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[June 2000]
8th National Statistical Survey of Italian Ceramic Plant & Machinery sector
The 1999 figures from the 8th National Statistical Survey of the Italian ceramic plant and machinery sector were released at the AGM of ACIMAC.
As a net result of company closures, formation of new companies, mergers and/or takeovers, the number of Italian ceramic machinery manufacturers in 1999 was 181 - three more than in 1998. As in 1998, when 569 jobs were lost, the number of people employed in the sector likewise fell by 545 in 1999 to 6,615.
Industrial concentration is gaining pace as companies and brand names form groups with the aim of reaching an adequate size to tackle the extremely high costs of research and commercial penetration of world markets in an increasingly competitive scenario. However, the sector remains fairly heterogeneous with a large number of small and medium-sized companies and just a few large groups.
As a response to the difficulties of recent years, some companies have shifted into subcontracting or towards sectors outside the ceramic industry.
The highest concentration of companies is in the ceramic manufacturing area located in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where respectively 99 and 29 companies are based (54.7% and 16% of the total).
In 1999, the sector recorded a total turnover of 2,502 billion lire (0.4% up on 1998). Although the increase is very small, it marks the end of a very negative three-year period from 1996 to 1998. The main cause of this trend reversal was the increase in exports (4.8% up on 1998 to a total turnover of 1,661.6 billion lire). The sector’s average export propensity rose from 63.6% in 1998 to 66.4% in 1999.
After the large increase in 1998, sales to the Italian domestic market fell in 1999 to 840.8 billion lire (-7.3% on 1998).
In 1999, the ceramic machinery manufacturers’ client sectors remained substantially unchanged. The tile industry continued to be the most important client sector, accounting for 80.2% of total turnover. Sales volumes in this specific sector remained overall at the same levels as 1998, although domestic market sales (-8.1%) and exports (+4%) showed opposite trends.
Sales of machinery to the heavy clay, sanitaryware and tableware industries changed very little, while there was an increase in turnover from sales to the refractories industry (+209.5% in 1998) and to the various ceramic sector (+70%).
ENDS