23/02/2022 | COMPANY
An intense year for Lafert between achieving goals and overcoming difficulties.
2021 was a special year for us and for our sector, which recorded a change of course compared to the previous year, demonstrating greater stability and a slow return to normality. For Lafert, 2021 closes with a significant 32% increase in turnover, an increase in the workforce of about 180 people (1050 total) and a slight decrease in margins.
In regard to the pandemic, this situation has made it possible to keep production capacity under control, two other particular factors have characterized 2021:
• The manufacturing sector has experienced a deep commodity crisis with a severe limitation on availability and an increase in prices to all-time highs. This has led to a strong discomfort at the production level, the inability to plan work effectively and continuous replanning of deliveries.
• Demand for industrial goods has grown beyond any possible forecast. For the Lafert Group, this has resulted in an order intake far exceeding the production capacity that historically has always been able to promptly meet market demand.
2021 also saw the acquisition of two companies that were already our long-standing business partners, one in Spain and one in Canada.
During the year, the new 6,000 square meter plant next to the San Donà di Piave headquarters was completed, intending to produce very high efficiency permanent magnet motors and is fully equipped with automated production lines to align with Industry 4.0 and significantly increase our production capacity in the PM motor sector.
What do we expect from 2022?
In 2022, we will be focused on creating synergies with the European companies within the Sumitomo group for the development of integrated products that combine mechanics, electronics and control.
A further increase in turnover is expected for 2022, leading the group to realign with pre-pandemic historical data. To achieve these results, a plan is defined to strengthen the workforce and a budget of over 19 million euros has been allocated to increase production capacity and modernize machinery. Lafert also ensured the availability of sufficient volumes of raw materials from the current quarter to meet the new levels of production capacity.
The key role of Sustainability in the development of Lafert.
Among the values that guide the growth and choices of the Lafert group, environmental commitment plays a fundamental role: we do everything possible to reduce our impact on the environment both globally and within our plants.
In 2021 Lafert obtained the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certification and the ISO 45001 Workers' Health and Safety Management certification. These are just a starting point, a piece of the larger project, to make Lafert an increasingly modern, safe and respectful company for both the environment and people. Within the 19 million in investments planned for 2022, a portion is specifically dedicated to sustainability and is intended for the installation of photovoltaic panels that will be able to support more than 75% of our daily energy needs. To compliment this activity, there are others with a minor economic impact but that contribute to environmental sustainability: for example, the total renewal of company cars using electric vehicles or the reorganization of waste management to eliminate containers for mixed waste.
In addition, a substantial portion is intended for the modernization of plants and machinery that, in addition to increasing productivity, will bring benefits to job security and energy saving.
