Assofermet meeting: Commitment to defend interests of the entire supply chain

On November 13, 2024, the 2nd Wholesale Hardware Meeting took place at the prestigious Grand Hotel Villa Torretta in Milan (Sesto San Giovanni). The event was organized by the industry magazines Ferramenta&Casalinghi and MondoPratico, in collaboration with ASSOFERMET Ferramenta.

Marco Ugliano, Editor-in-Chief at Collins srl, opened and moderated the discussions, guiding the audience through a series of insightful presentations. The meeting began with remarks from Sabrina Canese, President of ASSOFERMET Ferramenta, who thanked attendees for their strong and collaborative participation. She previewed the key themes of the conference and outlined the priorities that will shape the sector in the coming months.

Key topics discussed included Circular Economy, Ecological Transition, Made in Italy, Transportation, and Artificial Intelligence—critical challenges that companies in the hardware industry must address to remain competitive in the near future.

The event featured a series of expert speakers. Mariano Bella, Director of the Research Department at Confcommercio Imprese per l’Italia, opened the discussions with a presentation on the macroeconomic landscape and a new concept termed “Sense of Italy,” a parallel idea to "Made in Italy."

Next, Maura Tomaselli from Creditsafe provided an analysis of the economic performance of Italian wholesalers, offering valuable insights into current trends. Luigi Merlo, President of Federlogistica, and Gianluca Marconi, Senior Vice President of Ocean Freight at DB Schenker, shared perspectives on tariffs, freight costs, and other challenges related to importing from the Far East, discussing future prospects for the sector.

The final presentation was given by Filippo Lubrano, journalist and author of Anthropology for Artificial Intelligences, who explored the impact of artificial intelligence on consumer decision-making, specifically within the hardware industry.

Closing the event, Sabrina Canese expressed her gratitude to the attendees and invited Cinzia Vezzosi, President of ASSOFERMET, (photo) to the stage. Vezzosi affirmed ASSOFERMET’s ongoing commitment to supporting and defending the interests of the entire supply chain, including the hardware sector, both now and in the future.

Source and Photo: Assofermet