A 170,000-square meter structure comprised of industrial warehouses, customer care centres and offices: these are the new premises of Fabio Perini S.p.A.
Maura Leonardi
"The choice of investing in a new physical location has a strategic value that stems from the strong will to create a structure for customers through an integrated service network....". With these words, Martin Weickenmeier, President of Fabio Perini S.p.A. and member of the Board of Directors of the Körber Group, the German Foundation owner since the year 2000 of the entire share package of Fabio Perini S.p.A., underscored the intentions behind the new facilities during the official inauguration which took place on 25th October 2002 in the PIP Mugnano Sud Industrial Area, just 10 minutes from Lucca (near the Firenze-Mare highway).
The inauguration marked the conclusion of a project that began a few years ago to create a structure able to offer customers integrated and global services. A centre where technology, research and customer care offices are concentrated.
80,000 square meters are occupied by industrial warehouses, 13,000 by offices, canteen and service areas, and 27,000 square meters are left for greenery and parking areas. An important investment of a dynamic company where research, development, innovation and human resources are the key words that in these last few years have accompanied the growth of an industrial entity that expands well beyond the boundaries of Lucca. With branch offices worldwide, Perini can count on an integrated structure where people, services, means and technology all come together, creating a thick fabric for exchange with the purpose of implementing new energies in order to further the development of the tissue business.
The company counts 580 employees in Lucca plus another 276 in the various branch offices abroad. Among the many dignitaries present at the inauguration were the President of the Province of Lucca Andrea Tagliasacchi, the Mayor of the city of Lucca Pietro Fazzi, the Director of the Industrialists' Association Vittorio Armani and the President of the Chamber of Commerce Claudio Guerrieri. At the beginning of the ceremony, Guido Finocckì, Sales and Marketing Director, summarized the history of the company, underscoring the importance of the territory of Lucca in constituting that trait d'union with local customers which guaranteed a winning synergy for Perini's development.
Created in 1966, Fabio Perini S.p.A. through constant research and technical innovations, was able to quickly attain success in the field of tissue converting machines for products destined for hygienic, home and industrial use. The company's development followed that of the territory of Lucca itself, where paper production can find its origins. The industrial fabric of the city itself is comprised of 280 companies of both industrial and artisan level where 80% of the country's tissue products are made for an annual turnover of 2,324 billion Euros. The central geographic position of the city of Lucca together with the agglomeration policies recently adopted by many local companies have enhanced the importance of the city as an international tissue centre recognized worldwide. The creation of industrial structures able to preserve the territory constituted a further growth opportunity for the entire tissue business.
The authorities present at the ceremony expressed their appreciation for the progress shown by Perini during the years: a territorial marketing policy that contributed to reinforcing the economic and social well-being of the entire territory. The new facilities at the PIP Mugnano Sud (Progetto Insediamento Produttivo - Production Facilities Project) built by Fabio Perini S.p.A. synthesizes in a sole structure the integration of the entire production process. Here, the protagonists of the tissue field - from suppliers to customers - can interact and exchange knowledge and experiences. An open network for the circulation of information that keeps abreast of the market through its Alfa Research and Development Division.
Created in 1980, this "factory of ideas" employs 50 people and here, research, design and assistance interact to create an added value.
The basic philosophy of Perini's PIP project perfectly matches that of the Körber Group itself, owner of the Lucca company, that counts over 8000 employees worldwide. This network of 28 companies strives to satisfy customer demands by constantly proposing innovative solutions stemming from research. The ceremony concluded with a tour of the new facilities, guided by Gabriele Pacini, Plant Director, who showed guests the new Sincro line ready for delivery. Following the tour, Mayor Pietro Fazzi, in representation of local authorities, and Dr. Werner Redeker, President of the Board of Directors of the Körber Group, presided over the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony before entering the central office building, thus officially sealing this important event for the world of tissue.