Italian with Japanese attitude

21 May 2018


ELCA was founded in 1991, at a time when the applications and use of radio remote controls were limited. The initial route to market was through Italian dealers and end users, principally serving the construction machinery sector.

Over the years the company grew, expanded its range and started making products for other sectors. By the late 1990s ELCA started exporting abroad and due to the increased production needs and staff in 2005 it moved to its present location—a 2,000sq m facility in the city of Mussolente, in the heart of the industrious North East.

In the past six years, the company has adopted the Japanese Kaizen concept in the entire production and office organisation. Kaizen describes the long-term process of improving efficiency and quality through systematically implementing small, incremental changes. CEO Domenico Didonè said: “Not only was all our production re-organised but our office and engineering areas have also undergone a notable transformation.”

“In the production area, individual stations are dedicated to specific projects/models, which enable a fast, traceable and reliable process. This has resulted in a significant increase in the overall production efficiency and quality standards; orders can be processed quickly and each radio can be traced back”.

The company organisation is certified by TÜV SÜD. ELCA’s engineering department has been busy with the introduction of new electronics, like the E1 which was launched last year and will be used in the new models in the future.

The new handheld E1 MIA and compact waist portable VETTA are already in full production. MIA, which received the “iF Design Award 2017”, is for the use of industrial lifting and handling machinery, as well as tower and self-erecting cranes. It includes a removable Lithium battery with built-in charger which is powered via our unique ELCA-CLIP plug, says Didonè.

ELCA has seen a steady growth in international sales, that now account for over 75% of the total units sold.

“Service and flexibility is a growing need amongst the customers; much of our efforts are geared to satisfying this.”

“We see the market moving even more to customised, unique systems, where rather than ‘picking the remote off the shelf’ the customers are asking for collaboration and advice from us, the radio remote control manufacturers.”

Regarding the future plans of the company, Didonè said: “We intend on listening and being even closer to our customers. To keep investing in our people, to fine tuning our internal processes so that we are even more efficient and naturally to grow and gain experience in new sectors and markets around the world.”

The waist-portable PUNTO
The MIA handheld radio remote control won the iF Design Award 2017
Compact and waist portable radio remote control VETTA