From wire user to wire manufacturer: interview with Frigerio & Duroni

Frigerio & Duroni started in 1950 as a manufacturer of bed wire mesh. The company has since moved to a new production facility, while completely changing its core business to become a specialist in the production of low and medium carbon steel fine wires.

We interviewed the managing director Andrea Duroni, to get a better understanding of the wire industry from their unique vantage point as a former drawn wire user.

Your company has been in the market since 1950, how did it evolve over this last half century?
We started in Italy as producers of bed wire mesh in a district historically renowned in the furnishing industry. We used to draw the wire, our raw material at that time, internally. When the bed wire mesh market dwindled, we decided to rebuild our business from the ground up: starting from the skills developed as former drawn wire users, we naturally turned to wire-drawing, and that’s where our journey began.

Which sectors does your production target? Who are your customers?
We are currently working a lot in the automotive industry, but really our production extends across all sectors and includes drawn wire for staples, corrugated PVC tubes, brooms and brushes, small metal parts and bed wire mesh, which is where our company started about 70 years ago.

What is your yearly production capacity?
Our company registered a significant increase in turnover over 2018. Of course we always aim to improve and grow even more, while doing our best to keep high-quality standards, but as of now I’d say we have almost maxed out our production capacity.

Are certifications an important requirement in your industry? How much do they really count?
It changes from sector to sector, in the automotive industry, for instance, they are paramount. Undoubtedly, possessing a certification provides a big boost to your credibility, as certified companies are considered reliable by default.

How do you select raw materials and suppliers?
We can count on a few trusty suppliers we have been working with for a long time; we know they can reliably deliver quality raw material even within short deadlines. When we are to select new suppliers, we require they can ensure high quality and continuity. Once we attest these two points, the supplier is then labeled as reliable.

How did the recent price trend of raw materials affect your business?
Of course, the price trend of this last year had an impact on our business, but we didn’t feel it that much. Generally speaking, the price spikes of these last 6 years have urged many potential customers to import wire from abroad, especially from those countries where the cost of labor and raw materials is lower. Personally, we also had some cases of former customers turning to the foreign markets, instead of buying from us. The broadness of our offer is what allowed us to keep growing notwithstanding.

What challenges do you foresee for the rest of this year? Which direction do you think the market is heading to, in terms of prices and volumes?
It’s hard to make predictions right now; I hope the prices of raw materials will remain stable, so that we can continue to offer high-quality products at competitive prices.