Page 56 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 5-2019
P. 56

INTERVIEW
                                                                    Market areas
        Interview  especially with regards to the sec-  sis period of 2008-
            say that the market has reacted
                                             how has this changed
                                             compared to the cri-
            extremely positive to our growth,
                                             2009?
            ond unit in Bulgaria, which has
            given us an important boost. We
                                                SIGMA – Mandelli:
            have gone from being a small,
                                             SIGMA’s turnover
            family-run Italian company into
                                             in that period was
                                             about EUR 13-14
            being an important supplier for
            the glass sector, also for impor-
                                             million. Turnover
            tant international groups.
                                             for the entire 2018
              At the same time, our R&D
            activities have undergone impor-
                                             EUR 24 million,
                                             while, thanks to the
            tant investments with the expand-
            ing of the lab here in Italy and   in Italy was about
                                             latest investments
            an increase in the number of     which the glass mar- r-
            employees, and thanks to having   ket has appreciated,
            a new polarized light microscope   this year, considering orders that   SIGMA – Mari:  We are already
            that makes us the company with   we still have to fulfil and those   working in float glass sector. In
            the most well-equipped lab for   that have already been invoiced   fact, we have recently supplied
            refractory analyses in the glass   in the first 6 months of the year,   over 500 tons of 300mm bottom
            sector.                          we have already reached the total   blocks for Horn in Arzebaijan.
              This enables us not only to    turnover of 2018.                 Considering this project and the
            carry our tests on our raw mate-    Our Bulgarian plant has already   previous one in Turkmenistan,
            rial, but also to work alongside   been approved as per its struc-  we have sold more than EUR 2.5
            the big groups we supply to per-  ture and products by a number    million.
            form these tests together.       of important clients such as BA,    In regards to the global glass
              Another    important    step   Horn, etc., with audits carried   market, we hope the request will
            to mention is the generation     out, which gives us positive results   remain the same in the future.
            change in SIGMA – with the       in terms of quality and turno-    In any case SIGMA Group, as
            son Federico Mari and about      ver. This year at the beginning of   it is structured today, is ready to
            ten young employees (all born in   June 2019, turnover had already   face the next challenges, thus we
            the 1990s), giving the company   reached the total turnover of 2018   look to the future with moderate
            another push towards the future.   (EUR 5 million).                optimism.
                                                GMP&A: Looking to the future,    Producing refractories is our
              GMP&A: Looking at your turno-  any ideas about the glass sector –   job and specialization, it’s the
            ver, which has more than doubled,   float in particular?            thing we know how to do. O




       Present & Future Capacity




                                                                                      SIGMA GROUP Srl

                                                                                            Via Delle Grigne 12/a
                                                                                        22070 Locate Varesino (CO) - Italy
                                                                                          Tel.: +39 - 0331 - 823195
                                                                                          Fax: +39 - 0331 - 823198
                                                                                            E-mail: sigmaref@tin.it
                                                                                            www.sigmaref.it














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