The interview with Alberto Aprà , CEO of IMS
Since 1969, IMS has been manufacturing tool holder cones for CNC machines, including those for milling machines and routers used in the plastics industry. At the headquarters in Sommariva Bosco (CN) Tecnoplast met the owner, Alberto Aprà .
May you outline an IMS profile?
Our company is more than 50 years old, having been founded in 1969 by my father, from whom I inherited the business twenty years ago. The company currently has about 40 employees, three exclusive distribution centers abroad (United States, Spain and the Czech Republic), dealers in more than 90 countries and aims to further expand the range of action. In line with this growth project, our effort is focused on a path of evolution from the perspective of the mentality and organizational culture of a large company, adapting our production cycles to the modern standards required by Industry 4.0. Regarding our commercial policy, plastic processing is one of the key sectors in which we are investing. Plastic is a material with various applications and our product is applicable in different states of the manufacturing process: the machines that do shoeing activities use our products, both standard and customized.
The IMS division specialized in soft materials (wood, chipboard, plastic, aluminum), supplies more than 50% of our production.
The year 2020 has been strongly compromised by Covid-19, what is the financial report of IMS?
We have found that our financial report is above all the large industrial groups that have had a significant negative impact; from our point of view, this due to the varied customer base and the capillarity on the market, we have not registered any significant slowdowns.
I expect that in 2021 the sales volumes will improve, even if the market will have to pay attention to the possible financial implications. The debt of companies is currently “frozen” but, as soon as funding and state aid ends, problems will arise. We must be careful not to increase costs.
How is your presence abroad structured?
Our presence generates 50% of our annual turnover. The distribution center in North Carolina, in the United States, active since the crisis of 2009, currently has more than one million euros in inventory; this allows us to serve the North American market quickly and on time. The partnership with Machtechsolution, in the Czech Republic, was a good opportunity, which has been taken advantage of, thanks to local knowledge who offered to follow our business in Eastern European countries. Finally, the distribution center in Valencia, Spain, came as a result of the important opportunities that have developed over the past 10 years within the Iberian Peninsula.
Our goal is to grow further abroad, particularly in France, England and Germany. Most of our competitors come from Germany.
I also consider the Asian market interesting, an expansionist outlet on the agenda for the near future.
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What are the strengths of IMS?
The strengths of our company are undoubtedly a very high-end service, fast deliveries and a very present after-sale service. Our products are made strictly following the international reference standards and following a scrupulous selection of raw materials. Furthermore, our versatility in the design and manufacture of bespoke tool holders is one of the flagships of IMS.