28 | Focus on Italy: Pagnoni
PRESSES ON PAGNONI
The name Pagnoni can be seen on presses all over the world in both primary wood-based panels production and lamination of value-added panels. Stephen Powney interviews managing director Michele Pagnoni about the company’s recent developments
B
ased near Monza, Pagnoni Impianti is one of the longest established Italian
woodworking plant manufacturers in Italy and its machinery can be found across the world. Founded in 1848, originally making presses in the food industry, the company produces a variety of press technologies for the wood- based panels industry, with the core of its offering serving the value-added short cycle press (SCP) and high pressure laminate (HPL) markets for application of melamine papers, or other decorative surfaces, to panels.
When I caught up with managing director Michele Pagnoni, he said he was looking forward to meeting customers and attending exhibitions again. He had recently welcomed some Russian businessmen to the Pagnoni factory to discuss a project, as well as travelling to Spain to see a customer. “The first contact with customers can now be remotely, online, which is a good way to start to know each other,” he said. But, he added, there was no substitute for meeting face-to-face or going a traditional physical exhibition and having those chance
conversations and expressions of interest from people who happen to pass the stand. “With digital events it is more about
marketing. In December we will attend Woodex exhibition in Russia and I can’t wait, we want to go and meet both existing customers and new customers. We haven’t seen them in these past two years. So, I hope the exhibition season will be restarting once more.”
BUSINESS REBOUNDS FROM COVID “Our region was the area in Italy where the effect from Covid was the greatest,” continued Mr Pagnoni. “We faced a difficult period from March 2020 and immediately started with smart working. Honestly speaking, I was happy about the reaction of our employees. I was pleased with their quality of work, it is something we have learned from this terrible [pandemic] situation.” Pagnoni’s delivery operations were halted for three months during the start of the pandemic. But Mr Pagnoni said the summer of 2020 brought better times. “In the beginning of the summer, things
moved on quite quickly and we received new orders for plants and spare parts – things were getting back to the normal business range. There was another stop during the last winter in the north of Italy due to Covid but we were prepared. “Now we have to see what is going to happen in the next months but I’m not so afraid as we have found a way to live with this situation.” Pagnoni’s 2020 business performance, like
most companies, was down on expectations but 2021/22 is predicted to be better. “We have bigger equipment under
Above: Single-opening press line for embossed in register HPL and compact production WBPI | October/November 2021 |
www.wbpionline.com
construction at the moment in our facilities. We are going to deliver one big line before the end of the year to a central Asia customer. This is a big plant for high pressure laminates with all the finishing equipment, so we are happy about this year and we can see things will move back to positive business.” Mr Pagnoni said the company’s technology for short cycle lamination and high pressure
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