Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza), Italy – December 15th

Dinner for eight hundred, including employees from BASSI and SIMAS, and praise from the surrounding valley to Valter Alberici

Eight hundred guests for dinner, including factory workers, managers, suppliers, clients from various parts of the world and figures of authority: the whole of the ALLIED INTERNATIONAL GROUP “family” met again for the Christmas Dinner in the central warehouse in Castelsangiovanni that has been a tradition since 2013. Beneath a sparkling decorated gazebo, 600 guests from previous years were joined by about 200 employees from BASSI LUIGI and SIMAS who, although they are not yet officially part of the group (the current leasing of the company should become an actual acquisition next spring), are already considered part of the Allied family.

While the guests were taking their seats for dinner, several screens set up along the walls showed – alternating with seasonal greetings and messages of welcome – rolling images of the factory’s most prestigious machine, a tube expander for the production of large induction bends, over 60 metres long and endowed with huge manufacturing capacity; an animated 3D video made it resemble a spaceship travelling through space, accompanied by the slogan “Great production force in constant development” to sum up the 17 years of history and the current reality of ALLIED GROUP.

During their speech, the two presidents Valter Alberici and Marc Herzstein reiterated the strong friendship that bonds them, beyond their mere corporate link, presenting it as further assurance for the solidity and future of the Group which identified in the young Dan Feather, Marc Herzstein’s son-in-law, the president of ALLIED NORTH AMERICA who, speaking in excellent Italian, emphasized in particular the performances of TECTUBI RACCORDI, which in the last year dealt with 700 orders from the USA (corresponding to 60% of their production) and of RACCORDI FORGIATI, which carried out 200 orders (30% of their production). Alberici then pointed out how the spirit of aggregation that characterises these pre-Christmas events constitutes the indispensable driving force to reach and often overtake, all together, the objectives that are set.

The president of the association LA VALTIDONE, Valentino Matti, on behalf of its 300 members, but sure of interpreting the feelings of the whole valley, then presented to Valter Alberici a diploma of entrepreneurial excellence in recognition of results achieved and for having contributed to a slowing-down the depopulation of the area through offers of jobs at his companies. In his turn, Alberici presented his partner Herzstein with a parchment on which are listed all those qualities that distinguish a great entrepreneur. Also in attendance in the hall were civil and military authorities and numerous VIP guests, including the president of Rothschild Italia and ex CEO of Unicredit, Federico Ghizzoni. The evening was presented and compered by Rita Nigrelli of Radio Sound with her usual pleasant manner. The successful fundraising goal for “Progetto Vita” was celebrated with the draw of the prizes of the traditional “Heart Lottery”. Read the Social Responsibility section for an account.

Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza), Italy – December 19th

Proud of a group that knows how to fight the crisis
Analysis of 2014 by presidents Alberici and Herzstein and vice president Dan Feather:
a positive year, despite the difficulties

“Here is the Italy that works, produces and doesn’t surrender despite the crisis; those television broadcasts that focus on collapsing companies and despairing employees need to send their cameras here to discover the secret of how it is possible, even in such difficult times, not only to survive, but also to progress and face the future with faith”.
These were the words spoken by Gianluca Pecchini, director general of the Italian National Singers football team and guest of honour at the Allied International group’s traditional Christmas Dinner. They express perfectly what the co-presidents of the group, Marc Herzstein (videoconferencing from Houston) and Valter Alberici, together with vice president Dan Feather, had just finished explaining to the 600 guests, employees and associates from all over the world, united beneath the huge sparkling Christmas gazebo put up for the second consecutive year inside the new Castel San Giovanni warehouse.

“We do not pretend that the difficulties caused by the persistent international problems do not exist,” said president Alberici “but thanks to our strategies, coupled with the capabilities, unity and dedication of our employees, we have already shown that we are able to face and overcome them and we will continue to do so, defending our markets shares and jobs”.
Indeed, in 2014, too, as in every year before the crisis began, the ALLIED GROUP companies did not resort to one single redundancy, but actually increased turnover by five to ten per cent compared with the previous year. This happened thanks to a strategy that aims to acquire orders even if profit margins are minimal and at the same time also asks its suppliers to make a sacrifice by keeping supply costs to a minimum.

Marc Herzstein and Dan Feather declared their pride in the group spirit and in the skills of all their employees and in the manufacturing know-how of their factories in Italy. They also congratulated the new managing director of Tectubi Tianjin Fittings, Fanny Fang, who, in just one year, managed a vigorous re-launch of the manufacturing plant operating in the important Chinese market.

The Christmas Dinner then bore witness to Allied’s other significant success on another front in which the group has always committed itself, i.e. solidarity, by reaching a new record of donations in aid of Progetto Vita in the traditional Fundraising Lottery (check out the section on Social Responsibility).

Present at the event were also several authorities, including the police commissioner Calogero Germanà with his second-in-command Maria Pia Romita, the president of Confedilizia, Corrado Sforza Fogliani, the former president of Confindustria Piacenza, Sergio Giglio, the former president of the Provincial administration, Massimo Trespidi, the mayors of Castel San Giovanni, Lucia Fontana, of Pecorara, Franco Albertini, of Caminata, Carmine De Falco and of Nibbiano, Giovanni Cavallini, with his historical predecessor Alessandro Alberici.

Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza), Italy – December 18th

Christmas Party 2015 dedicated to celebrating the 15th anniversary of ALLIED GROUP

The traditional Christmas Dinner, which on 18th December saw over 600 ALLIED GROUP managers, office workers, factory workers and collaborators from all of its Italian and international sites gathered together in Castel San Giovanni, coincided this year with the celebrations for the 15th anniversary of the Group’s foundation.
The entrance to the dazzlingly decorated and illuminated gazebo, which hosted the party-goers within the wide spaces of the main Allied International warehouse, was dominated by a celebratory banner announcing “15 years of history”.

History is already the correct term if you consider that in just one and half decades since its foundation in Nibbiano on a modest site of 150 square metres and one employee, the Group now boasts 6 sites in Italy, one in China and one in Scotland, warehouses, offices and representation virtually all over the world with over 800 employees and, most importantly, the achievement of a cutting edge position in the sector of fittings, piping and special components for the international energy markets.

It is a Group that, despite the difficult economic situation of recent years, continues to consolidate its positions and grow, as highlighted in speeches by the presidents Valter Alberici and Marc Herzstein who identified ways to combat the crisis in the solidity of the team on all levels, from factory floor to executive, in the diversification of the markets and – last but not least – in a bit of healthy optimism.

Those employees who have been with the Group since its start and those who have distinguished themselves most in their respective areas of expertise were mentioned and thanked, and every participant was given a brooch commemorating the 15th anniversary.

The occasion was also used for the official dedication of two important Group sites to the parents of the two presidents: the one in Nibbiano – Vascellino to the mothers Luisa Maini Alberici and Isabell Smith Herzstein, and the one in Castel San Giovanni to the fathers Alessandro Alberici and Max Herman Herzstein. Commemorative plaques have been placed in the main entrance of each of the two sites.

And finally, again this year the Heart Lottery fully achieved its objectives of solidarity, aimed at Progetto Vita, to which we refer in the section Social Responsibility.

It was as usual a vibrant evening, hosted by Rita Nigrelli of Radio Sound, with the assistance of Valentina Sabini for the translation into English.

Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza), Italy – December 22nd

A united group that is beating the crisis. BASSI acquisition announced

Once again this year the traditional ALLIED GROUP Christmas Party saw about 600 guests, mainly employees and collaborators from its Italian and overseas factories, gathered together under the sparkling decorated gazebo in its Castel San Giovanni warehouse.

The large screen outside and the videowall on the stage greeted the guests with messages of welcome and a headline, projected using a 20” spotlight, summing up the group and its truly vast manufacturing range: “Pipes and fittings unite the world. ALLIED makes them all”.

This year, too, the presidents Valter Alberici and Marc Herzstein stressed the extent to which the closeness of the team, from the workforce to management and collaborators, is the strength that has allowed and continues to allow the Group to keep going so successfully through the recent years of economic crisis. They did not hesitate in personally thanking and complimenting individuals who made a particularly meaningful contribution to the common cause in the Group’s various factories.

As proof of the vitality displayed by Allied, even in this persistently difficult period for the market, since its acquisition of 100% of OMP MONGIARDINO (now OMP TECTUBI RACCORDI), which took place last spring, the two presidents Alberici and Herzstein also announced the acquisition of INDUSTRIA MECCANICA BASSI LUIGI & C. (with almost 300 employees in its factories in the provinces of Lodi and Bergamo), a historical company in the fittings sector, founded by Luigi Bassi in San Rocco al Porto in 1962 and, until recently, considered one of the Group’s main competitors.

Announcing that management of the new acquisition will be entrusted to Silvano Foppiani, currently commercial manager at TECTUBI RACCORDI, but with impressive previous experience also at BASSI, Alberici observed “Silvano has always said that half of his heart lies in TECTUBI, but he’d left the other half at BASSI: now at last we are giving him the chance to reunite the two halves of his heart”. This pleasant joke, made to highlight the strength of Foppiani’s passion for his work, was rewarded with heartfelt applause from all present.

Rita Nigrelli from Radio Sound was back again this year as the evening’s hostess and helped by Valentina Sabini who provided an English translation.

At the end of the evening, the traditional Heart Lottery in aid of Progetto Vita was as successful as in previous years. Read the Social Responsibility section for an account.

Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza), Italy – December 22nd

ALLIED GROUP “comes of age” and officially welcomes BASSI, SIMAS and INTERFIT

In 2018, once again with its lights and festive warmth, the Christmas Party livened up the elegantly festooned gazebo in the centre of Allied’s Castel San Giovanni warehouse, where over 650 members of Allied’s ever-growing family came together from all over the world for the traditional exchange of seasonal greetings at the most important social get-together of the year.

It was a long-awaited event, during which presidents Valter Alberici and Marc Herzstein celebrated the Group’s “coming of age”, 18 years since its foundation, with the official admission of three new important companies, BASSI, SIMAS and INTERFIT.
These acquisitions not only further increase the Group’s manufacturing capacity and market share, but are also so much more significant, having taken place during a period of financial crisis, with the consequent protection of 343 jobs at risk, which now takes the number of ALLIED INTERNATIONAL GROUP employees to 1,200, equalling the number in the ALLIED NORTH AMERICA GROUP.
This is further proof of prudent management and the vitality of a group that is able to face periods of difficulty, not by shutting itself down in defence, but by opening itself up to new challenges and new investments, as shown in a detailed presentation by the two presidents during their speech.

For TECTUBI RACCORDI a new mandrel line is planned in Castel San Giovanni, in addition to the revamping of the one previously installed at the Cuma plant for the production of fittings up to 28”, a new robot for the cold-forming department, a new blasting machine in the Podenzano plant and revamping of the Cojafex PB 1000 bending machine in Carbonara Scrivia. Raccordi Forgiati has just as much innovation planned, with a new large building, a new 1,500-tonne press, two new boring machines and a new furnace. GIEMINOX in Schio will take delivery of a new pre-bending machine, one for restoring welding, a new boring machine and a new cutting machine, while a new set of furnaces and boring tools are planned for the newly-acquired BASSI and SIMAS.

At the end of their speech Valter Alberici and Marc Herzstein dedicated a special moment to thank and reward Piero Sabini, an extraordinary employee, who, after half a century of uninterrupted employment with TECTUBI RACCORDI, still provides his valuable expertise to the company as a consultant.
Against a backdrop of hearty applause from the guests, the two presidents presented Mr. Sabini with a Certificate of Merit and Loyalty to Work in recognition of his 50 years of much-appreciated and indefatigable service with TECTUBI RACCORDI, where he has always shown a high level of professionalism and been known for his humane qualities.

Also present as guests of honour at the evening’s events were the Mayor of Castel San Giovanni, Lucia Fontana, and the president of the Provincial Administration, Patrizia Barbieri (who is also Mayor of Piacenza), who both highlighted the key role played by Allied in the economy of the Val Tidone and the whole Piacenza area.

The event concluded with drawing the prizes for the traditional Heart Lottery, which continues this year to support Progetto Vita, to which reference is made in the section on Social Responsibility.

Castel San Giovanni (Piacenza), Italy – December 20th

In the run-up to Allied Group’s 20th anniversary the company presidents focus on two decades of history and celebrate the addition of PHOCÉENNE, PIPING TECHNOLOGIES AND SAIC to the Group. But a new challenge is already waiting in Saudi Arabia

In the familiar glittering gazebo erected inside the Castel San Giovanni warehouse, this year elegantly enriched with black and gold furnishings, ALLIED GROUP hosted nearly 700 guests for its traditional Christmas get-together. New guests of this great corporate family included representatives of the three newly-acquired French companies: PHOCÉENNE, PIPING TECHNOLOGIES and SAIC; a further sign of the Group’s vitality despite the uneasy situation on international markets. As usual, there were plenty of mayors, persons of authority and other prestigious guests including Federico Ghizzoni, former CEO of Unicredit and board member at Nexi and Bocconi University. The forthcoming 20th anniversary since the foundation of ALLIED GROUP was an opportunity for the two presidents, Valter Alberici and Marc Herzstein, to retrace the steps of its unstoppable growth in just two decades, with its conquest of increasingly large shares of the domestic and international markets and the acquisition of firms often in difficulty, for which Allied was a safety net able to safeguard hundreds of jobs, meaning the livelihoods of entire families. Alberici started out in 2001 with one employee (Maurizio Pilla, who still works for the company) in a 10x10m office, but now ALLIED INTERNATIONAL employs 860 people in Italy, of whom 366 in Val Tidone, 342 elsewhere in the province of Piacenza and 152 in other provinces. Outside Italy, Allied has 265 employees, of whom 180 in Europe and 85 outside Europe. Marc Herzstein’s ALLIED NORTH AMERICA has over 1200 employees. «Our strength – Alberici told guests – is that we never rest on our laurels, but we keep working hard to be ready to take on whatever challenge the market offers us next». The two presidents then revealed what the next challenge was. «A new alliance with RAFID GROUP – explained Alberici – a major industrial group in the Gulf, for an ambitious project aimed at the production in Saudi Arabia of some of the most in-demand items for the local oil & gas industry, with Saudi Aramco leading the demand».

The project will be carried out through a joint venture between three Allied companies and the Saudi group – whose chairman Abdul Aziz Al Mandil was a guest at the Christmas Party along with some of his colleagues – giving rise to new companies whose factories are now under construction but will soon be operational: AASIA TECTUBI, AASIA GIEMINOX and AASIA SIMAS.

As in previous years, there was also the opportunity to support the Heart Lottery in aid of Progetto Vita, to which we refer in the Social Responsibility section.