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[October 2007]
ACIMAC Relocates to Prestigious New Base
Villa Marchetti, a newly restored historical building in Baggiovara (Modena, Italy) was officially opened as the new base for ACIMAC, the Association of Italian Manufacturers of Machinery and Equipment for Ceramics. Around 300 people attended the event including Italian ceramic manufacturers, representatives of various Confindustria (the Italian industrial confederation) associations, politicians, journalists and ACIMAC staff.
An opening address by ACIMAC President Pierluigi Ponzoni was followed by speeches from Confindustria Emilia-Romagna President Anna Maria Artoni; production official for the Emilia-Romagna region, Duccio Campagnoli; President of Confindustria’s technical committee for small and medium-sized business credit, Francesco Bellotti; Italian Under-Secretary for International Trade Milos Budin; and the Italian Manufacturers Federation (FEDERMACCHINE) President, Alberto Sacchi.
In addition, numerous other local political figures were in attendance. A lively outline of the history of ACIMAC by Director Paolo Gambuli was followed by an engaging conference on ‘Italian technology driving the global ceramics industry’, with contributions by Professors Marco Fortis (Vice-President of the Edison Foundation and Lecturer in International Industrial Economics & Trade at Milan’s Università Cattolica) and Domenico De Masi (Lcturer in Work Psychology at Rome’s La Sapienza university).
In his introduction to the inauguration ceremony, Pierluigi Ponzoni stressed that all members had contributed to this achievement and were committed as much to the association as to their respective work. It was Mr Ponzoni’s initiative to honour previous presidents Fausto Tarozzi, Ivanno Ligabue and Franco Stefani for ”crucial contributions” to ACIMAC’s development. An award for ACIMAC’s second president and one of the industry’s pioneers, Mauro Poppi, who passed away last year, was accepted by his daughter Monica. “Villa Marchetti is a historic building dating back to the eighteenth century,” added the ACIMAC President, “which has undergone various architectural modifications. Our association decided to return it to its previous glory, conserving its artistic and architectural values while adding a few modern improvements to improve functionality. This will give members access to some prestigious office space and reception rooms.”
Director Paolo Gambuli stated that “as an association in existence for less than twenty years ACIMAC is young, but has showed itself capable of growing, strengthening and evolving at the same rate as the sector that it represents. I can say with pride that in qualitative and quantitative terms our companies have now reached an excellent level of services, with consistent and highly professional support. At the same time Villa Marchetti satisfies the need for an impressive representative headquarters, offering, in addition to the association’s head office, a venue for gatherings, meetings, conferences, training courses and business events”.
ENDS