EL.PA. Service, headquartered in Altavilla Vicentina, leader in the tanning automation sector, celebrates its 25th anniversary. In September at the Tanning Tech fair in Milan, the company presented its new brand and launch a new marketing model for the “Eastern world”. [By MpaStyle]
2022 is an important year in the history of EL.PA. Service, leader in the hitech electromechanical tanning sector, which produces complete systems and specific equipment for leather finishing. The company based in Altavilla Vicentina (Vicenza), founded in 1997 by Andrea Pegoraro, the current owner, celebrates its 25th anniversary, a true turning point, a new “era” also according to the corporate’s image: the machines boast a new design and coloring, a completely revised brand logo has been launched and also investments in the website and social channels have been undertaken.
During its first quarter of a century, EL.PA. Service established itself on the Italian and foreign market, in the field of the design and manufacturing of leather finishing machines as well as in different industrial automations sectors. The constant growth in turnover has taken place by virtue of targeted and often innovative entrepreneurial choices, combined with the ability to meet technical support requests and fulfilling the customer needs quickly and efficiently. The constant and progressive presence in the field of technical services for the leather industry has made it possible to acquire over the years a prominent place for many tanning companies, which often seek for a single interlocutor able to satisfy the several requests of a constantly evolving market.
The image of the new “era” will be displayed at the company’s stand at the Simac Tanning Tech, scheduled September 20-22 at the Milan fair. “We will do our best to set up an impactful stand, – assures Andrea Pegoraro, we will present the new logo and colors – the traditional orange that has always identified us will be combined with black, to add an even stronger appeal. At the fair, the goal is above all to present the new brand, which we are finally defining after a path that started several months ago flanked by a specialized studio of marketing professionals, who will support us in future challenges. We will also present the new marketing model for the “Eastern world”. In the stand there will be an innovative and modern “laboratory”, called F.L.L. (Finish Line Lab), represented by a booth that reproduces the entire finishing line in a single spot. The model has already been for some years in our vast product catalog, however the searches carried out during the lockdown and in the subsequent years have led us to improve and implement all the products in the range according to technology and performance.”
What do you expect from the September fair in Milan?
“Undoubtedly, we expectations are high, but everything will depend on how many and which foreigners will be allowed to come. Europeans already attended the 2021 edition; however, we know almost all of them and we can meet them with short flights. What will make the difference will be the presence of Asians: Chinese, Indians, Indonesians and the countries of that area. We will also check the attendance of trade operators from South America and the USA. At the fair we will display a special leather reflection measurement system: this is an important upgrade of our system called Co.Mis. (Measure Control), we guarantee a twodimensional image acquisition system that recognizes the hide even when it lies on a tape of the same color and / or coated with the same color. Basically, we work on the whole RGBW and infrared light spectrum. In this way we can detect every single leather in an “absolute” way, through a system applicable on any machine, even in different sectors “.
How is the EL.PA. Service brand rooted internationally?
“We are renowned all over the world, we miss only few areas. We usually attend 3-4 international exhibitions a year. Unfortunately, the pandemic, as for all companies, has slowed down the growth trend, therefore for a year and a half, also thanks to the Industry 4.0 concessions, we worked mainly with the domestic market. However, we kept contact with all customers, agents and collaborators around the world and in 2022 there are wide signs of a generalized recovery, even if other facts weigh, such as the costs of raw materials and the availability of parts and components, in particular electronic ones. Once we are back up and running, we believe that the export share will predominate as a percentage compared to Italy. We are also growing in the world thanks to the cooperation undertaken with other companies for the construction of leather finishing systems through the use of release paper: around mid-October we will delivery a plant for an important foreign group.”
Speaking of foreign markets: where have you made the biggest investments?
“In the Far East, more precisely in Indonesia, in the capital Jakarta, where we are reaping great satisfaction commercially speaking. Here we have partnered with one of our former employees, Guido Frizzarin, who worked with us for 11 years, managing the commercial sector of those areas. In November 2019 we started a three-way cooperation (another Vicenza company in the sector is also part of the group), to follow all the main Asian markets. Unfortunately, Covid slowed everything down, but after a year and half at a loss, the project has restarted: “our” Asian office boasts direct control of all the agents in the area, giving the possibility of moving quickly at low costs. In those areas we have kept our historical agents, therefore without fostering competition between them and our “detachment”. For the local market it is a strong point of reference. Being on site is an innovative model, difficult to be copied by our competitors, also due to the presence of local artisans who work for us and a well-stocked warehouse for spare parts. A dynamic, successful structure, which is becoming a model to be copied for different companies.”
And what about the Italian market?
“As mentioned, in the last two years it has been a driving force. We believe we can grow in terms of turnover also in the local market, also due to our presence in elite tanneries and to our ability to respond quickly to different customer requests. Currently, we are installing a line at a prestigious company in the automotive sector, which not only processes leather, but also fabrics. The automotive market is also shifting to other materials in addition to leather and ELPA promptly seized the opportunity, developing the first finishing line for synthetics.”
What are the other innovations planned for 2022 and 2023?
“We have another location across the street, larger than this one, currently used as a warehouse for semi-finished products and used machines. All projects have been approved and we foresee, after a major renovation, to move the offices and production to that site, which will be on three levels, while the current one will become a department store. The intention was to relocate this year, but the lack of raw materials and the slowdown in construction sites made us lose precious months: we wish to start working on it before winter and to be able to inaugurate it in 2023.”
