News 16 March 2012

Nord(b)est Award: Finalists’ Short List

Nord(b)Est Award is the competition GC&P has launched a few months ago in cooperation with CIMBA, a consortium of 37 American Universities. The scientific committe of the award, composed of GC&P consultants and CIMBA Faculties, after analyzing more than 50 projects submitted by companies located in the North East, has chosen five “finalists”.

The awarding ceremony will be one of the special events of Festival delle Città Impresa and will take place on May 4th at 18.00 in the prestigious Villa Emo (Via Stazione 5, 31050 Fanzolo di Vedelago- Treviso) made available by Credito Trevigiano.

Among the finalists perhaps the best known is Electrolux Appliances, a branch of Electrolux, a worldwide giant in household domestic appliances with a turnover of 11 billion euros, 6.500 employees in Italy and 52.000 employees in 150 countries. The objective of their project which involves three Cimba students (of Italian, US and Nepalese nationality), is to explore the opportunities offered by e-commerce to Electrolux appliances.

The second finalist is La Vetri, the only one outside Veneto, located in Piacenza. It is a company with 80 employees and a turnover of 11 million euros, which today operates only in the domestic market, but would like to explore the opportunity to sell its product, recycled glass dust, also in foreign markets. The project involves four students (from Italy, US and Mexico).

Three more companies have been selected, two from the province of Vicenza and one from that of Treviso.

Tosingraf is located in Rosà (VI) and has 25 employees and a turnover of about 10 million euros. It produces and trades after printing machines. So far 95% of its sales have been in Italy but the company wants to significantly increase its presence in foreign markets, especially in Europe and Russia. The project involves four Cimba students (One from Italy, two from the US, one from Slovenia).

Nardini, a historical producer of “grappa” , a typical liquor of the town of Bassano, has 60 employees and a turnover of about 14 million euros. The company already sells in many European, American and Asian countries. The objective of the project is to understand the opportunity to do business in India. Project team includes three students of Indian, American and Italian nationality.

The last project is a joint project of Eureka and Point, two companies located in Gorgo al Monricano in the province of Treviso. The former, with 100 employees and a turnover of 18 million euros, produces and sells both in Italy and in some European countries (mainly France and Germany) furniture handles. The latter has 30 employees and a turnover of 7 million euros. Its production includes tables and other types of furniture. The objective of the joint project is to is to explore market opportunities in South Africa. Project team is made of three students, of Italian, American and South African nationality.

Projects will be evaluated according to the following criteria: level of innovativeness, concrete results, client’s satisfaction and positive consequences on North East industrial sector in general.

Jury will be presided over by Paolo Bastianello , president of Marly’s, national vicepresident of Sistema Moda Italia, member of national managing board of Confindustria.

Elena Donazzan, member of regional governement in charge of education work policies

Francesco Giacomin, President of Fornace dell’Innovazione and member of UniCredit board,

Alberto Canepari, cofounder and partner of GC&P,

Al Ringleb, CIMBA Director,

Kirk Karwan, PhD, Furman Univerisity – CIMBA, projects supervisor,

Roberto Santolamazza, director of Treviso Tecnologia.