Wittmann Battenfeld Italia celebrates its 30th anniversary in Varese

About 100 people, including customers, employees and journalists of the technical press, took part in the celebrations for the thirtieth anniversary of Wittmann Battenfeld Italia, held on 30 September in the evocative scenery of Villa Esengrini Montalbano with a spectacular view on Lake Varese (Italy).

"The celebration of the first thirty years of activity of Wittmann Battenfeld Italia is of course the main reason for our presence in this beautiful villa in Varese," commented the CEO of the Austrian group, Michael Wittmann, who welcomed the participants together with the general manager and CEO of the Italian branch, Gianmarco Braga (both in the photo). "But we are also here simply to come together once again. After the coronavirus pandemic, in fact, I believe that all of us are anxious to be able to meet again in person rather than in virtual meetings, and that we were badly missing these moments of conviviality. This is, without any doubt, an important aspect for Wittmann Battenfeld, in order to finally resume a more normal life.

“Apart from that, I must say that Italy has turned out to be very good market for our group. This is demonstrated by the revenues of Wittmann Battenfeld Italia, which ranks fifth or sixth among the group’s global subsidiaries. I also anticipate a bright future for Italy as Germany is continuing to move industrial operations to other countries, especially to Eastern Europe, but also to neighbouring Italy. It is clear, therefore, that the Wittmann Group will also tend to forge solid ties with Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, but certainly one of the countries with which it will maintain excellent relations will always be Italy.

“Thanks to this "relocation from Germany", I think that Italy will grow further in a couple of years. Another great advantage for Italy is the government’s Industry 4.0 incentive programme, which will certainly contribute to modernizing the industry and the equipment here in Italy, to make them more efficient. All this can help in the long run, so I see a really good, I would even say bright, future for the Italian plastics industry."

Speaking more generally about the global plastic industry, Michael Wittmann stated: "Due to the lockdown, unfortunately, the sector started to lose some efficiency at the beginning of the second quarter of 2020. I would say, however, that since last September there has been a significant recovery. Unfortunately, the automotive industry still suffers from the shortage of raw materials and electronic components. But, fortunately, it is practically the only sector that, at the moment, is struggling with major problems. In general, however, plastics are doing very well in various end applications. For example, in everything related to the garden and leisure: it seems, perhaps because of the lockdown, that people have committed to renovating the décor of their homes and also outdoor furniture. Finally, the white appliances sector is booming and electrical/electronic and medical products are also growing."

Founded in 1991 as Battenfeld Italia, in May 2019 the Italian branch took the new name of Wittmann Battenfeld Italia and inaugurated the new headquarters in Ceriano Laghetto, in the province of Monza-Brianza, moving there from Solaro (near Milan). Today the company employs about 30 people, boasts modern offices and a large showroom where it is also possible to carry out different types of tests on the behalf of customers.