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Home > UNITED KINGDOM > Focus On
ITALIAN BRUSHES: A BYWORD FOR DESIGN ALL OVER THE WORLD
Even in a conventionally 'old economy' sector - such as the brush, paintbrush and broom-making industry - Italy manages to compete in traditional markets. The reason is explained by Gianantonio Pogliani, President of Assospazzole (www.assospazzole.it), the trade association representing not only the manufacturers but also the sector's raw material suppliers. "Our added value - he says - is the same that characterises Italian-made products in general: our design, which translates into the ability to invent different products, as in the case of industrial brush-making or, alternatively to innovate existing ones".
That is the case for paintbrushes, whose handles are enriched with 'soft touch' materials to increase comfort and functionality. "Brooms, too - continues Pogliani - have been transformed into 'designer' items, as have dish-cleaning brushes which now sport catchier shapes compared to traditional ones. However, this is not enough: competitors benefiting from lower wages can easily manufacture counterfeit low-tech goods with low start-up costs.
"There is however another counter-measure", claims Pogliani. For some product types, such as orthodontic toothbrushes, multinationals oblige even Italian companies - chosen for their ability to develop innovative products in cooperation with the commissioning company - to produce brand products. These are innovations which are much harder to counterfeit because multinationals are able to protect their patents. "Something similar also happens for niche cosmetics products, such as mascara brushes", adds the head of Assospazzole.
In parallel with design and production partnerships with international behemoths, Italian companies in this sector have also started to become more international. "The preferred markets - Pogliani explains - are Eastern Europe and China, which also happens to be the world's first producer of pig bristles, the raw material needed for all types of brushes. However outsourcing presents Italian companies with a problem, directly related to the size of the businesses. "Our sector is made up of small enterprises: the main player, Ponzini, does not exceed 300 employees", he warns. Other primary operators are Nespoli, for paintbrushes, and Sit Tecnospazzole in the niche market for industrial brushes. The sector also encompasses supplier companies - such as the one headed by Pogliani and which gives it its name - or brush and broom-making machinery manufacturers, among which the undisputed leader is the Borghi Group.
Overall, the sector closed 2005 (last year available) with an estimated turnover of 219 million euros. Export trends were high: 149.28 million euros, i.e. 68%, came from foreign sales. As a result of 85.68 million euros worth of imports, the sector's bottom-line netted at 63.6 million euros. Workforce numbers suffered a slight decrease, down in twelve months from 2,550 to 2,450 units. European markets are the main destination for exports.
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