Advanced transportation Nizzi Group

ADVANCED

TRANSPORTATION

Over half a century, a small shipping agency has become one of the leading logistics companies for the distribution of industrial goods throughout Europe: Daniele Garavaglia reports on the growth and success of the Nizzi Group.

“We have been working for the manufacturing industry, especially the steelwork sector, for 50 years, and Europe is where our daily bread comes from. We render the flow of industrial goods between European companies more efficient, fast and secure, contributing to the overall quality of the logistics through the best transport solutions,” begins Filippo Arcidiacono, the president of the board of directors of Nizzi Group.

Founded in Terni in 1964 by Pier Luigi Nizzi, today the group, with its three companies Nizzi, Nitras and Sicet, has a turnover of €24 million and about 70 employees. Every year Nizzi branded vehicles cover five million kilometres, carrying a million tonnes of goods, often through an intermodal system which integrates road transport with rail and ship, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by about 30 per cent.

The variety of vehicles and specialised drivers allows Nizzi to meet different customer needs, providing a complete and flexible service which can adapt to different rhythms and production cycles and can integrate with the varied logistics systems.

“What we offer to our clients, which include major companies such as AST, ThyssenKrupp, Arcelor Mittal, Arvedi and Marcegaglia, is a complex organisational service that goes far beyond truck transportation,” emphasises Arcidiacono.

Road transport

Nizzi Group’s success is in part down to the attention it pays to customers and a 360° ‘market orientation’: “We have a fleet of about 50 vehicles – tarpaulin covered trucks, tipper trucks, tank trucks, special vehicle units for intermodal transport – each with a ‘track and trace’ connection and satellite location system.”

Regarding road transport, the competitive and flexible ‘full load’ service meets all possible requirements related to volume, frequency and the complexity of the delivery, even with ‘just-in-time’ options and ‘urgent transit time’. The group’s specific services include the transport of waste (alongside registration with the national environmental managers), of dangerous goods (with ADR license), and of bulk products (mainly ferroalloys, building products and aggregates). Nizzi also operates in the ‘exceptional’ transport sector in terms of

weight and size. Its wide range of latest generation vehicles, including those equipped with coil frame for the transport of steelwork products, along with its highly trained and skilled personnel, guarantee maximum versatility and safety.

Intermodal logistics

Nizzi Group has also been active in the intermodal sector for over 20 years: it offers customers the most competitive services and savings, while respecting the environment. Using the maximum capacity of the railway loading unit allows for the reduction of costs and the quick handling of large quantities of goods throughout Europe. Its ‘short sea’ service guarantees frequent, costeffective and fast short-range routes in the Mediterranean. The speed and reliability of such services is guaranteed by ‘non-stop’ goods movement, 24/7, regardless of prohibitions or uncertainties related to road traffic. Its 180 fully owned containers, all equipped with coil frame, allow for the loading of steelwork materials and industrial products of all kinds.

To manage the entire logistics process, Nizzi has dedicated services and deposits (7000 square metres of warehouses available 24 hours a day in the Terni and Florence branches) and activities such as: collection from suppliers, automated management of goods stored in the collection centres, planning on the basis of incoming goods to production facilities, sorting centre management with picking and packaging, widespread distribution, VAT depot and customs warehouse.

As Arcidiacono added, “Our long-term experience ensures total efficiency in supply chain management, in order to improve the company’s organisation and its cost rationalisation. We can also provide a logistics consulting service, aimed at companies wishing to optimise their processes. In addition to the steelwork sector, our know-how is applicable to industries such as food and beverage, automotive, ferroalloys, electronics and photovoltaics components.”

Nizzi’s strategic target is to strengthen the domestic market and develop the European one: “Today 45 per cent of our business is generated in several European markets. We want to increase this share, to be the ‘Made in Europe’ ideal industry partner for transport and logistics,” he concludes. n