The purchase of the Sandusky Walmsley site by PMT Italia’s
subsidiary PMT Industries Limited is a highly significant
strategic step for the company, and helps maintain a healthy
spread of Yankee dryer manufacturing capability for the
industry. Tissue World interviewed PMT’s president
Luca Nugo and vice president Giampiero Miglietta regarding
this investment.
TW:
What are the advantages to customers of PMT owning its
own foundry facility?
GM: PMT Industries is one
of the three foundries in the world with the capability
to cast Yankee Dryers with a diameter in excess of 16’.
Moreover this foundry is recognised by the majority of
the customers as the one with the best technology for
certain kinds of products.
This consolidates PMT’s position amongst the top
players in the Tissue machinery business. With the acquisition
of the Yankee Dryer product line, PMT has now the advantage
of being able to offer the complete Tissue machine without
reverting to outside suppliers for strategic components.
Besides, the Bolton plant can also supply paper dryers
and press rolls castings up to 10 m width – something
not many foundries can provide. Bearing in mind that in
other paper grades PMT is also able to offer customers
complete paper machines, this consolidates PMT as a supplier
for all types of paper machines.
TW: Do you have any innovations
planned in the area of Yankee and MG cylinders?
GM: The technology we have today is at the top
level and our Engineering department will continue to
develop it in order to be able to keep offering the best
technical solutions. Today we are able to supply Yankee
Dryers up to a diameter of 22’.
The response from the market has been very positive and
negotiations are underway with customers to sign orders
for Yankee Cylinders, which already cover the first 18
months of operation. For this reason we intend to achieve
steady operation as quickly as possible.
Innovations in the manufacturing and foundry areas to
increase the plant capacity are already being evaluated.
TW: Do you expect significant sales
to other tissue machine makers?
LN: Our target is to be recognised on the market
as one of the best suppliers for these kinds of products,
and a strategic decision has been taken to supply Yankee
Dryers to other OEMs. The capacity of the plant is large
enough to meet the demands of both PMT and other machine
makers.
Supplying as many Yankees as possible will enforce our
position on the market and will help us to be recognised
as a first class supplier.
TW: Why is it important for the
tissue industry that this facility remains in operation?
GM: There are not many facilities able to supply
Yankees with a certain diameter and width and the Bolton
plant has been providing high quality products for years.
Furthermore we purchased on a non-exclusive basis also
the IP referring to all Yankees produced in this site
(except for those installed in South Africa and North
America); this will allow us to provide services also
to old Sandusky Walmsley customers.
Finally we need to consider that competition is always
beneficial to the market in terms of product quality,
price and delivery.
TW:
How significant is this acquisition for PMT as a business?
LN: This acquisition is not to be seen as a mere
financial operation but as a strategic decision to reinforce
PMT’s position as a key supplier in the paper machinery
market. This acquisition allows PMT to propose a wider
range of high technology products and related services
and to maintain a better control on key items like Yankees.
We can now operate in the tissue market independently
without being conditioned by other suppliers, since reverting
to some of them, who are also our competitors, would have
put PMT in a vulnerable position and could have jeopardized
our future in the Tissue market.
TW: Do you have any development
plans for the site?
LN: Initially we will concentrate on the production
of Yankee Dryers and establish steady operations; at the
same time we will provide specialized castings for the
paper industry, like paper dryers and press roll castings,
but also for other industries and we will seek opportunities
to help serve the customer base formerly served by Sandusky
Walmsley Ltd.
