Expansion, innovation, internationalization. These are the key words for the future of Prima SpA, according to the president Maurizio Stirpe.
Prima is an industrial group based in Torrice (Frosinone), specialized in the production of plastic components for cars (50% of output), motorcycles (20%) and household appliances (30%) such as radiator grilles, vehicle exteriors, dashboards and bumpers, both painted and chromed and plain stamped. “What is plastic, and related finishes, we are able to do” the President proudly confides to us.
But let's take a step back, starting from the beginning: Prima was born in 1976 at the behest of Maurizio's father, Benito Stirpe, an entrepreneur in the construction field and later a Cavaliere del Lavoro, who in those years wanted to diversify by investing also in the industrial field. . The factory becomes operational in 79 and starts working from the lowest levels of related industries, as a subcontractor for component companies that supplied Fiat. There were only six employees at the time, but Prima grew rapidly and began to emancipate itself: from sub-supplier it became supplier, starting to expand. Today the group has 2200 employees, a turnover of approximately 400 million euros (including the foreign division) and 5 production units outside Italy: three in Germany, one in France and one in Slovakia. Its customers are the main companies in the automotive, motorcycle and household appliances sectors, including Fiat, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen.
Prima is indeed a family business, but with dual management. In fact, the owners take care of outlining the strategies while the operations are left to the managers. “Strategies and guidelines are the responsibility of the owners, the implementation of these guidelines within a well-defined perimeter is the responsibility of the managers – explains the number one of the Torrice-based company – On the other hand, it would not be possible to manage a company of 2200 people with a purely family-based logic”.
The Frusinate group has big plans: a joint venture agreement is in the pipeline to produce in China, in Shanghai, and another with a Chrysler supplier, Century Plastics, to develop a design platform in the United States.
Yep, the design. Before, he always considered it essential to work on innovation and research. “Ours is a highly competitive sector – explains Stirpe -: the difference is made by those who manage to develop an always innovative product at low costs. Innovation is therefore a founding concept of competitiveness”.
“Ours – continues the President – is an innovation developed on three levels: design innovation, which looks at the shapes and types of materials used; process innovation, which concerns the production system. And innovation in the company's organization and control systems”. Currently Prima has two research and design centres, one located in Settimo Torinese (Turin) in which 15 qualified people work and another in Oderzo (Treviso), with 60 units.
The company is also carrying out the “World Class Manufacturing” optimization program because, as Stirpe himself explains, “if we didn't do it, we wouldn't be competitive and we would therefore exit the market very soon”.
An increasingly global market: today Prima produces 50% for the domestic market and 50% for foreign markets and would like to expand its range of action to Central America and the Bric countries as well. "Not being in South America in this period of car boom was a real shame - admits the Chairman - but Fiat told us that they had already covered everything in the plastics sector, which was already provided by a couple of Brazilian companies". On the other hand, great development opportunities could come from markets such as Mexico, where there are now more than 10 car manufacturers, and Vietnam, where 3,5 million motor vehicles are produced a year against three in the whole of Europe. “We are very interested – comments Stirpe – and we await the evolution of the situation”.
What about a possible listing on the Stock Exchange? “It's not time yet, and not even the right sector – assures the number one of Prima -. Today that of components is not a sector that is frowned upon by finance gurus. Theirs is a world where appearing counts more than being and where the solidity and substance of things are worth little or nothing”.
If for now an entrance to Piazza Affari is not foreseen, Prima does not however exclude relying on the capital market in the future, also through alliances and acquisitions, in order to be able to finance growth processes. According to Stirpe, in fact, to be able to remain on the market, a turnover of one billion euros will be needed in 2015 and reaching this figure with only one's own resources will be very difficult.
2010 was a difficult year for almost all Italian companies and 2011 will probably be difficult as well. frusinate, who was also president of Confindustria Lazio – According to Confindustria's most optimistic forecasts, in 2014 we should return to the pre-crisis levels of 2008. But there is no news on the horizon, no reforms, unstable politics, a country that is growing structurally to 1% but should grow to 2%. How can we plan in a time horizon longer than a year or a year and a half with these perspectives?” Stirpe bitterly concludes.
Finally, a few jokes on the football betting scandal that is sweeping the Italy of football. Maurizio Stirpe is in fact president of Frosinone Calcio, relegated this year from Serie B to Lega Pro. A license must be given to those who manage the company – this is the recipe proposed by Stirpe – which certifies the cleanliness of the individual. The football club is indeed a private enterprise, but with social repercussions. It is right that it be conducted by people who have qualities such as transparency and correctness”. Could Frosinone be rescued? "We will protect ourselves in all venues - he concludes - both those of sports justice and those of the ordinary judiciary, if it turns out that the championship has actually been distorted".
