In Spilamberto, near Modena, we find the headquarters of a mechanical
company, a world leader in the supply of industrial vehicles and agricultural
machines. An incredible story of growth characterised by research, technology
and talent. For FARE INSIEME, Giampaolo Colletti interviewed Davide Malagoli,
CEO of LAM
di Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
Life is
unpredictable. And, after all, luck
favours the brave, as the proverb
says. As a result, a company established in the 1960s from a simple idea now
boasts a turnover of millions on the global market. But let’s proceed in order
and start from the headquarters of LAM, an acronym for Lavorazione Accessori
Metalli (Processing, accessories, metals). We find ourselves in Spilamberto, a
beautiful town of thirteen thousand inhabitants south on Modena on the road to
Vignola in the heart of Terre di Castelli.
Family excellence. Everything started
with grandpa Livio Gozzi, a mechanical genius and a person with a tireless will
to live. After all, this passion for mechanics literally saved his life in the
Mauthausen concentration camp. He fixed cars, and that skill proved decisive for
him. He moved to Modena after the war and, over time, he understood that
Emilian land was the hub of mechanics with its many car body factories.
Orlandi, one of the bus manufacturing giants, required help for the
construction of awnings and roof hatches needed for ventilation. Grandpa Livio
came up with the answers, with state-of-the-art solutions which he then
patented. That of Livio Gozzi's was one
of the first companies to found the artisanal village of Spilamberto during the
thrilling years of the post-war economic boom. It was the start of that
business cluster that is still considered a source of excellence in the world.
LAM numbers 60 employees with a turnover of Euro 10.6 million. The production
department covers almost four thousand square metres, plus the warehouse. The
markets are 50% Italy and abroad, with a share of the local production sent
beyond the domestic borders. Then there is a satellite company in Brest, in
Belarus, to better supply the foreign market. “After my grandfather and my parents,
we have reached the third generation, led by myself, my sister and my
wife. Everything in the name of passion, the same that drove my grandfather in
the beginning with the production of iron hooks,” explains Davide Malagoli,
52-year-old entrepreneur and former hockey player, a sport with a huge
following between Modena and Reggio Emilia. Then, after an injury, he started a
second life as an entrepreneur, also by participating in Confindustria’s Gruppo
Giovani (Young Entrepreneurs Group). “Hockey is a complicated sport: you have
two four-wheeled roller skates and a stick to hit the ball. Coordination and
team spirit are essential. Goals are rather easy, but it is all a question of
balance,”
points out Malagoli.
People and technology. And balance is what distinguishes the path of LAM's growth. A glorious
past. Then, a present and a future characterised by process and product
innovation. Nowadays, process is unique to LAM. Because, while the company
started with buses, it has grown in Europe with many other clients and
currently deals with various sectors: over time, it entered the rail market,
followed by tractors, heavy equipment, caravans and campers. Thus LAM has
become a leading designer, manufacturer and trader of hatches, roller blinds
and plastic components. In 2016, it widened its presence on the market with the
printing of injection thermoplastics for tractor producers. “Trust is
gained day after day, also thanks to customised solutions. Then there is also a
part dedicated to hi-tech, as processing phases are supported by robots for
automatic assembly. But we need to start from the consideration that people are
what makes the difference, skilled labour specialized in the processing of
high-quality products. Technology can and must give a helping hand to
repetitive operations. In addition, technology helps avoid human error and
helps increase productive capacity with a controlled process,”says
Malagoli, who has clear ideas about the future. «We are focusing
on a state-of-the-art company when it comes to products and processes.
Now we are approaching different markets such as the furniture and biomedical
one. Evolution is constant. The secret is never to settle,”
concludes Malagoli. A philosophy he inherited from the hockey field. After all,
the best challenge to be won is always the next one.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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