SCM 2022 board of directors
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SCM’s first woodworking machine dates back to 1952. From that point onwards, a long history of global successes and acquisitions, first in wood-working and then in other materials. The Group has been led from the outset by the Aureli and Gemmani families.
Giuseppe Gemmani and Lanfranco Aureli
The seventieth anniversary of the SCM Group, a global leader in machining technologies for an extensive range of materials and industrial components. The Group stems from SCM’s strategic vision that in 1952, saw the first woodworking machine produced in Rimini, establishing from that moment onwards, a precise mission: to offer the widest range of woodworking solutions at international level.
An early SCM factory photo
Over time, the Group has developed technologies and taken over leading brands not only to complete all the processes involved in secondary woodworking but also in advanced materials, plastic, glass, metal and marble.
A long success story that has resulted in today’s figures: €750m turnover in 2021 (90% exported abroad), over 4000 employees and a direct and capillary presence around the globe. It has been led from the outset by the Aureli and Gemmani families.
SCM’s origins
The Group’s history dates back to 1935, when Nicola Gemmani and Lanfranco Aureli, experts in mechanics and foundry work, started working together. In 1952, the first woodworking machine was created, L’Invincibile, designed by the engineer, Giuseppe Gemmani, Nicola’s son. This machine, which in the eyes of the founders had to be special, much simpler and more practical than those already on the market, managed to meet the needs of a market in the throes of a building boom and capable of every kind of furniture.
International marketing of the SCM's famous L’Invicible, here in Paris and Rome
SCM quickly created a complete range of woodworking machines that paved the way to conquering all the global markets.
In the 1960s, Adriano and Alfredo Aureli, Lanfranco’s children, joined the founders. Together with Giuseppe Gemmani they led and expanded the company even further with the opening of directly controlled branches across the globe.
In 1976, SCM developed the first machining centres and systems for solid wood windows and doors. In the mid-80s, they started acquiring well-known brands in different wood-working environments, that would consolidate the company’s global leadership: Mahros for automation systems (1984), Minimax for woodworking (1985) and at the end of the ‘80s, Gabbiani, Dmc and Morbidelli, leaders respectively in sizing, sanding and cnc panel machining centres. In 1992, the Routech brand, that marked the entry of SCM into the timber construction industry, and Stefani, an international pillar in edgebanding, were absorbed into the Group.
Alfredo Aureli, Giuseppe Gemmani and Adriano Aureli
In the years that followed, thanks to the development of other leading technologies and other acquisitions (Superfici in 2004, CPC and Sergiani in 2006, Celaschi in 2007), the Group further expanded its range to cover all the production requirements in the industry.
SCM’S strategies: customer oriented
SCM proudly celebrates this prestigious 70-year goal of accompanying the customer through each of the processes linked to the world of panels, solid wood, timber construction and woodworking.
Luigi De Vito, SCM Division Director and Group General Manager has no doubts about their main objectives: “We aim to be even closer to our customers with highly personalised solutions, tailored to suit their specific requirements.”
SCM is taking a further step in that direction to guarantee even more direct contact, from consulting and sales to after sales. De Vito continues: “To us, this means offering continuous and more valid support to our customers; fully understanding and anticipating what they really need, as well as providing even more pro-active recommendations.”
One of SCM's efficient production lines
In order to achieve this, SCM is investing in the skills of its global team, on the technical, sales and after sales side, and the Group’s training Campus centre is playing a key role in this.
Simultaneously, the Group is upping its digital transformation process on two levels: internally, renewing organisational and international models with the customer throughout the customer’s journey, and at a level of the product and services offered “to be even closer to their business needs and jointly study the best strategy for smart manufacturing.”
For SCM, all this translates into digital and connected technologies designed for more efficient, sustainable factories; IoT systems that allow the customer to preserve and enhance their technologies throughout the entire life cycle; tools, such as the new My SCM portal, enabling a vast range of services to view, gather and analyse all the information on production performance in real time; a Service team that can deal more simply and effectively with cases, providing faster answers and “how to” solutions to guide customers in a knowledge sharing logic.
The research and development investments are another pillar: “Not only do we set aside 7% of the Group’s annual turnover for R&D - continues De Vito - but we can also rely on an Innovation team with multi-disciplinary skills that allow us to have an open, forward-thinking approach that goes beyond the specific applications of our sectors, once again to the full advantage of the customer.”
The investment plan places sustainability in first place both for internal processes as well as products and services, “to offer the customer solutions that reduce the space occupied in the factory, machining times and margins of error, and keep down costs linked to energy consumption and waste of resources and material.”
SCM’s new headquarters in Rimini
n seventy years, SCM has managed to establish an increasingly more direct and capillary presence internationally. How do you keep a global team united? Once again, De Vito is in no doubt: “With a very strong team spirit; the same one that allows us to continue along our growth path with a convergence of objectives that is not automatic, even in the most difficult times as has been the case in recent years during the pandemic.
The centrality of the customer and a human as well as smart approach, are the values that guide us in our daily work in the industrial plants in Italy and the branches abroad. As well as this, we would like to continue to be open to collaboration and partnerships in every field (research, information technology, training, sales support, technical support, etc.) keeping customer value as our key goal.”
Despite current uncertainties linked to the rising costs of raw materials and energy, SCM continues to invest even in its plants in Italy. “We are increasing the production capacity of our industrial sites that currently record an average production of 20 thousand machines per year. As well as expanding surface areas, we are carrying out modernisation work - like the work currently ongoing in Rimini - to achieve more eco-sustainable spaces congenial with our human resources. Another important driver is the digitalisation of our production lines, that sees the spread of lean processes and FCS (Factory Control System) control systems in the various plants, in line with Industry 4.0 requirements. The aim is to improve industrial organisation by enhancing integration of the factory with the IT systems”
Last but not least, investments in foreign sales branches as was the case with the renovated SCM North America branch in British Columbia (West Coast), in Canada and the opening of new branches in India and Turkey, to guarantee a more direct and capillary presence on strategic markets.
Stability, internationalisation, innovation and people: the values that have always been a part of SCM Group, as much today as in the past.
SCM Group is a global leader in technologies for machining a wide range of materials and industrial components. Across the globe, the group’s companies act as highly reliable partners to leading industries in a wide range of product sectors, from furniture to construction, automotive to aerospace, and yachting to plastic machining.
SCM Group coordinates, supports and develops a system of industrial excellence in three large highly specialised production centres in Italy, with a turnover in excess of 750 million Euro, with 4,000 employees and a direct presence in all five continents.
