building the future
Construction Industry
Building the Future
T
hat the Italians have a long and glorious history of working with stone is as obvious as the giant coliseum in Rome. What might be surprising is the fact that Italians dominate the worldwide market for automated machines that quarry and process natural stone. It’s a big market too, CONFINDUSTRIA MARMOMACCHINE - The Italian Association of Manufacturers of Machinery and Other Equipment for Natural Stone Quarrying and Processing (www.assomarmomacchine. com), the 184 member Italian association of these machine manufacturers, says Italy’s exports in this area soared 15% in 2015 to $1.2 Billion Euros, with Italy’s share of the world market at about 60%. The US is their top destination, with Canada and Mexico also contributing to over 40% growth in North America.
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Makers of earthmoving equipment have established a global presence amid tough competition with these companies build high-quality, reliable, heavy, medium and light equipment for worldwide use, valued at over $3 billion a year.
Centuries of stone-working tradition wedded to state-of-the-art technology Key players include member companies GMM SpA (Gravellona Toce, Italy; www.gmm.it), OMAG SpA (Zanica/Bergamo, Italy; www.omagspa.it/en/), and SASSOMECCANICA Srl (San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy; www.sassomeccanica.it/en), all of which make machines that cut, shape, and polish stone after it’s quarried. In that niche, Italian technology accounts for 90% of the machines sold around the world, according to Taf Wharton, GMM’s General Manager in North America. “Construction is our primary focus,” says Wharton, “whether that be interior decorative materials for tiny kitchens in downtown Atlanta or the outsides of massive skyscrapers in New York.” All three companies point to Italy’s strong tradition in the
Volume XI | www.machinesitalia.org
