In addition to Nicoletta Azzi from Panguaneta, Angelo Facchinetti, from Equinox Private Equity partner; Oscar Marchetto, president of Somec, a company implementing large-scale turnkey projects in the naval industry; and Francesco Nalini, managing director of Carel Industries, manufacturer of components intended for the air conditioning systems took part in the event.
The debate, led by Fabrizio Massaro, a journalist for Corriere della Sera journalist, offered an important opportunity to highlight the distinctive features that any Italian company should have to expand its business abroad and strengthen its position within its reference market.

During her speech, Nicoletta Azzi, CEO of Panguaneta, pointed out the importance of the ability to identify new market needs to be competitive. “We are a family business, which has reached its third generation and has been able to innovate over time through concrete actions, such as the certification of each work phase, starting from raw materials.” The poplar supply comes from local crops, from forests which are managed correctly and responsibly according to strict environmental standards such as FSC^® and PEFC. “Our business has always relied on solid ethical and sustainability bases, which have now become key, decisive and distinctive elements necessary to obtain and keep a strategic positioning at an international level with respect to our competitors”.

Thanks to the ability to innovate production processes integrated within rigorous circular economy practices, to manage any criticality and anticipate the market trends and needs, Panguaneta holds an extremely qualified position within the industry both in Italy and internationally.

The event ended with a general overview of the current situation following the “perfect storm” due to the health emergency. “This sector, like many others, has slowed down, although the camper-caravan market, the main application sectorfor our plywood, is thriving. In fact, already in these summer months, the demand has grown significantly,” Nicoletta Azzi, CEO of Panguaneta, says. “We are confident and optimistic, since, currently, our investments are focusing also on another area, the real estate market, thanks to eco-innovation bonuses. After having spent many months at home, we feel the desire to renovate our home with new finishings and furniture”.

Moreover, Panguaneta also relies on an important network of partnerships, which has grown and expanded over time. The company has always encouraged the exchange of informationboth upstream and downstream, throughout the whole supply chain as well aswith its customers. “We are also members of all the poplar promotion and development associations and institutions to further enrich our networks and systems. These relationships combined with our daily work, opportunities and research are precisely oriented towardsinnovation”, Nicoletta Azzi, CEO of Panguaneta, says.

The live talk shows that all the Italian entrepreneurs have developed specific know-how to be competitive within their reference market, both in Italy and abroad, and, now, more than ever, they are willing to leverage this aspect, as it represents an added value also for their customers.