Insight

After the announcement that Novastone Capital Advisors acquired Mecavit Srl through an Italian special purpose vehicle, we spoke to Sales Director Giuseppe Verdoliva to see what’s in store for the Italian manufacturer and what the future holds. 

How will the acquisition benefit Mecavit and its customers?

“Mecavit will continue to be a leading company in the industrial production of fasteners. With a 44 year history, Mecavit has established itself as a trusted name in the fastener manufacturing industry, known for its high-quality products. The company’s growth and reputation have been carefully nurtured by its partners over the years and the sellers will reinvest to ensure the business' continuity and future success.

Nicoletta Nutrito, an engineer and local resident with extensive experience in both national and international industries, will lead the company. Her vision is to maintain Mecavit’s high standards of quality while fostering innovation and growth. Our goal is to prioritise quality, technical expertise, and reliability, while expanding our offerings to new markets.

The Italian fastener market has swiftly adapted post Covid-19, with increased demand facing the post Covid-19 rebound in 2021 – 2022. Now we are starting to see a slowdown mainly due to the crisis in the European automotive sector and the overstock of the past years.

Over the past twenty years, Mecavit has strategically expanded its market share and invested heavily in cutting edge technology. Notably, we have installed photovoltaic panels on the roof to reduce energy costs and support our green initiatives. Additionally, we have implemented a new wire treatment plant to enhance production efficiency. These investments were made to boost our operational capabilities, ensuring that our customers receive high-quality products with improved reliability and performance. Mecavit will continue to collaborate closely with customers, offering co-design services for new components and applications – providing quality lab tailored solutions for our customers’ needs.

As former partners myself and Giorgio Grillini will continue to support the company alongside Mrs Nutrito and we are pleased to pass the management to a professional from our region who not only possesses the necessary skills but also shares our values and is committed to ensuring growth and continuity.”

What are Mecavit’s key markets and how have they developed recently? What opportunities do you see?

“Mecavit produces standard and special fasteners from carbon steel 8.8, 10.9, 12.9 to stainless steel A2. We specialise in small diameter metric threads from M4 to M14, to DIN 912, DIN 7991, DIN 7984 and ISO 7380 with and without flange. 

The automotive sector has always been our core market. However, the recent slowdown has pushed us to diversify our client portfolio, offering high-quality products to European distributors. We see opportunities in continuing to offer unified products manufactured with the same procedures as automotive products to distributors throughout Europe, sometimes to complement imported products. However, there are still very active markets that are now being concentrated on such as the appliances, electronics, construction and automation industries.

Within our key markets geographically across Europe, challenges such as CBAM and rising sea transport costs might prompt importers to shift towards European productions, presenting significant opportunities for us. The new management has therefore introduced fresh strategies to drive innovation as companies adapt to global challenges.”

What have been the challenges in the past two years, what impact have they had on your company and how have you managed the situation? 

“Rising energy costs have been a significant challenge for all European producers, especially in Italy and Germany – where they have skyrocketed in a very short time. We mitigated this by installing  state of the art solar panels, which helped control costs and support our green initiatives, as well as align with our commitment to environmental sustainability. 

The drive behind sustainability is also a big topic at the moment. Besides our solar panels, we are also focusing on recycling materials and energy conservation by reducing our environmental footprint through the recycling of materials and avoiding energy dispersion. This involves important heat recovery from the tempering oven, which ensures the heating of the entire plant in the winter months by partially recovering the emission of the heat produced into the atmosphere.”

What are the main advantages to customers working with Mecavit?

“Mecavit’s dedication to quality, innovation, and sustainability, continues to position it as a leader in the fastener industry, ready to tackle future challenges and seize new opportunities. We aim to solidify our success with continued enthusiasm and dedication and have always positioned ourselves as a true business partner – not just a simple supplier – by fostering long-term customer loyalty and trust.

‘Made in Italy’ signifies superior quality, eco-friendly processes and meticulous craftsmanship, setting Mecavit apart from low cost competitors. Competing on cost while maintaining high standards is our ongoing challenge.”