Itema is a brand that needs no introduction as it has made its mark in the textile industry across the globe with its supreme quality machinery, service and strategy. A remarkable company that reached heights many aspire to reach. Mr. Ferdinando De Micheli is one great mind who has been a part of Itema throughout a major chunk of his life. He joined Vamatex, now part of Itema, in 1989, even before its present name came into existence and has been with Itema ever since, sharing a part of his identity with the company.
Thirty years of exploring the international markets, including Europe, Asia, Africa and North and South America, gaining managerial skills and building a profound textile knowledge led him to the high level professional he is nowadays, representing the perfect man to drive the Indian wing of Itema. His experience also comes from handling the company’s key customers in China, Europe, India and Latin America. His enhanced background in customer relations, in addition to other factors, has kept many clients bound to Itema for years.
In his previous professional roles, Mr. De Micheli coached the sales team in India, China and Italy and, after carrying out successfully his tasks, he is now back to India with a new important assignment. His aim is to focus on the Indian market and harness its potential to the fullest. India is a growing market, it is a whole dynamic structure that requires special measures to be successfully addressed. The Indian textile market requires deep knowledge. The customers are very demanding about their needs and requirements and extremely precise about the scope of their requests compared to other markets, hence they are challenging.
Striving to meet every customer’s need has been a priority for the company since its inception, and Itema figured out how to accomplish this: providing the customer with nothing but the best. When taking into account Indian textile companies, cost management is of primary importance mainly due to the strict competitive landscape in which they operate when it comes to selling the fabric they produce. Despite this, investments in high-end weaving machinery are growing year on year, thanks to the priceless added value that a partner such as Itema can guarantee.
Mr. De Micheli asserted: “My target is not to sell just a price, but a full package which includes our full-fledged support and real time service since the first day of collaboration. We produce thousands of looms every year, and with every deal we gain knowledge on how we can further improve the experience for the end user, because we are not there just to sell, our target is much more ambitious. We aim to build long-term partnerships with our customers.”
To Mr. De Micheli, service means all that could be supplied to the customer starting with the commercial part of the deal and continuing with the after-sales support, OEM spareparts, technical advice and follow-up. Throughout the years Itema achieved a unique in the market expertise by relying on a team of competent and skilled professionals who are fully capable to meet all the customer’s needs.
Adapting to the changing market is the company’s specialization, and they operate by creating an environment of mutual trust which leads to a better understanding of the end-customer’s requirements. This correct understanding and knowledge of customers’ requirements is Itema’s forte.
Of course, the Itema best-in-class weaving technology is the key of the company’s huge success in the domestic and the overseas market. The company serves its customer base with the complete comprehension of the market, which has been gathered since its inception.
Furthermore, stressing the Indian market’s importance for Itema, Mr. De Micheli mentioned that with a growing market like India there is scope to move beyond the numbers. The major aim of the company is not only to gain business from the market, but to set benchmarks in customer service. The company believes that if they can help clients growing in the market then they can grow themselves in size, turnover and in knowledge.
Since many years, the company is gaining shares in the Indian market, and it doubled the figures in a matter of months, mostly because of the philosophy of looking for growth as a consequence of the growth of the clients.
Working with the Indian team is not an unfamiliar task for Mr. De Micheli, since he acted in the past as the commercial connection between the Italian HQ and the Indian branch. He knows how the team works, which are their knowledge and skills. He very openly commented that the Indian team is skilled and apt in handling market processes and clients. In addition, Mr. De Micheli’s profound textile background and long experience are the winning tools to bring Itema’s visions into reality.
The Itema management assigned to Mr. De Micheli the important mission to spread to Indian customers the idea of what Itema is, because it is not just a brand, it’s simply not a tag, it is a trustable partner that assists its clients in achieving their unique missions. As he mentioned, “Itema is the only company, in my opinion, that has the potential to accompany the customer in doing something out of the box”.
Itema is always by the side of its customers in developing exactly the loom they need to reach their targets and to unleash their creativity. Surely the company boasts big, and when it comes to innovation and ideas never heard before, Itema is always ‘the first of the list’.
Itema has many first class customers that have been working with the company for years. The customers’ repeat orders are a proof of how comfortable they are with the company, and this sense of satisfaction is due to the mutual trust that Itema built with its clients, which assures them that when they face problems they know where to turn to.
Mr. Ferdinando De Micheli has always been a gatherer of knowledge. Even at the age of 56, it is his knack for learning that gives him an edge above the competitors and has made him aware of the needs of the market and of customers. His ethics are based on transparency and loyalty towards his work and towards the clientele, well woven within.
It is because of his experiences, his mentality and his way of functioning that some of the biggest clients haven’t left Itema’s side since decades. De Micheli’s relations with clients are built on confidence which creates the sense of trust, and loyalty is what sustains the trust. These values are not just a part of his life but have spread through him to the entire Itema team. These values are the foundation on which Itema is built.