“I don’t want to claim that this company is a quality leader,” he continues. “I would rather say that we have merged quality and flexibility. We have a saying here: ‘No profit, no growth.’ Some companies find they must exchange financial opportunities for growth. On the other hand we are a public company and the investors should get what they came for – a profit. So we have succeeded finding both.”

The change in name will certainly make the company more recognizable. But, as Fontana comments, the core of the company: “is the people, not the name. We don’t sell cars or shoes, or commodities you can touch. We provide services.”

The company continues on a course of constant innovation. It has developed a state-of-the-art security system and a transport tracking system, as well as an in-house information technology system.

“We needed something that could give our clients a quick and smooth startup,” says Fontana. “We are connected to all the major software packages such as AST, JV Edwards and Oracle. We tell our clients: ‘Just send us the data in any format and we’ll deal with it here’.”

Expansion is a key goal for the future. In 2000, the company opened a branch in Padova, logistically a gateway to the incoming EU countries in Eastern Europe. There are also plans to open another branch in Bologna this year and eventually in Rome in 2005. True to his philosophy, Fontana predicts any expansion will already break even the first year and see profit after that.