The first half of 2021 sees an increase of 100.3% in orders for woodworking machinery and tools compared to the same period last year; demand from foreign markets marks an increase of 88.7%, while the domestic market shows even greater vitality with an increase in orders of 190.8%.
These are the figures that emerge from the analysis of the first half of 2021 by the Acimall Studies Office, the association that brings together the companies in the sector. More than positive results, even if we must take into account that the comparison is with the first semester of 2020, i.e. with the period in which the Covid-19 pandemic made its effects felt more intensely on the entire world economic and production system.

Significant structural growth

This is certainly significant growth, which many are interpreting not as a simple rebound, but as significant structural growth. From an economic point of view, the first half of 2021 shows for wood and furniture technology a positive trend even compared to the previous six months (July-December 2020) with a growth in orders of 42.2% (plus 31.9% from foreign demand, plus 49.2% for Italy).
“Figures that comfort us and make us forget, from an industrial and economic point of view, the difficulties we have experienced,“ commented Luigi De Vito, president of Acimall. “If we add to this that the January-June 2021 figure reveals a growth of 40.2 percent even compared to the first half of 2019, it becomes clear that we cannot speak of a simple “rebound“, but of something organic and structural, which reaffirms how competitive our industry is on a global level, as well as being a reference partner for the Italian manufacturing industry, which has always been a reference point for style and quality.“ “There is no lack - unfortunately - of question marks over the near future, generated above all by the scarce availability of raw materials, components and aggregates, a condition that is negatively affecting delivery times: a knot to be untied as soon as possible to limit the race to increase prices that is already underway,“ De Vito then concluded.

An industry with solid foundations

The woodworking machinery industry as well as the furniture industry have been able to face this period of great complexity by demonstrating that they have solid planning, industrial, financial and entrepreneurial bases on which to base the relaunch of the last period. The investment incentives of the new “National Transition 4.0 Plan“ have undoubtedly contributed to the achievement of this result, as have similar measures launched in many countries.  The Italian industry continues to offer highly evolved technologies, the result of that ability to innovate and enterprise that has always distinguished the protagonists of the “made in Italy“.

The photo shows the Mito oscillating spraying machine with one or two arms by Cefla Finishing.