Trying to analyze the production rate or a hectic fluctuation of the market demand, or perhaps a delivery time, today, when everything (or almost everything) has been put inside the brackets because of the pandemic outbreak that has affected the entire world, would simply mean going beyond the reality for the vast majority of industrial sectors.
However, it is necessary to focus on the future of all the markets, professional ironing sector included. Currently, apart from the worrying and difficult management of existing products and orders, businesses are focusing on how to develop new products and improve the existing ones in relation to the variety of requests from all over the world. The common thread is still the same and it translates to keeping the standards high in case of all the vital parts of an organization: from the initial research to the final product storage as well as space and time optimization on the basis of the order flow.
In the light of current events, it will definitely be necessary to make some adjustments and enhance the market offer in relation to new requests, yet, aspects like the quality of products, efficiency and maintenance services will still be the fundamental points at the basis of any business. Languages, cultures and countries may differ but customer satisfaction will remain one of the main goals for all the businesses. This month’s Reportage is going to illustrate it through the evaluations of sector operators.
Corinna Mapelli, the co-owner of Trevil, a producer of professional ironing systems based in Pozzo D’Adda near Milan, makes a prediction in regard to the current economic and sanitary context that, needless to say, is turning out to be particularly complicated, “as far as the ironing market is concerned, my firs evaluation looks rather negative. The risk refers to the fact that families, in order to face the difficult moment where both the market and the work situation are unstable, might need to turn to self-service structures more often. As ironing is strictly linked to traditional dry-cleaning laundries, it will inevitably be put at a disadvantage. Surely, the segment of customers who will continue to have their garments treated at the dry-cleaner’s with a more appropriate care will remain.
Another observation can be made here. The laundries run as enterprises could, as some sort of a “compensation effect” due to the recovery of the business, actually take the occasion to invest in automated and more sophisticated machines. It will allow them not only to manage the workload peak but also to mark a change in regard to future business perspectives”.
“As for the range of products offered”, Mapelli adds, “I would distinguish them according to the type of users. Our new entry is a product line called Trevil Essentials (composed of a vacuum table, a blowing table, a form finisher for jackets, a shirt finisher and a pants finisher). Guaranteed by Trevil quality, some of the elements have been simplified. The price is more accessible, ideal for a start-up business activity”.
“The laundry of today is based on new requests, new customs and habits and new perspectives in a constantly changing society. Laundries are compelled to extend their availability towards customers and adjust the services offered, e.g. by offering innovative solutions such as the possibility of withdrawing and delivering garments at any time of day or night. All this is possible if a laundry is equipped with automated machines that allow to treat garments, reduce the time and increase the productivity”, underlines Stella Fumagalli, the Marketing & Communication Manager at Pony SpA, an established company based in Inzago near Milan. “Pony has been focused on automation for a long time now. We develop machines that are more and more sophisticated in terms of technology and we pay the maximum attention to the choice of materials and components. Pony guarantees high production and incomparable standards”. The prerequisites have been the basis for the development of the entire range of PONY shirt finishers that present highly automated solutions and advanced technology: DB360, a double rotating shirt finisher that can finish up to 120 shirts per hour, Angel 3.0, a single press finishe and Eagle 2.0, a tensioning press finisher. All the finishers guarantee high productivity, quality and costs reduction in terms of both labor and energy. Without forgetting that KITE, even if the simplest and cheapest of PONY shirt finishers, has also been equipped with technologically advanced solutions, just like the entire range of the machines, such as the productivity control, cycles and troubleshooting management from remote through the internet connection or connectivity software.
“Another topic that draws the attention of the entire world today is pollution and energy saving”, adds Fumagalli. “Pony, just like the entire sector producing technology applied to ironing, provides machines equipped with devices that contribute to the protection of the environment and to energy saving. The entire range of PONY shirt finishers has been provided with an efficient hot air recovery system called H.A.R.S. It recuperates the hot air from the shoulder press area and re-uses it for the entire ironing cycle. In this way, the ironing time decreases, energy consumption drops and the heat dispersion in the working environment is significantl reduced which makes it more healthy for the operators. A solid example of an energy-saving technology is DB360, a double rotating press shirt finisher. It is particularly interesting for the industrial laundry sector thanks to its high quality standards and productivity”.
Next, we consulted Michele Battistella, the Sales Director of Battistella B.G. Srl based in Rossano Veneto (Vicenza), “as all the sectors, also ironing goes through radical changes year after year in regard to the market demand that is constantly evolving. Currently, we are focused on our cold ironing tables equipped with a touch screen, an excellent example of man-machine interaction. An interactive touch screen allows to control all the parameters of a machine, e.g. temperature, pressure or engine power. What is more, it immediately notifies operators any time the machine needs maintenance or assistance.
The vision of the products to focus on”, adds Michele Battistella, “is undoubtedly influenced by the current sanitary situation. Our generator, called Afrodite, is becoming quite successful on the market at the moment. It is a 5-liter boiler made of inox steel that associates the sanitizing quality of hot steam with other cleaning accessories.
We can create the best machine in the world, but if it does not satisfy the market requests, it will stay unsold in our warehouse.
The requests and needs are often dictated by the culture, the economic means, the geographical position and other factors. It is possible, however, to identify a common point, ad added value, shared by all the markets: communication. In 2020, keeping up with the times means having a direct and fast contact with customers. It also means conveying all the secrets and specifics of a machine to clients as well as learning how to use the numerous means of communication to our disposal in every country, e.g. WhatsApp in Europe and America, WeChat in Asia, Viber in Russia, etc. Our future challenge will definitely involve keeping and improving the standards of our productive quality, and enhancing our communication network so that we can meet your most important requests”, concludes Battistella.
Eleonora Cartabbia, the Marketing Manager at Macpi Group based in Palazzolo sull’Oglio near Brescia, starts by telling us that “on the basis of Macpi Group experience, constantly focused on the technological development of new automated machines for the industrial ironing sector but not only, we can say that the current, most important objective for businesses operating in the laundry sector is the maximum efficiency and productivity in order to reduce costs and time in relation to the personnel employed in the processes.
Following the market demand, Macpi has recently developed and successfully installed a new and revolutionary blowing shirt finishe that can finish more than 200 shirts per hour operated by just one person. The machine allows to sharply decrease the number of operators and to turn this stage into a fully automated one also due to its integration with transportation systems once the process is finished.
Moreover, the company offers the most complete range of technologies available on the international market today. The business presents the clients with a wide choice of products that can meet any type of a request, from a variety of ironing tables and boilers, finishers and toppers to automated units that are unique in the world, without forgetting about the energy consumption factor that has also been significantly optimized.
Macpi has undoubtedly acquired a 360° vision of the global market where the cultural differences need to be addressed with great attention. In English speaking countries, for example”, Cartabbia adds, “the most frequently chosen finishers are those including pressing systems whereas most of the other European countries appreciate blowing finishers
As far as Asian countries are concerned, there are certainly large margins of market growth there. Clearly, in the countries where the cost of labor is high, it becomes vital to use machines that can optimize laundry resources to the maximum. It is also necessary to reduce costs in order to consolidate business activities in the presence of strong competition.
What has been observed all over the world is that laundry services have become essential for many, especially for those who live in big cities; the generation of Millenials definitely tends to use the service more due to their professional lives that do not always allow to reconcile housework with career.
While observing every single aspect of the laundry market, Macpi Group together with Fimas, Macpi’s subsidiary, both take a leading role in the development of quality automated machines thanks to their international experience gained over the last 60 years. Thanks to the great professionality of the commercial department staff, the technical department and the R&D, the company guarantees excellent services”, concludes Eleonora Cartabbia.
“As we produce machines that clients invest in, and as we are going through a lockdown, I do not believe, unfortunately, that there will be any inclination from clients’ side to invest, not in the nearest future at least. My experience is telling me that these decisions will be postponed until more prosperous times come”, says Roland Fleischmann, the Sales Director at Ghidini Benvenuto Srl based in San Giuliano Milanese in conclusion. He adds, “we definitely need to start reasoning differently in relation to business activities. Most small businesses have always had difficulties in investing unlike many large companies. The owners of the latter ones often reflect greater entrepreneurial mindset and take challenges more easily. Certainly, Italian production of ironing equipment is very well-known in the world as it constitutes an example of reliability and skill. Actually, Ghidini exports 70% of our products abroad. It is safe to say that, in spite of the pandemic being global, the recovery of business activities and the investments are going to be very specific in each of the 60 countries we export to. It will also depend on the business culture of that particular country, which goes beyond the crisis.
At Ghidini, we believe that, in the light of the upcoming recovery, we need to focus on products linked to shirt finishing as the market is actually going in this direction. On the one hand, we have developed a machine that is suitable for small businesses, whose cost is not particularly high, yet, it presents great versatility. The machine can easily finish a shirt but also a jacket, a uniform or a coat as its height can be adjusted: it is our MC100, improved in its many aspects. Our MC 300 instead, is a specific shirt finishe developed for bigger and more structured businesses that deal with greater volumes, 200 shirts or more per day”.
In conclusion, considering the various points of view coming from numerous businesses, we can already catch sight of the fact that the crisis is going to determine a change in everyone’s social ha bits. It is businesses that will need to carefully observe and catch
the details to meet the new requests through suitable offers. •
by Marzio Nava
Detergo Magazine April 202
