Skip to main content

Italy must “deal” with manufacturing competition

Italian construction equipment manufacturers are being urged to embrace “internationalisation” if they are to survive and prosper after new figures revealed declining domestic but rising export sales in 2011.
February 10, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
Italian construction equipment manufacturers are being urged to embrace “internationalisation” if they are to survive and prosper after new figures revealed declining domestic but rising export sales in 2011.

Full year road machinery sales in Italy were down 43.6%, and earth moving machine sales by 21.2% on 2010 levels. Sales of concrete machinery (truck mixers, concrete pumps, truck-mounted and stationary pumps, plants, shotcrete) fell by 7% in the last three months of 2011 compared to the third quarter of the year.

The figures were processed by the trade association, 2539 Unacea based on data provided by Istat (The Italian Institute for Statistics).

On a more encouraging note, further Unacea processed Istat figures show exports of Italian earth moving machinery increased by 39%, road machinery by 14% and concrete machinery by 9% in the first 10 months of 2011, compared to the same period of the previous year. Exports of Italian-made tower cranes were also up by 30%, while drilling machine sales rose by 21%. Crushing and screening machinery exports fell by 13%.

Commenting on the figures Paolo Salvadori, president of Le Oru – 2318 IMER Group, said: “The reality is that we have to acknowledge a phenomenon which is no longer cyclical, but structural, that is the transfer of wealth and affluence from Europe to other countries. It is a reality that cannot be eliminated, but managed, first of all, through processes of internationalisation, which does not simply mean selling abroad, but transferring your concept of business to other countries.”

Federico Furlani, managing director of Simem Spa, said: “The domestic market situation remains invariably negative, while in exports, although there are a few signs of a recovery, we have to deal with competition from ‘emerged’ countries which, like China, are conquering positions in our sector through acquisitions, such as the recent cases of Schwing and 1259 Putzmeister.

“In Italy, recent seismic events could and should act as an effective reminder to return to discussing the quality of concrete and its production process: pre-mixing, automation and process control. From this perspective, we hope that there will soon be a response from the government, because these provisions could contribute to the growth that the country needs so urgently.”

Enrico Prandini, of 2300 Komatsu Utility Europe and vice president of Unacea, said the need to reduce the Italian public debt had limited investment in national infrastructure.

He added: “It risks negating all the sacrifices the population has made: if there is not a return to making investments, the recession will continue to increase the public debt and interest rates on it, sending the economy into a downward spiral."

%$Linker: External 0 0 0 oLinkExternal www.unacea.org UNACEA http://www.unacea.org/ false false%>

%$Linker: 2 Internal 2 4824 0 oLinkInternal <span class="oLinkInternal"><span class="oLinkInternal">View more videos</span></span> Video false /event-news/intermat-2012/video/ true false%>

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • CTE’s ideal platform
    January 6, 2017
    A new truck mounted articulated platform with increased capacity up to 300kg and 21metre working height with 10metre outreach is being launched by CTE at Intermat 2012. The ZED 21 JH, part of the firm’s established ZED line, is said to be an evolution of the ZED 21 J with a redesigned boom that is more compact and parallel to the articulated arm. The new model’s jib inclination has been increased from 110 ° to 145 °, its controls are tilted towards the operator to improve visibility and ease of use, and the
  • CTE’s ideal platform
    April 12, 2012
    A new truck mounted articulated platform with increased capacity up to 300kg and 21metre working height with 10metre outreach is being launched by CTE at Intermat 2012. The ZED 21 JH, part of the firm’s established ZED line, is said to be an evolution of the ZED 21 J with a redesigned boom that is more compact and parallel to the articulated arm. The new model’s jib inclination has been increased from 110 ° to 145 °, its controls are tilted towards the operator to improve visibility and ease of use, and the
  • CDE’s new German focus
    January 6, 2017
    CDE Global has formed CDE GmbH trading as CDE Deutschland, which has developed from a distribution agreement for southern Germany that was in place between CDE Global and Jurgen Kolsch. The move sees Stefan Kolsch and Sean McCusker assume roles as directors in the new company, which will have exclusive responsibility for the sales, distribution, project management and after sales and service elements of the CDE business in Germany.
  • CDE’s new German focus
    February 13, 2013
    CDE Global has formed CDE GmbH trading as CDE Deutschland, which has developed from a distribution agreement for southern Germany that was in place between CDE Global and Jurgen Kolsch. The move sees Stefan Kolsch and Sean McCusker assume roles as directors in the new company, which will have exclusive responsibility for the sales, distribution, project management and after sales and service elements of the CDE business in Germany.