* Interview shared with Stefano Ratti, Product Manager, Composites & Technical Textiles FKGroup.
Could you briefly introduce your company?
A real multinational company based in Bergamo, with numerous branches around the world, FKGroup has been a leading enterprise in fabric spreading since 1961. We have always stood out for our high-quality 100% “Made in Italy” production, which allows us to work in important markets, such as China, and for our passion for technology, which has driven us over the years to keep on innovating our solutions. In particular, the use of our automatic cutting system – still the shining star of our machinery – has enabled us to extend our types of machining to more fabrics, including composite materials, thus expanding our application areas. Our business was initially focused only on the clothing world, whereas today we also target multiple sectors, including automotive, aerospace, shipbuilding, defence and construction industries. Our solutions cover all the production processes of our customers, from design to cutting, and we are always at the forefront in offering after-sales services and consulting for customized products.
This year you will exhibit at BI-MU for the first time as direct exhibitors. Could you tell us the reasons for this decision?
Expressly because of the nature of the market evolution and the expansion of our business, participating in 34. BI-MU – the reference point for mechatronics – is a unique opportunity for us. The next edition of the trade show will be a highly attractive event for many application sectors and, thanks to the proposal of targeted exhibition themes, it will give a lot of visibility to the world of composites. We are strengthening our market positioning and cannot miss the opportunity to take part in an event that will bring together players from diversified industrial fields! For these reasons, at the moment, choosing to participate in an exhibition that focuses on several application sectors, such as BI-MU, instead of exhibiting at a trade fair exclusively dedicated to a specific field – for example clothing – is a better strategy for our company. We are sure that Bi-MU will offer us numerous opportunities.
So, are you confident about your participation? Do you have particular expectations?
Being this our first participation, we do not have any real predictions about the results we could achieve. We will surely have the chance to meet a varied audience and the real challenge will be to carefully select the operators who are really interested in our solutions. In general, however, we are confident and have good expectations regarding the increase of our presence in the market. Another favourable point for the success of the event is its positioning in October, which is an excellent time, both for the organization of sector events and our internal activities.
| “… the world of composites influences the production of a large part of everyday objects, so, even in case of a slowdown of our traditional markets, our order intake will continue by drawing from more innovative application areas …” |
What will you show at your stand?
We will exhibit a cutting head, explanatory of our machinery and, in addition, we are considering the display of a plant. Therefore, we are still in the decision-making stage, but one thing is already sure: our machines will be shown in operation, so that visitors will be able to see our applications “live”. Also due to this, our stand will be a convivial place, open to welcome attending operators. Moreover, as usual, we will give great importance to stand preparation and attractive graphics: indeed, we are convinced that the way a product is presented is essential to highlight its value and convey its quality.
How do you see the near future? On which trends or sectors will you focus your activities?
We are very satisfied with what we have been able to do so far and our prospects for the future are for growth. In general, the automotive sector and composites are the fields on which we will focus most of our efforts. After all, the world of composites influences the production of a large part of everyday objects, from the cheapest to the most expensive one; therefore, we believe that, even in case of a slowdown of our traditional markets, our order intake will continue by drawing from more innovative application areas. In addition, our machines ensure a fast and safe work for the operator, as well as numerous advantages, in terms of cost reduction and energy saving. Thanks to these features and the quality of our products, our offering will remain competitive.
Interview released in March 2024.
