Franchini Acciai, a forging and machining center based in Mairano, Brescia, northern Italy recently celebrated 50 years in business by announcing an ambitious development plan which envisages the doubling of it capacity. In 2007, the company had already invested €25 million for the purchase of a new 8,000-mt forge.
Accordingly, Franchini Acciai's new program starting in July and lasting between six and seven years includes the allocation of €100 million for the construction and the equipping of a new plant near the existing one, on an area of 115,000 m2, 41,000 of which will be covered.
€70 million of the total amount will be used to finance the doubling of production capacity, achieved through the purchase of two new presses with outputs of 14,000 mt and 10,000 mt respectively (they will be added to the three presses already in use) and 12 new furnaces (currently there are 23). The functioning of the new shop will require the employment of 120 new workers, in addition to the current 150.
The company is focused on production for the energy and mechanical industries and earns 85 percent of its profits in foreign markets. According to chief executive Gianpiero Franchini, "Currently, the wind energy sector is one percent of our production, but in 2005/2009 it was 35 percent. The decline of our turnover is due to the general decrease of orders in the wind energy sector. However, the market is showing signs of recovery, given that European governments plan to suspend investments in nuclear power."