All in the family: Icem's Gian Carlo, Elena and Gianni Rondinini

Icem has been in the market of indoor machines for more than 40 years and has specialised in the manufacture of standard and customised trucks up to 12 tonnes, specially developed for specific needs.

"Our goal has always been to make special machines become standard machines", says Gian Carlo Rondinini, Icem's General Manager, "in a way to automate and speed up the manufacturing of customised trucks as much as possible by exploiting components and technology to the maximum levels. We develop all customised solutions by guessing the future developments they may have and any other problem that could be solved in a similar way."

"In this way, we are able to trace a new request back to an existing project, which can be adapted or re-organised with reduced costs. If we didn't approach the market this way, it would be impossible to offer competitive prices, as well as delivery times of a few weeks, to our customers. The market does not accept long waiting times any more, for any product, which can be either standard or customised. Everybody needs to be rapid and efficient. Thanks to this philosophy, every 'standard' Icem product has several versions and accessories.

"One of our strong points is certainly a balanced company size", continues Rondinini. "We can count on efficiency, dynamism and flexibility levels that are achieved from staff involvement: the motivation of the work group makes every person within the company do his/her best. The direct relationship of the management with the employees creates harmony, which is a crucial factor to operate in our competitive market. The company employs several young people, including my son Gianni and my daughter Elena: this condition assures continuity for the future".

Engineer Gianni Rondinini, in charge of the engineering department, points out that "small manufacturers often find it difficult to follow the technological evolutions due to a limited availability of commercial components. However, the collaboration with important partners allows us to differentiate the preparation of our products in a well-reasoned way and with specific technologies, such as Sepex and AC."

"Today, customers know that the total cost of ownership for products having a life cycle longer than 20 years is heavily influenced by maintenance, and for this reason, nothing is left to chance", says Gianni. "We plan simple and functional solutions, we facilitate the accessibility to the internal components and we promote as much as possible the use of the same components in the different products to increase the volumes and thus reduce spare part prices, which are always available in stock and are shipped within 24 hours. Many Icem customers still prefer purchasing the machine rather than renting it: use and administration costs make truck ownership advantageous already in the short term, as the truck keeps a high residual value in time thanks to its structural solidity and the quality of the components." Furthermore, customisation implies direct purchase or leasing arrangements.

"To reach the customer, we make use of a large number of dealers in Italy, in Europe and in several non-EC countries. We always commit in order to increase our presence in areas that are still not covered, to improve the service offered to the acquired customers and to be able to reach new market segments," says Elena Rondinini, sales and marketing manager.

"To reach our goal, we are developing a new Internet site that rapidly supplies more and more specific and technical commercial answers to dealers and customers. It will also include explanatory videos about the operation of the machines and photographs which will help and guide the customer in finding a solution to his/her own handling problems.

"It is not easy to compete with companies that are extremely bigger than us, but we have always counted upon our efficiency and on our capability of solving the problems of customers, who get served in a short time. It is true both for customised machines and for standard products, for which there is a keen competition. Thanks to this quality work, we are trusting that the market will continue rewarding us," she says.