Uniteam, the Biesse portfolio for housing

A local excellent player has drawn the attention of a giant like Biesse, bringing their experience in machining centers specifically designed for wood constructions and composite materials.

A local excellent player has drawn the attention of a giant like Biesse, bringing their experience in machining centers specifically designed for wood constructions and composite materials.

“We belong to our territory, we are strictly connected to it, and we feel this every day, although Uniteam has now adopted a philosophy and a methodology that distinguish us from the handicraft company we used to be. Such difference is clearly visible in our products and in all our operations”. There was no doubt for Silvano Maddalon, Sales Director Uniteam, a production unit based in Thiene, when we asked him what it means for a Venetian company to be part of a big group.

“Being part of a big group like Biesse has enabled us to express our potential in a different way, with an industrial approach. We have adopted new rules, invested in specific market segments, implemented different product and business development concepts, a “team” approach, without wasting time and efforts on projects that are just “distractions” from an industrial viewpoint. Nevertheless, we are from Veneto and we will always be, preserving our enthusiasm, energy and passion for a specific way of working, which has always distinguished our territory.

I really believe that Biesse bring much added value, but our attitude, our approach to business has always been very similar: both companies are proactive, dynamic, keen on the management of business relations, on products, on organization. Such affinity has generated great synergies across our subsidiaries, helping us find inroads into important market that we could not even approach in the past, as we needed a “heavy” business card to have a credibility beyond the effectiveness of our machines.

Uniteam has always exported 70-80 percent of production: with Biesse, we can look further and build on our growth, addressing the entire world. This is how our original spirit has evolved, with strong roots in our traditional energy and working capacity, now combined with enhanced organization and a “one company” approach shared with the rest of the Biesse galaxy”.

More wood or composites?

“Right now, I would say 65 percent of our products go into wood constructions. At group level, we are also recording significant growth in plastic material processing, from drilling to cutting, plus the Biesse machining centers, of course. We have started to collaborate with Fraccaro, a pneumatic press manufacturer, in the thermo-forming sector, but the most interesting business is definitely wood constructions: in recent years, this sector has really exploded and it keeps expanding even in the difficult period we are experiencing.

We are renowned for our capacity to machine laminar beams and Clt (cross laminated timber) panels; this construction method has opened up the business of wood constructions to many companies, also because it is very popular among designers and engineers, who have recognized the benefits of this wood construction method.

e are also working with timber frames, using a five-axis machine that can produce frame parts and elements faster and more cost effectively. We know this construction method very well, it offers great benefits, but it also has significant constraints, including the fact that you cannot exceed a certain number of levels. These techniques are very popular in Northern Europe, Australia and New Zealand, and in the United States, but their growth potential cannot compare with Clt; the latter has not even suffered during the months of the pandemic, it has continued to grow, recording very positive trends in France, Germany, Norway and the United States. We have developed great skills in the use of digital tools to offer demos, illustrate our solutions, present our specialties… this way of working will be precious in the future, when the events of recent months will be just a bad memory”.

You mentioned the United States, where you have been selected by a construction industry giant like Katerra…

“That’s true. Katerra is a huge player, born to be a leader in the wood construction business and beyond. We got in touch, we analyzed their needs and we have seen them grow into a giant that, in few years, has become one of America’s most important manufacturers of furniture and houses. As Biesse, we cover both of their business areas, i.e. furniture and Clt machining.” We have supplied two machining centers “Uniteam Clt 400” for their new plant in Spokane, Washington, an incredible unit in terms of dimensions, organization and production volumes. We installed two almost identical machines: it was an amazing experience and an excellent reference to become stronger and stronger in a key market like the United States. Moreover, wood is increasingly used in multi-storey buildings, so there is strong demand for bigger and bigger timber beams and pillars to replace concrete. Many players, including Katerra, are moving into this direction, and for us, a specialist in large beams, new opportunities are arising: it is not mere chance that we have been working very well in Canada and the United States recently…”.

Read the interview on Xylon.it

Interview by Luca Rossetti.