There
is a company in Modena that is accelerating the technological transformation of
other local businesses by supplying industrial automation solutions. For FARE
INSIEME, Giampaolo Colletti interviewed Carlo Martinelli, CEO of 4Automate
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
Joining the
dots. If there is one aspect that stands out more than any other in the story
we are about to tell, it is precisely the capacity of joining the dots.
Because, after all, 4Automate - a company set up in Modena seven years ago that
is gaining interest and increasing its turnover - describes precisely this
challenge: to become a point of reference when it comes to integrated solutions
for industrial automation in the general logistics,
intermediate
drug distribution and e-commerce sectors. One thing leads to another.
Therefore, while at the beginning the company developed software mainly for the
management of automatic warehouses, it soon specialised in the design,
manufacturing, installation and commissioning of integrated goods handling
systems with roller conveyors, belts, lifts, decision points and end-of-line
solutions. All of this is explained by the strong acceleration in industrial
automation. The idea? To offer simple solutions to complex needs in an
effective way and in a short time frame, with suitable skills for the correct
management of material and computer flows.
Company
profile. But let's proceed in an orderly fashion. We are in Marano sul Panaro,
a town of 5,000 inhabitants on the left bank of the Panaro river, in Unione
Terre di Castelli. The town is located on the hills of the Modena province 5 km
from Vignola, 25 from Modena and 35 from Bologna. The territory is well-known
for its cherry production, as well as for the industry that gives work to those
hi-tech districts envied all over world. 4Automate was set up in 2017 by Carlo
Martinelli and Luigi Alboresi and it immediately revealed itself to be a
success story. “We immediately realised we needed to complete our offer with a
mechanical and hardware part designed in line with our programming logics so
that we could manage the entirety of the final product seamlessly,” explains
Martinelli, CEO of 4Automate. Joining the dots, as we mentioned earlier, and
doing it together. “The over twenty years of experience gained with Luigi
enabled us to come into contact with various business in the intermediate drug distribution
world, providing ideas to supply products and services that few companies could
supply with the required professionalism at the time. From here came the
intuition of creating a team and an industrial structure capable of filling
that gap that then enabled us to grow and expand in other sectors as well,”
says Martinelli. The idea came jotted down on a classic piece of paper and in a
box of a few square metres. The most satisfying moment was the expansion thanks
to word-of-mouth, proof that we were on the right path. 4Automate’s DNA is
marked by a very strong technological vocation, which characterizes the
constant evolution of its products. “Innovation forms an integral part of
4Automate by nature. What remains unchanged is the attention to human capital,
which is essential for a company with sturdy and long-range enlargement
prospects,” says Martinelli. But he has no doubt about the distinctive element.
“It is creativity, i.e. the ability to grasp the best solutions required by
clients to improve our processes or our company, while maintaining the
practical sense needed for everyday activities.”
The role of
the district. People and technologies, in this precise order. Human capital
represents a pillar for 4Automate, which also boasts a deep connection with the
territory. Just think that 90% of suppliers are located within a few km, with
all the advantages of a streamlined chain in close proximity. Technology is the
propellant: we cannot live without it, especially in this era characterised by
a succession of novelties. “The territorial identity must be considered a
strong point that needs to be safeguarded in order to stand out in a context
that tends to flatten everything. Standing out does not mean emerging or
prevaricating but being viewed from a different perspective that makes you more
interesting. The world is a global market that must be known, lived and
interpreted with the right combination of intelligence and culture of origin,”
says Martinelli. What about the future? Widening the client base and extending
the sectors of interest by introducing new machines conceived for use in different
applications. Then there is the ability of developing made-to-measure systems
that can be paired with products in series. The winning offer ranges from plug
and play to tailor made. Hence the winning profile of technology: a tailor-made
suit to “clothe” the new challenges of an industry that never wants to stop.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
Read the other interviews
