President of Brustia Alfameccanica and President of “Lomellina-Vigevano” Assolombarda Pavia. (Regional branch of Confindustria – National Association of manufacturing and service companies in Italy).

Vigevano, November the 25th 2020

Today ASSOMAC, the Association of manufacturers of Footwear, Leather goods and Tannery technologies, met for its annual plenary assembly, under the leadership of the outgoing president Gabriella Marchioni Bocca.

"2019 marked the conclusion of an expansive economic cycle, where the current pandemic crisis has acted as a catalyst of negativities in the world economic system", underlines Marchioni Bocca. "All the economic data of our sector for the first half of 2020 are negative - exports and production - but they are negative for everyone and globally, starting with the Chinese giant which recorded an impressive loss: we are talking about -53% in exports of machinery and -35% in imports. We as Italy have withstood the blow, recording a more contained -35% in exports and -25% in machinery imports ".

Assomac and its Associated members look at the future, making digital technologies their own and incorporating them in the best possible way into their machinery and production plants: the goal is to provide high added value solutions to customers through after-sales assistance, remote installations, maintenance at distance, and the whole range of useful services for the improvement and optimization of production (with dedicated training). ASSOMAC also takes care to the “generational changes”: there is a special attention to young Associates initiatives, and the new Generation is encouraged to have an active presence in association bodies such as the Board of Association and Presidency.

"We, as Association, did not give up in this historical phase" Marchioni Bocca said. “Entrepreneurs are usually combative, and they try to find solutions. It is a concept that I am convinced should guide all of us and, perhaps, also the Country, politics, other business associations. Our ReStart project is the synthesis, but it is also a new begin. The guidelines for a new identity have been defined. An identity rooted in the past, in our industrial heritage. And which aims to involve all the Associates, all of us are the main chapters of change, the engine of development. United in diversity we must move forward, having a common, innovative vision, projected towards the changing market, the competition that becomes harder every day and an essential theme of sustainability.”

Assomac made own, from a proactive perspective, the growing need for "sustainability" at environmental and social level: the release of a voluntary certification, validated by an independent third party - RINA - and called "Green Label", expresses the ability to offer the market a tool that, in a scientific way, calculates the environmental impact of the production process used. The transformation towards a more sustainable and digitized economy will bring greater opportunities for the Mechanics, Electrical Engineering and Automotive sectors, which will record an intense rebound in the next two years 2021-2022.

The Business Study Centre of ASSOMAC produces for the ASSOMAC members, every year, the Economic Booklet. Here are highlighted some of the results:

● The Italian industry of manufacturers of Footwear, Leathergoods and Tanning Technologies has reached a total value of production of 620 million €, with a 70% of Export with over 4.000 workers (update 2019): a global niche of precision mechanics technology and skills for the manufacturers industry.

● In comparison with global Export data of the industry, it is well noted that:

About the Tanneries Machines, the Italian product is a world leader with a 55% share of exports for production with particular attention to the environmental impact in the recovery of a by-product, otherwise considered waste.

About the Footwear Machines, the Italian product is the first follower to China with a share of 14%, focused on technological and automation solutions even in processes where craftsmanship is combined with the quality of a high-value finished product.

About the leather goods Machineries, the Italian product is a world leader with a share of 35% mainly oriented to high-end quality productions.

• ASSOMAC, has interpreted the international attitude of the Associates since its establishment in 1982: with an average foreign turnover of 75%, Assomac Associates can define themselves as true "citizens of the world ”, having travelled and done business with roughly all Countries of the globe. Assomac is a multilingual and multi-context interlocutor, which dialogues with the big names and international fashion brands along the value chains, as well as with other mechanical and technological sectors, such as the automotive sector.

• The Italian sector does not compete on a quantitative base with its main competitors - which are China and Taiwan - but positions its productions on a medium-high range, where quality and precision constitute a "premium price" and record a clear preference for Italian technology.

• The mechanical industry "machines for leather, footwear and leather goods" can be considered as a flagship of Italian technology which, is not afraid of comparisons either with Asian giants such as China or with its cousins Europeans - Germany first and foremost. Respecting a tradition that sees the sector as a leading position within a world niche, its evolution is very similar to the other sectors of "instrumental/ precision mechanics", that is, the mechanical sectors for manufacturing production.

The new elected president of the association, Maria Vittoria Brustia. "my gratitude to those who preceded me, also for having facilitated and simplified the 'passing of the baton' at the helm of the Association. Years of important challenges await us: we must strive to offer more services to members and to boost our network, to not to lose ground on the markets that have seen us as protagonists. I am confident because I have a Staff and a Presidency at my side who are willing and motivated to pursue these objectives ".

Carlo Robiglio, Vice President of Confindustria and President of Small Industry with responsibility for Resilience, Business Continuity and Emergency Management Program also spoke during the meeting.

"Attention to sustainability and an eye to change are two indispensable prerequisites for companies that want to successfully compete in the current economic scenario. We are in a rapidly evolving context in which 'crises' follow one another that can only be tackled with the right toolbox. Social responsibility, training and attitude to change are the indispensable tools of this survival and relaunch kit. Assomac has fully understood this by orienting strategies and projects on these issues, thanks to which it is managing to intercept the new guidelines for growth and competitiveness”.


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