In Modena in 1975, a visionary entrepreneur started working on the expansion of production cycle automation and decided to gamble on the handling of goods. He never stopped. For Fare Insieme, Giampaolo Colletti interviews Paolo Covezzi, CEO at TCM
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
There are
stories that are born in motion and never stop. Because that motion is their
actual reason for living. The story we are about to tell you started from an
ingenious idea that turned into an enterprise. Something that made the
difference over time. It was 1975 and, in Modena, Gian Carlo Covezzi decided
that the time had come to do something and envisioned something that was still
unclear to others, i.e. the expansion of production cycle automation and the
resulting growth in the goods handling market. He thus began to design and
manufacture conveyors and dosing systems for aggregates. He never stopped. And
so TCM was born, and the idea proved successful. Four years later, in 1979 to
be more precise, Giancarlo Covezzi moved the company to Nonantola, a town of
15,000 inhabitants approximately 10 km north-east of Modena on the right bank
of the Panaro river. That is where the new facility was located, and that is
where the company specialized in the design and manufacture of automatic
systems for the internal handling of goods. And where the business grew. 1986
was the year when production diversified: TCM gradually abandoned the
production of conveyors for aggregates to implement the design and manufacture
of automatic internal handling systems and opted for for the fabric, food and
packaging sectors. Between 1999 and 2014, the acquisition of multinational
clients enabled the extension of the production area and the increase in human
resources, by investing in skilled workers. It was during those years - more
precisely in 2000 - that his son Paolo, who had already been working in the
company since 1990, took over the management. Considerable investments were
made in the reorganization of production processes inspired by lean production,
with the purchase of new management software for the production cycle and
assets. “Dad is
still active and he is the best guarantee of the reliability and sturdiness of
the company,” stresses
Paolo Covezzi, CEO of TCM, which covers 9,000 sqm and boasts 40 employees
managing around 200 projects a year producing a turnover of €9 million.
The many services offered. Internal
handling automatic systems. Easier said than done. Because it takes skill,
precision and study. And, most of all, the ability to listen. “Our activity
consists in the analysis of customer needs and in the design, manufacture and
assembly of automatic conveyors and machines, also according to customer designs
and drawings. Then we also deal with the electrical system and management
software, the lining up of the system and relevant wiring and testing before
shipment thanks to a dedicated area within the company. Plus there is also the specialized electromechanical
installation at the end-facility and final testing,” stresses Covezzi. Product roller conveyors,
product belt or chain conveyors, roller or chain conveyors for pallets. Below
are some of the solutions. “Although the size, organization and quality standards are
industrial-level, the company management is still linked with traditional
artisanal work, as it is still convinced that people are the most important
resource. Our staff is made up of professional mechanical engineers and
technicians with extensive knowledge of the handling sector as well as
transversal skills,”
stresses Covezzi.
Identikit of the systems. Automatic
handling and transport systems have a lot in common in the various production
sectors: they must be quick, precise, efficient and easy to maintain. They must
also be reliable and be delivered within the expected date. “We are competitive because we customize all systems based
on the elements described above respecting the agreed delivery times. All of
this is possible thanks to the design specific to each order created by our
technical office made up of nine people and the flexibility of the internal
production cycle,” says
Covezzi. The successful combination of artisan work and innovation is
guaranteed by our human capital - our greatest asset. The strength of people.
TCM is characterized by a low turnover and key figures with significant
experience, a historic memory based on what were the company dynamics, project
criticalities, and the growth of processes and corporate products. That is the
expert knowledge that makes the difference
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