Machinery News

Macchi upbeat about business, invests in testing facility
While American extrusion machinery manufacturer Davis-Standard has laid off 36 workers, which represents 9% of its workforce, and Entek Manufacturing has laid off 16 people, European blown/cast film machine supplier Macchi remains upbeat about its business.

At its headquarters in Venegono Inferiore, northern Italy, the company is constructing a testing and machining centre that will add on 5,000 sq m of space. With this, the company will have an additional six bays for assembly and testing of equipment. At the moment, it has space for up to ten lines at various stages of final assembly at any one time but with an output of 70 lines/year its premises had become cramped. In 2008, it had an unprecedented demand for more complex equipment, like five seven-layer co-extrusion lines, and it believes the trend is likely to continue.

Macchi's machining area will also be expanded with the installation of new machining centres in the coming months. Space for the company's technical offices is being extended as well.

Company Owner/President Luigi Macchi says, “We are sending a clear message to the film extrusion world that even in difficult times like these we are investing for the future. Over the last five years our sales have doubled. Business-wise, the company had an excellent 2008 and prospects for the coming months are still good. The loss of my son Alessandro last year dealt me and my family an enormous blow but the best way to treasure his memory is to ensure the continuing success of the company that he helped build. And that is what we are doing now with this important investment.”