Poletto off to a good start

Poletto, once the biggest Italian group in the tanning machinery sector, told Leather International: 'Work has got off to a great start.' With an important and well remembered name as their foundation, and the crisis and dismemberment behind them, the new company Poletto Technology is offering spray lines, atmospheric emission eliminators, drying tunnels, milling drums, shaving, fleshing and resetting machines. Production recommenced on February 17 this year at the San Pietro Mussolini headquarters in the Vicenza tannery district. The new partners are two tanners, Walter Peretti, owner of the group in Montebello with the same name and also president of UNIC, and Mario Tolio, owner of the Tolio Tannery of Chiampo. In the Poletto relaunch operation, they were flanked by finance companies which were also involved in dealings with other entrepreneurs in the district. According to Achille Belloni, director of Poletto Technology: 'We've streamlined the old organisation and not just staff-wise. We now have 70 employees instead of the previous 110 but, most important of all, we can offer our customers a much more functional service and in particular the post-sales service.' Belloni had been in the employ of Euroventilatori for a long time, which was part of the old Poletto Group. Today, Euroventilatori have been taken over by Euroventilatori International, the company that carried out the life-saving operation. Belloni says: 'The Poletto name has had strong roots in all markets since 1969 and in the world there are still about 4,000 machines with the Poletto plate on them. With this new company we expect to close 2003 with a turnover of e13-14 million, 50% relating to the domestic market and the rest mostly in South East Asia and South America. However, future projections see China and Brazil, and also Argentina as soon as it has got over the crisis, as more interesting outlets for our products.'