Partner Country Italy - Italienisches Institut für Außenhandel

iNNOVATIONS
Investments in innovation
The Brovedani Group specializes in precision mechanical engineering, with locations in Italy, Slovakia and Mexico. The Group’s passion for
innovation has been a major factor in its international success. General manager Sergio Barel on Brovedani’s success story.
Mr. Barel, if you would have to describe
the production philosophy and
the secret of the success of Brovedani
group, what would be the essence?
ess quality that are today’s key to be a
reliable partner for all Customers.
The most important factor in the
Group latest years’ growth has been
manufacturing principles to optimize
the resources and avoid waste of time
that, with big investment, could bring
big losses.
We have acquired important relationship
with German customers based on
strong history and cooperation which
permits us today to be among Bosch’s
Brovedani’s success and production
philosophy have their root in the company’s
origin, starting from its early
beginning in 1952 with Silvio
Brovedani who based
his small workshop
the Diesel Injection market: Brovedani
has began producing from the prototype
phase common rail application
components starting with Fiat/
Magneti Marelli and afterwards
has continued with
In the making of the company how
important was the international orientation
for achieving innovation
potential and quality standards of
Brovedani?
preferential suppliers (VZL).
Nowadays, the word is moving
very fast and other
markets are growing
all around the world.
However, to be strongly
on his great me-
Bosch when the German
Today, with the strong mar-
present in Europe
chanical skills and
leading company bought
ket internationalization, it
and especially in
experience. Since
the patent from the Italian
is important to be present
Germany, where
then and up to now,
company. This fact shows
worldwide and give the cus-
the automotive high-
after the acquisition
the key of our success,
tomer a global service with global
est technology is still
of the company in 1972
namely the capacity to put
standards. Brovedani headquarter is
developing earlier than in oth-
by the current owner Benito
together Italian creativeness and
located in S. Vito al Tagliamento, in
er countries, is for us a strategic choice.
Zollia, Brovedani has always based its
growing success on its strong and diversified
mechanical competence. It
has found a perfect mix with the strong
German efficiency which can also be
found in our people’s mindset. Friuli,
our region, is a border region and is located
in the north east of Italy, but for
North east of Italy, where we have also
two production units. In addition, we
have production plants in Bari (south
of Italy), Galanta (Slovakia) and Quere-
Do you expect the end of crisis of the
automotive sector to come soon, and
how did Brovedani feel the crisis?
will to innovate and the focus on the
historical and cultural reasons it is very
taro (Mexico).
Should we consider today’s orders, it
latest technology.
close to German countries.
The Brovedani philosophy in this in-
might seem that the crisis is ending,
The experience in different production
sectors (Electrolux, IBM, Magneti
Marelli, Bosch, Delphi are only few examples)
has given the company the
dynamism and the right approach to
What is your perspective and practice
on permanent innovation? How
important are investments in R&D
activities?
ternationalization is not the typical
delocalization of production means
but it is based on strong investments
to grant the same efficiency and quality
standard worldwide. It is obviously
but the information we have from the
car sales market is telling us something
different. The European car
sales, now that the government automotive
incentives are almost over, have
production and proc-
The investments in the new technol-
very important to be close to the cus-
dropped down again to lower levels
ogy is one of Brovedani’s strong points,
tomer and to the market, but what
compared to the last months of 2009.
in the last years investment rates have
makes the difference is to be close to
Now, all OEMs are probably rebuild-
always been set to levels higher
them with the same standards.
ing their stocks and so they are push-
than ten percent compared to the
turnover. R&D in subcontracting
market is very important,
because the added value of our
work is not to discover something
new but most of all it is a
Which role does the German market
play for Brovedani? What is the image
you have achieved in status of
your suppliers relations throughout
the years?
ing strongly on the supplier chain, but
the question is what should we expect
after they meet the target?
We think we have to increase our concentration
to be ready to follow the
market demand, organizing our struc-
challenge in organizing in a clev-
Today, the German market is extremely
ture in a very flexible way and having
er way the latest and most cost ef-
relevant for us and represents roughly
the right sensibility to feel every sin-
ficient technologies in order to
40 percent of our turnover. Germany
gle small signal of change in custom-
produce components with higher
and its automotive sector is the lead-
er demands. Nevertheless, we have to
and higher technological content.
ing market for innovation and strategy.
be aware that these difficult situations
Clearly, to make all this a profitable
are on one hand a threat and on the
context, we need to apply the latest lean
other hand they could hide some big
opportunities.
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HANNOVER MESSE 2010 PARTNER COUNTRY ITALY