What were you doing before taking up your current position at Raimondi?
I returned to Raimondi after a five-year experience as sales director at an Italian tower crane manufacturer, and previously I was chief commercial officer at Raimondi itself. This, added to previous experiences still in the crane sector, brings a total of almost 25 years in this business.
Why did you return to Raimondi?
One of the key reasons was thanks to the company’s new management. CEO Luigi Maggioni explained the company’s renewed approach with its ambitions to grow and develop new products and markets. I could see that this is underpinned by real passion. Raimondi’s new philosophy and approach aligns with my own outlook and so it was with a positive feeling I’ve returned to Raimondi.
Having worked there before meant I was well-placed for the role. I know all the dealers and how the company works. I see many familiar faces on the factory floor – I feel like I’ve returned home!
Is your appointment part of a wider strategy by Raimondi?
Yes, it is one part of Raimondi’s focussed ambitions to increase its industry share. Considering how challenging the industry is at the moment we see Raimondi re-writing the rulebook – an approach that I’m sure will help it achieve its ambitions.
Raimondi has invested a lot of effort into changing the company structure away from being a traditional, older style company to being a modern, futureorientated facility.
What are your priorities for the next 11 months?
One of my key aims is to extend the presence of the Raimondi’s products worldwide and, in particular, establish ourselves in new markets where we are not currently well represented. In particular, I have North America in mind as this is a market with which I am very familiar with.
One way to do this is by expanding the range of products available to fulfil users’ needs, plus to develop and strengthen distributor dealerships in new and existing territories.
How will you set about achieving this?
My first strategy will be to travel a lot, meeting lots of customers and dealers. I want to not only talk them through Raimondi’s complete product line but also convey the company’s current positive philosophy I outlined earlier. I want the dealers, in particular, to feel valued as true company partners.
And I will be there to listen – to understand what our users really want. In this way we can positively respond to their needs by developing the right products.
What exactly do you mean by having your dealers ‘feeling valued’ as company partners?
Dealers are very important for manufacturers as they provide a point of reference. In particular, they provide feedback which helps us better plan our production. In many ways manufacturers and distributors share the pros and cons of the business. This is why I describe it as a partnership.
What is your view of the current state of the tower crane market?
The global tower crane market is rapidly changing, and there are different needs from different markets. European manufacturers are facing big challenges from competition from Asia, with Asian brands becoming stronger in Europe and North America.
Another big challenge is to do with maintaining high safety standards. It is critical to maintain high safety standards, plus create new ones, to ensure safety remains at the forefront of our industry.
Finally, there’s the ongoing situation of a depressed market due to interest rates. But as long as we can find new financial opportunities then the market should open up again.
Have you noticed the impact of Chinese-made cranes in European and North American markets?
Definitely yes; although their impact hasn’t been as big as we were expecting.
Slowly, though, they are coming. The Chinese market comprises multiple players and already we find Chinese products in central and western Europe, and in the USA. They’re not really in the Canadian market yet but, if they make the right connections, they will be able to effectively penetrate new markets quickly.
What is Raimondi’s response to this threat?
I think customers in the tower crane industry still see European manufacturers as offering the best quality products.
But to maintain this, however, we need to continue investing in new technologies and consciously strive to meet the needs of all our customers.
Competition is always welcome as long as it is fair and benefits the entire industry with innovations and increased standards.
In which markets is Raimondi currently performing particularly well?
Our best presence is currently in the Middle East. Raimondi is particularly well-represented in the UAE with our division there – so that is a stronghold.
We are also doing very well in other Middle Eastern markets, particularly in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman, where our cranes are currently utilised to build several prestigious projects.
What is underpinning this success in the Middle East?
Our success here is rooted in several key factors. First Raimondi Middle East operates as an official subsidiary of Raimondi Cranes, directly reporting to our HQ in Milan. This ensures alignment with the company’s global standards and vision.
Additionally, our experienced sales team possesses deep knowledge of the regional market and has established a strong network of industry connections, allowing us to better understand and respond to client needs.
Complementing this is our wellorganised operational structure, which includes a skilled team of field technicians and crane operators who provide exceptional on-site support.
Finally, our solid rental fleet, featuring a wide variety of crane models, allows us to meet diverse client requirements and adapt to the specific demands of each project. Together, these elements enable us to deliver reliable solutions and exceptional service to our partners in the region.
What kind of work are your customers using Raimondi tower cranes for in the Middle East?
Residential and commercial buildings are a core area of work. There are also infrastructure and mixed use projects. In Saudi, for example, there are currently 70 Raimondi tower cranes, across the region, with many of these working on mixed-use projects.
What can we look forward to from Raimondi in 2025?
First, we will be at the Big 5 Construct Saudi show in February. Our focus, however, will not just be meeting people at trade shows. We are looking to invite customers to our factory, with open-house type events, so we can present the new products in the range, show them the quality of what we do and the way we do it.
