DRAFT Assocomaplast announces new president

Milan, Italy – Assocomaplast, the Italian trade association for plastic and rubber processing equipment makers, has elected Alessandro Grassi, managing director of Frigosystem, as its new president for the two-year term of 2015 to 2017.

Andrea Franceschetti, international sales director for Gefran, was named as the new vice president of the association. 

More than 160 machine and equipment producers met at the trade body’s annual general meeting. One speaker, Marco Fortis, economist and vice president of Fondazione Edison, presented an analysis of the Italian economic scenario with a focus on the plastics and rubber industry.

Fortis pointed out that there were signs of a cautious recovery in the Italian conversion market, with hopes they will grow stronger in the second half of the year.

Outgoing Assocomaplast president Giorgio Colombo said in his closing speech: “The result achieved last year for sales abroad, which generally represent over 70% of revenues, and up to 90% for some companies, was followed by positive signals in the domestic market.

“Indeed, the most recent economic data provided by the Assocomaplast Research Centre show recovery in production levels for Italian converters and improvement in order-books for machinery builders, both in terms of consolidated data and in the three-to-four month forecasts.

“As regards employment, we are finally witnessing a reversal of trend, almost completely overcoming the need for unemployment compensation and – better yet – actually initiating a search for new workers.”

Colombo emphasised 2014 was a year of recovery for the Italian plastics and rubber processing machinery industry, with production estimated at €4bn (£2.83bn) up 2.3% on 2013, and exports growing by 5% €2.68bn (£1.9bn).