Interviews: Automotive

Group strategy

Interview with Luigi Persiani, Managing Director of SO.GE.MI spa

SO.GE.MI’s Development Division for blow molding is based in Ancona and represents a multinational group in which 14 companies are committed to the automotive sector. The success of the company is particularly due to Group Strategy for both the productions (system supplies, controlled directly in each component) and the choice of market approach, even the emerging ones, with local production sites.

How does Sogemi operate and on which reference market?
Persiani: Sogemi is part of a big international group with 14 companies, five of which are exclusively dedicated to the blow molding sector. All the companies are specialized in automotive production. Each one is a leader in its specific sector.
Sogemi’s production and market approach strategies are always Group Strategies: for both localization of the production sites and the supply of Complete Systems to the automobile industries. The ability to supply complete systems (tanks, electric pumps, and various components…) for which each single piece is produced by a partner is the added value offered by Sogemi.

Research and development in the sector. What is the latest news?
Persiani: Our attention is mostly focused in two directions regarding technologies and processes: injection technologies for the production of tanks (conversion towards PP) and blow molding for the new technology “Suction” as economic and advantageous alternative to 3D blow molding. We are already producing air ducts and tubes for tank filling with this technology. Sogemi has always been particularly careful in the planning of particularly shaped and complex technical components.

What opportunities derive from the new Europe extended towards the East?
Persiani: The Group has already made the strategic choice to move abroad, moving its production to the machine shops of the automobile industries (Spain, Luxembourg Brasil and Poland). The Group will soon open a new site in China for the injection tank production. We have initially moved the “easier” technologies (that need fewer specialized technicians) and even in the blow molding segment the first pieces produced in Eastern Europe were “easy” pieces without added value or particular and complex technical productions.
Eastern Europe will represent a good opportunity for our market once it becomes a market consumer of product; today it means competitiveness.