Integrated energy supply Vivigas

Centro Dell’Isolante, based in Fano, was founded in 1978 as an insulation materials reseller (hence its name). Centro Dell’Isolante Due, based in Jesi, near Ancona, was established in 2000 as a retail store. Centro Legno Fano was set up in 2007 as a constructor of wooden houses and roofs.

We operate in central Italy in the following sectors: ∙ Wooden houses ∙ Green building ∙ Paints ∙ Thermal and acoustic insulation materials ∙ Renovation and waterproofing ∙ Fire protection ∙ Construction materials ∙ False ceilings – plasterboard and interior finishes

CENTRO DELL’ISOLANTE srl: Via Einaudi, 12/B - Zona Industriale Bellocchi - 61032 FANO (PU) Tel. +39 0721 855147 - Fax +39 0721 855138 - Email: fano@centrodellisolante.com CENTRO DELL’ISOLANTE DUE srl: Via dell’Industria, 26 - Zona Industriale ZIPA - 60035 JESI (AN) Tel. +39 0731 214301 - Fax +39 0731 224402 - Email: jesi@centrodellisolante.com CENTRO LEGNO: Via Toniolo 23, 61032 Fano Tel. +39 0721 855937 - Fac +39 0721 855937 - Email: info@centrolegnosrl.com

Spending time in Mozambique

“Right now our attention is focused on Mozambique, where important discoveries for the oil and gas sector have been made. We have actually entered this market with our construction division and are building a tourist village. We plan to then expand our activity in the country to the oil and gas sector. This is in line with our expansion strategy, as we establish our presence on a particular geographical market through one of our divisions, and then follow on with one or more of the others.”

As well as Mozambique, other markets where Renco already has a branch and where it intends to expand its presence are Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (in both of these markets the company has initiated its work through the oil and gas division).

Currently the geographical markets ranking in first position in terms of importance are Kazakhstan, Armenia and the Congo, followed by other countries, such as Russia, Tanzania (Zanzibar in particular), Libya, France, Poland and Colombia. The type of presence and activity carried out in these different markets varies. For instance, in Armenia Renco is active with regard to construction, in Zanzibar it has a tourist village and in the Congo it works in oil and gas.

When asked about Renco’s future, Mr Gasparini says, “In the short term I see the future of my company as unfolding in terms of organic growth, while in the medium to long term, acquisitions could appear on our horizon. Definitely the different divisions will grow in a balanced way. This is a winning model because it balances cash flow, as well as creating synergies that we can use for growth purposes. The various divisions generate and facilitate work for each other, alongside offering savings, as many overheads are shared.”

Renco has many existing strategic partnerships with companies which can offer products and services complementary to its activity (mainly for oil and gas and construction). Again partnerships are usually established in a particular market for a particular division and, once consolidated, are developed at a global level. n

INTEGRATED ENERGY SUPPLY

Customer-oriented, transparent and flexible. These are the words which best describe Vivigas SpA and its success. In fact, as Mr Villa – Procurement and Logistics Director tells Industry Europe, in just over ten years this methane gas and electricity supplier has achieved remarkable results in both the business and residential sectors and is ready for more. Barbara Rossi reports.

Vivigas is based in Roncadelle, in the Brescia area of northern Italy, and is one of the main Italian suppliers of methane gas and electricity on the liberalised energy market. The company was set up in 2003 by the Erogasmet Group, to which it belongs and which since the 1950s has pioneered natural gas distribution in Italy. Vivigas supplies methane gas and electricity to final clients, serving two market segments, residential and business. The latter includes a range of companies ranging from shops, offices and small businesses to small and medium industrial clients.

Mr Andrea Bolla, Vivigas’ CEO and president of the Confindustria Tax Technical Committee describes the mission of his company as follows, “Vivigas is present on the market with an integrated energy offer, offering its services as a sole supplier for electricity and gas. Its approach is based on strong customer relationships, offer transparency and a widespread service.”

Empowering customers

Vivigas operates on the market as a sole and integrated supplier of gas and electricity services to residential and business clients (the latter are subdivided into industrial and non industrial customers). In particular, it focuses on meeting the saving and flexibility needs of industrial clients, through the offer of continuously updated products, which allows them to indirectly access the wholesale energy market. In this way a typical cost, such as that for energy, is transformed into an efficiency tool to be used to compete on the market. For instance, when energy prices are low, customers can optimize their contracts, increasing the amount of energy bought so as to increase production volumes, or they can fix their tariff for a period of time. They are kept informed on a daily basis of any changes and informed on the best customised deal for them. In this way they are empowered in making their own choices and become an active partner with regard to their energy supply.The company’s turnover at the end of June 2013 was €450,000,000, with a 290,000 customer base (32,000 of which were dual fuel clients) and a staff of 140 people.

Vivigas has a widespread presence on the Italian market, with branches in five Italian regions: Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont (in the north of the country) and Lazio and Umbria (in its central area). Overall, Vivigas has 21 sale branches, situated in north-central areas of Italy (Verona, Brescia, Bergamo, Como, Varese, Novara, Verbania, Roma, Viterbo and Terni). Mr Villa adds, “With regard to business clients, and in particular to top clients (small to medium industrial companies with high power usage) we cover the whole of Italy. We serve them through a network of account managers. We are further expanding this network, which was set up in 2013 and which assists customers from the initial contract proposal phase through the whole supply experience, continuously informing them about price changes and the best customised deal for them. For this reason, with regard to the top client segment, we have recently employed two new professional executives with estensive previous experience in this sector, with the aim of strengthening the sales and post-sale assistance organisation. I have to say that since last year we have doubled our volumes for the top client segment and that our target for next year is to increase it by another 50 per cent.”

Investing in growth

In 2012 Vivigas purchased 80 per cent of Aemme Linea Energie, a company which, since 2003, has been operating in the Milan area (especially north of Milan) where it sup-