Alessandro Zucchi is the new president of the Association of Italian Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT). He succeeds Raffaella Carabelli. Zucchi has many years experience in the textile machinery sector, and is currently managing director and a partner at Ferraro, a manufacturer specialising in finishing machinery. In addition, he is a shareholder in another company in the sector, Burocco Valvole, of which he is executive vice president.

Since 2015, he has been involved with ACIMIT’s delegation at Cematex, the Committee of European Textile Machinery Associations. ACIMIT represents 300 manufacturers, employing close to 12,000 people and producing machinery for an overall value of about euro 2.7 billion, with exports amounting to more than 85 per cent of total sales.

Along with the new president, the assembly also elected new vice presidents Federico Businaro (Isotex, Santex Rimar Group), Cristian Locatelli (Marzoli, Camozzi Group), Andrea Piattelli (Unitech) and Michele Riva (Reggiani Macchine).

Italy is the world’s second largest producer of machinery for the textile industry. In the production of machinery for tanning, and for the footwear and leather goods industry, Italy accounts for over 50 per cent of world production. A renewed climate of enhanced trust is currently perceived in the textile sector, triggered by the government’s commitment to enact a range of significant incentives for the country’s manufacturing system.