Gianluca Gabelli, CEO of Effegidi International, tells in an interview how the company has faced the delicate period that characterized 2020 and the company’s prospects for the new year, which will be full of new challenges, innovative products, and winning collaborations.

WHAT WAS THE 2020 BUDGET?

2020 was a difficult year, the situation that affected the world changed everyone’s habits, even within our company, and, clearly, in the relationship with customers.

But with determination, we have sought and found the most suitable solutions to continue to have a dialogue with customers and collaborators, making the most of the means that digitalization makes available.

Part of the team worked in smart working during the months of lockdown, while for the employees of the production department we put in place a constant shift that allowed the respect of the distancing, as well as having provided all the necessary PPE and required by ministerial regulations.

From a commercial point of view, we did not record any obvious drop in production, partly because the company, under the Ateco codes provided, has remained open and productive throughout the stop period.

LET’S TALK ABOUT PROJECTS: THE MOST RELEVANT UNDERTAKEN IN 2020?

From some perspective, it was a year that laid the foundations for new collaborations that could prove successful in the coming years, both internationally in the cable world and the food sector.

We have also developed new customized cable products: these are very special technical couplings for the American and European markets. In the coming months, we will give more news on new products in development.

WHAT SUSTAINABILITY GOALS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED AND WHAT WILL BE THE NEXT STEPS?

Environmental sustainability is a topic that is particularly close to our heart. That is why we have also invested resources and energies in 2020 in the research and development of increasingly green materials.

With this in mind, we have developed a new product for packaging: it is a recyclable product (a single product comparable to PET) and therefore reusable.

WHAT ARE THE 2021 RESOLUTIONS?

One of the major goals of 2021 is certainly to remain strong in some market segments that this year has suffered slowdowns due to force majeure.

We also set ourselves the goal of strengthening our presence in the American market concerning cable products, in the hope of concluding agreements also relating to the food world, a purpose that we have also initiated during 2020.

We are also aware of how much this shift towards the digital world, especially to reduce distances with distant customers and collaborators, has proved to be successful, and we hope to be able to further encourage the use of these means until they become every day and not exceptional.

Finally, we foresee huge investments in Business Intelligence, because our gaze is always geared toward the future.

WHAT HAS TAUGHT YOU THIS PAST YEAR, AND WHAT VALUES ​​WILL ACCOMPANY YOU IN THE NEW YEAR?

2020 has taught us once again how important it is to always keep in mind what really matters: people.

From the very first period of the health emergency, we have put in place all the necessary provisions to ensure that employees and collaborators feel safe: from the creation of new insurances to the promotion of new work shifts, including the increase of digital tools for remote work.

Our company is made up of people, and our thanks go to them for the past year: for the commitment, perseverance, and proactivity that they have always demonstrated.