This is a company with a reputation for creating high quality products constantly adapted to meet new needs, and for paying particular attention to its post-sales customer assistance: a service which has been consistently reinforced over time. The business concerned is Officine Meccaniche Galletti , a company operating in the sectors of mechanics and concrete, and its winning formula has helped it build up a reputation throughout the world. The Group operates on the international scene under the Sicoma brand, while the OMG label remains firmly anchored to its European business. Founded in Perugia in 1947, the company already has an export quota which accounts for 80% of its turnover, but it certainly has no plans to stop at that. Indeed, the idea is to continue to invest in various businesses, mainly in countries on the road to development where there is still a need for major building projects. We asked Paolo Galletti, the Group’s Sole Director, what strategy they have adopted to achieve such excellent results on foreign markets.

Mr. Galletti, how have you achieved so much growth in terms of exports?

We have grown because we have been able to develop our products, adapting them to the changing needs of construction sites around the world. Our advantage was that we invested first of all in high quality products and then in service, in post-sales assistance. Our machinery is subjected to heavy use and wear and tear, and we realised that in order to manage it in the best possible way, our clients needed to feel that we were close at hand, and not at the end of an international telephone line.

Which foreign markets do you operate in?

We have a presence in every continent, either directly or through dealers. In 2000, thanks to a joint venture partnership, we were able to establish production units in China, and since 2008 we have also been opening units in India, under the complete control of the Group. We have branches with warehouses and service personnel in France, Spain and the USA.

Which of these markets represent a real challenge for the future?

I would say firstly India, a market which still has enormous potential for our products, and then also the African continent. We are already opening up in the countries bordering the Mediterranean (Algeria, Morocco, and Libya), but the central and southern African markets remain to be explored.

With regard to the European market, on the other hand, we see it as being stuck in a rut, mainly due to the notorious economic problems but also because of the ageing population. In addition, most of the infrastructure here has now been completed.

What does the future hold for the Group?

We’ll certainly be working on improving upon our basic product, essentially a cement and concrete mixer. We see a use for this not only in the construction sector, but also in the fields of ceramics, glass and foundry work.

In addition, we have been involved for some time now in the area of waste recycling. In fact, we are working with an engineering firm that specialises in retrieving the waste from blast furnaces, which can be re-used in a whole variety of sectors.