FINAT dedica un articolo a Sales

Domenico Tessera Chiesa, Managing Director of Sales, recalls how his father had great expectations for this new market and of his children. ‘My father prepared the path for me and my sister to join him in the family company business. It took me some time to fall in love with labels. After my graduation in economics, I wanted to gain experience somewhere else. So I went to London for a year. When I came back I started from the very bottom within the company: for the first six months I was the receptionist and making deliveries to customers.’

Domenico spent the next three years in joining his father at meetings to acquaint himself with what was happening in the industry, working in production in order to understand the technical and very complex part of the self-adhesive world, at the same time following a marketing and sales course. The lessons paid off. Gradually the market interest for labels grew and Domenico became totally involved and willing to help out. ‘What I like in our labelling industry is being able to start a project from scratch with a customer and build up a solution. That has always been our best added value: give technical consultancy to get to a result. And in this respect I like the very high level of evolution our sector has achieved: everything evolving from substrates, to inks, to printing machines and techniques. This is a very dynamic development and we do not become bored keeping up with the pace.’

There was no time for boredom indeed. At the age of 27 Domenico was forced to take over the company as managing director when his father became seriously ill and had to be hospitalised for four years. Domenico regrets that during this time he was not able to work with him actively and share business experiences in light of new developments within the industry. Nevertheless, the company survived under his diligent managing and is still faring well.

Sales joined FINAT in 1965 simply because it was the right thing to do. ‘My grandfather taught my father and my father taught me the importance of associations. We had always participated within the regional and national industrial associations and my father, before me, had been the president of GIPEA. In brief, we are convinced that sharing experience and knowledge with someone who faces the same problems, is always a good idea. FINAT offers great opportunities for getting together with people outside your national market and keeping you updated on all new regulations and new products and techniques. Moreover, managing a printing company or any other business is something which requires skills, decision making and vision. FINAT is worth the value to help nurture and develop your vision, to raise your head from your desk and to look from above on what’s going on around you. There are few other values as important as this for an entrepreneur’s business strategy.’

Domenico’s first personal experience with FINAT was in 2005 when he attended the joint FINAT/GIPEA congress in Baveno. The speeches which he has heard over the years since have been of great interest and educational value. ‘I had the chance to meet many entrepreneurs and get to know companies on a European and worldwide basis. I shared experiences with them and sometimes established friendships with them.’ Domenico remembers with great fondness when Andrea Pininfarina came to speak in Baveno and when Alfredo Pollici, past president of GIPEA, played the drums with the local band on the dock on a beautiful Sicilian summer night during the joint FINAT/GIPEA congress in Taormina, in 2011.

As far as the future with regard to FINAT and the labelling industry is concerned, Domenico sees potential improvements in involving more converters, and in strengthening the links with the national label associations, hence creating a strong and unique label platform.