A double-wheel company, present in both dry and wet cleaning sectors with the catalogue of products linked by a single feature: the quality
At the entrance to Renzacci SpA we are welcomed by a ceramic wall composition donated by one of the assistance centers for disabled children in Città di Castello (the company established a great relationship with the center years ago), which shows women, “our grandmothers”, washing linen in Tevere river (that flows through the city). The waiting room is decorated with photographs that represent the origins and the evolution of the company (that coincides with the family), whose role is to “first of all, remind us where we come from and what our roots are” explains Gabrio Renzacci, an engineer and the President of Renzacci SpA headquartered in Città di Castello. The company’s identity card certifies the foundation year: 1965. The founder of the business was Commendatore Azelio Renzacci, the father of Gabrio and Donatella Renzacci who have been running the company since 2001. Back then, the founder had decided to come back to Umbria and start an entrepreneurial adventure that revealed to be very successful. The passion for the territory and the willingness to contribute to the industrial and civil development constituted the basis on which he launched the business that is successfully continuing to this day. The company was started with a clear vision: the necessity for constant presence in international markets and the development of research as an engine of innovation. Since the early ‘70s, Renzacci has been present in the USA and Japan. In the second half of that decade, the business started working in China as well, even before the fearsome world giant had opened to the free market. Not to mention Renzacci’s unavoidable presence in numerous European countries.
A company of “reference”, Renzacci, especially in the drycleaning sector, can be proud of numerous global patents obtained thanks to the constant work on research and development carried out also in collaboration with important universities and internationally operating institutes. Among the many examples, we can briefly underline the collaboration with the Microbiology Department of Perugia University that allowed to construct and patent a washing system that sanitizes and inactivates the presence of bacteria in the cleaned fabrics. Not to forget about the Speed Master (in the middle of the ’90s), a crown jewel of the business that allowed to reduce the time of a normal cleaning cycle by 50%. The product, exhibited during an engineering show in BRNO (Czech Republic), obtained a golden medal for innovation. Getting closer to our times, Renzacci was awarded an important SMART LABEL prize, the initiative promoted by Host – Fiera Milano and by POLI design (Consorzio del Politecnico di Milano), that granted prizes to products distinguished by their innovative characteristics in terms of functionality, technology, environmental awareness and ethics. The prize was given to ECOSAVER SYSTEM, an integrated system composed of a last generation washing machine and a low energy consumption dryer with a total recovery of the air flow that allows to save 40% of energy, up to 60% of water and reduce the polluting emissions by 30%.
The two-wheel business is present in both dry and wet cleaning markets. However, the company’s activities do not come down to garments cleaning machines only. The business also produces sole degreasing machines and metal degreasing machines, and is active in other sectors (automotive, aerospace, refrigeration, precious materials such as gold and silver).
Today, the strategic foundations for the innovative series of machines offered by the company are basically two:
- The exclusive series of BIO DRY-CLEANING MACHINES that work with NATURAL SOLVENTS. Thanks to them, the sector has been re-launched significantly due to the fact that not only have they expanded the wide range of garments that can be treated this way, but the service itself has changed dramatically as well. What is offered to clients is not only garments cleaning but also wellbeing, biocompatibility and a hypoallergenic action.
- The innovative series called OCEANO for wet cleaning goes beyond the TRADITIONAL WET CLEANING. It brings its real meaning back, that is the method of washing that involves professional machines and products, and not the semi-domestic ones, so that any reputable, highly qualified cleaning business can distinguish themselves and guarantee garments cleaning results that reflect the advanced know-how of operators and make a real difference.
Still, Renzacci’s technology means more. Today, Renzacci is working on improving the operational management methods as far as machines go. Here, the important impulse has been provided by 4.0 industry and by the development of wireless connection in communication. The business developed the ability to monitor and intervene remotely through an application called “My Brain”. It allows to control all the parameters of the machine from remote, decide and take the best action, and verify its efficiency as well. There is then the “Intellectus”, an app used in wet cleaning. It functions as a real interaction method. It monitors and manages the machine from remotely. It is able to set a correct functioning of the machine, calculate the profitability and control the operational costs. “It allows us to get to know the market better and better” says Marco Niccolini, the Sales Director at Renzacci “and to carry out accurate marketing actions focusing on both business to business and business to consumer. As far as these applications go, our competitors tend to often copy our solutions. However, they are n ot able to guarantee adequate performance at the same level.”
The Renzacci group is composed of the main headquarters in Città di Castello where the research and development center is based together with the design and manufacturing of products, while some parts of the machines arrive from four other satellite units and from external suppliers. About 120 people work at the main headquarters and, summing up other factories, there are almost 400 employees working for the group. Development, quick delivery and responding to clients’ needs in time represent an added value of the company. The President Gabrio Renzacci clarifies “ever since I started working in the company, the time of machines delivery more than halved in order to be able to meet the continuous market evolution”.
Today, the attention goes to the quality of products. Even before sending a piece to production, the satellite units control it. Further controls follow during the preparation stage. Then, the final testing is carried out by a completely automated stage. “The treated product represents a good in which investments have been made, and it is exported to 120 countries all over the world. It is our responsibility to control it and guarantee for it in every single detail” says Marco Niccolini.
Renzacci offers a range of almost 250 models. The figure is approximate due to the fact that the business works with many countries that can greatly differ one from another in terms of certifications, standards and regulations, which determines a variety of models according to the countless specifics. The machines are customized so the investment of the warehouse focuses on the spare parts; this allows to provide punctual and quick assistance in every single country out of the 120 where the company exports to. Renzacci guarantees spare parts for machines purchased not more than twenty years ago. Taking more time, the service is guaranteed also for older machines.
The “Mission mark” by Renzacci translates to the key phrase “the future is now”, which is possible thanks to investing 7% of the turnover in research, innovation and development. Another company’s priorities are training and the constant update sessions for every employee working at Renzacci. Gabrio Renzacci points out “we believe in training. We continuously organize and carry out update sessions for all our staff. Moreover, for thirty years, I was personally involved in the creation of the ITS, Istituto Tecnico Superiore (Higher Technical Institute), a crown jewel of our region, that provides high level education and training sessions. Today, we can count on a team, guided by the Sales Director, Niccolini, that allow us to face all the challenges in a competitive way”. A business that is organized in this way, can only invest in training and services relative to products, and particularly, in cleaning techniques. Renzacci invested many resources in the development of two training centers. The first one is based where the company’s headquarters is, in 
Città di Castello. The other one is based in Stuart, Florida where Renzacci USA is headquartered. The centers provide training sessions at various levels. Training is offered to clients on washing and cleaning techniques, to technical staff in order to meet clients’ needs and requests at best, finally, to the sales network and distributors based all around the world. The company has always greatly privileged the concept of teamwork trying to translate it into the company philosophy. In some cases, in accordance to the employees’ needs, staff have been provided with work flexibility and different, flexible working hours. Also, some new contract types available by law have been experimented with. The attention the Renzacci group pays to the American market is special, in particular, to North America where the business founded Renzacci USA and the international dry cleaning and laundry training center. Niccolini explains, “we are able to guarantee the same standards of machines efficiency and the same, prompt technical assistance to the American market that we guarantee in every part of the world, and we will demonstrate it once again at The Clean Show 2019 (in New Orleans)”.
Renzacci SpA Industria Lavatrici
Via Morandi, 13
06012 Città di Castello PG – Italy
Tel./Ph: +39 075 862961 – Fax: +39 075 8559020
renzacci@renzacci.it – www.renzacci.it
by Marzio Nava
DETERGO APRIL 2019
