COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Italian specialty hose manufacturer Tubigomma Deregibus S.R.L., which does business as Tudertechnica, has made some organizational changes designed to help the firm continue on its growth path.
One move was the hiring of Andrea Compostella as marketing and sales manager, bringing in someone from the outside with experience in a technology-driven industry but who also has a track record as a sales director in North America.
The other is to have its application engineers spend more time on the road with distributor customers to help them develop products needed by end user customers, according to Andrea Deregibus, Tudertechnica general manager and chief operating officer.
Deregibus said his company's sales grew about 16 percent in 2015 and expects another 13-15 percent increase this year to roughly $18 million. The goal is to see revenues rise another 25 percent by 2020.
Compostella came to the Padua, Italy-based Tudertechnica early this year from a company that produced batteries for telecommunications, automotive, utilities, and oil and gas. While a different industry, he said it is one where technology is vital, much like with specialty industrial hose. He also likes the variety of applications it serves, such as food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and oil and gas.
His former employer also did much of its business through distribution channels, as does Tudertechnica. “They push our products in the market, and we concentrate our efforts in quality and innovation,” he said.
Compostella said he was drawn to the hose firm because it has no interest in the commodity side of the market, and his global experience—including in North America—will help it expand its business reach. “If we want to keep growing, North America is one market where we have to grow,” he said. “We believe that we have all the instruments to do it, but we need to make all the commercial steps.”
About half of Tudertechnica's current sales are in Europe—including 20 percent in its home market of Italy—and the rest spread around the world, including regions such as the Middle East, Asia and Australia.
Compostella said the first step for a company such as Tudertechnica is to make sure it is strong in its home European market, with North America the next priority. “This is a key region for us because of the size of the market and also because our product fits very well in the needs of the applications such as chemical,” he said.
The sales and marketing manager also said the firm will work to make its Tudertechnica brand stronger in the market, along with the private label business the hose company has. “The company has arrived to a certain point where customers recognize that our product is very good,” Compostella said. “It's time that we connect this quality in our product with our brand more than what was done in the past.”