Looking to a future built on strong foundations

Over more than 50 years Macpi has demonstrated an ability to design innovative equipment and an entrepreneurial spirit that have allowed it to grow from a family-owned company into an international group.
It was founded 1961 by two entrepreneurs who were not only close friends but also brothers-in-law. Luciano Sardini's expertise lay in sales and marketing and Giovanni Cartabbia brought creative skills as a design engineer to the partnership.
The 1960s were a time when the fashion and clothing business was evolving into a rapidly growing industry and so Giovanni Cartabbia devoted his energies to designing pressing equipment and quickly established Macpi's reputation as an innovator.
The permanent press was followed by presses for knitwear and table linen, irons with electronic temperature control and an ironing press with folding upper surface. As automation became key, Macpi introduced a multifunction electronic programmer and, in 1971, automated units for the final finishing of jackets.
By this time the company had already moved from its Milan home to Palazzolo, near Bergamo where it is still based.
As Macpi developed its machinery range so it began to establish divisions to deal with specific areas of garment production including IMA, which specialises in equipment for garment layout and cutting and the textile division.
The pressing division was established in 1989 and this produces a full range of finishing equipment - ironing tables, shirt and garment formers and steam cabinets. It can also produce fully automated lines for jackets/coats, shirts, trousers, and specialised equipment for the laundry sector.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Macpi was expanding further into Europe and even beyond. This has continued and the company's list of subsidiaries now includes the production company Shanghai Manfield, Italian-owned but with a Chinese workforce, a sales and service centre in Hong Kong, Macpi India with centres in New Delhi and Bangalore and a sales and service centre in Brazil.
This direct local representation is essential to judging specific requirements says Macpi. The first step into a new country is usually through an agent or reseller but Macpi insists that the agents it takes on are specialists in a particular sector, such as laundry, not just general agents dealing with a range of markets.
The company has been involved in the laundry and textile care market for over 25 years and this is becoming increasingly important. It has the ability to cover both the large industrial sector and to meet the demands of smaller commercial businesses. The commercial sector is largely handled by Fimas Srl, which is part of the Macpi group and also covers the drycleaning sector.
These smaller machines have been developed by Macpi although they are sold and produced by Fimas.
On a global basis, the laundry market is changing fast and Macpi has been quick to respond.
"We started with classical pressing machines", says Giovanni Cartabbia. He explains that as fashions changed that market has declined and now there is more emphasis on automation and the industrial laundry sector is proving a good market.
Even in emerging markets, the move to industrial size units and therefore larger, more automated machines is apparent.
Two to three years ago, Macpi spotted that this was the way the Chinese laundry market was going and now it says that Brazil is starting to move that way too.
Asked about the way the company positions itself in this market for larger machines, the answer is that its products here are unique. Much of the machinery is patented and all machines are high quality and designed for high productivity.
With a strong foundation built over fifty plus years, Macpi is in a good position for the future. The company has recently started to work in co-operation with the Jensen Group, an arrangement from which both benefit. This combines Macpi's expertise in automated machines for the garment industry and Jensen Group's professional strength and competence in the laundry markets and also responds to the trend for a one-stop shop.
Although Giovanni Cartabbia remains active in the company, it is now led by the next generation, with Mirella Sardini as executive managing director and Paolo Cartabbia as CEO.
The group has three factories in Italy - two in Palazzolo and the Fimas factory at Vigevano near Milan. There are 300 employees including those at Fimas and the IMA division. It also has a separate training division.
Mirella Sardini says the company has always been known for the its ability to evolve and adapt to the challenges of the market. It has already laid the foundation for overcoming the problems posed by the Eurozone crisis and a static traditional garment market, with its exploration of emerging geographic markets and by developing products for the growing industrial laundry sector and new technology such as its bonding technique. It can therefore face the future with confidence.

Open house
The recent open-house attracted around 250 people over the two days. Visitors included a delegation of around 50 drycleaners and launderers from Poland and representatives of their local trade association. The morning was devoted to a tour of Macpi's factory and demonstrations of its products such as the four-station trouser topper.
Delegates were then taken to ZBM, one of Macpi's largest laundry customers in Italy. ZBM was founded in 1974, taking its name from the initials of the three founders.
Initially it served the hotel and restaurant sector but in the 1990s started to move into serving hospitals.
Since 2000 the laundry has focussed solely on this market, with its main customers being hospitals in the North East region of Italy.
ZBM has grown from a company employing 12 to one that employs 120. It provides both a wash and rental service and handles 28tons per day produces a turnover of 13,400,000 Euros. In 2012 it joined the Servizi Italia group, the main provider of services related to health.
ZBM has strong core values. It has attained ISO 9001:2008 on quality management, ISO 14001:2004 for environmental performance and is fully compliant with 14065:2004 regulations governing bio-control.
Training is considered an essential part of the business for employees and customers and also for its suppliers.
ZBM operates on strong hygiene principles. It implements a policy of strict separation of the areas handling soiled and clean work and of validation of its processes with laboratory analysis of its water supply, work and microclimate.
It operates a system of preventative maintenance, strict flow control, and process control and provides a written safety standard for employees. The laundry is also strongly involved in the community and supports local charities, sports teams and events.
ZBM bought its first Macpi machine around 2006/2007. It now has two machines for trousers and one for hospital coats. This was a good opportunity to see the equipment at work.