Insights from Our Key Account Nicola Zamboni After Visiting wire and Tube in Düsseldorf

During the wire and Tube exhibition, held from the 15th to the 19th of April, 2024, in Düsseldorf, Nicola Zamboni, Key Account at Morandi Steel, had the opportunity to meet several buyers and suppliers.

Following his return, we seized the chance to discuss the market’s current state, the fair’s atmosphere, and the significance of participating in one of the steel sector’s most prominent trade fairs, especially within the tubing industry.

How has the market performed in the first half of the year, especially compared to expectations set in 2023? What trends are anticipated for the second half of 2024?

“The year began with a downturn in demand driven by geopolitical uncertainties, leading to an inevitable price drop.

Despite the decrease in demand, our strong order portfolio and recent contracts have kept us on a positive trajectory in terms of both order intake and revenue figures, meeting or even surpassing our 2024 targets.

Our strategy to focus our efforts on Laser processed products, rather than just supplying commercial materials, is paying off; to date, about 70% of the products we sell are processed by our two 3D Laser plants.

Every supplier we met in Düsseldorf expressed plans to raise their prices, which have become unsustainable due to production and processing costs not yet normalizing to pre-Covid and pre-war levels.

 We are therefore optimistic about maintaining a positive trend in the latter half of the year, also considering the implementation of parts of the NRRP which should stimulate the infrastructure sector, currently still stagnant.”

What was the atmosphere like at this year’s wire and Tube in Düsseldorf?

“It was a time of absolute sharing, both with our suppliers and with the buyers of our main clients. Although there is concern over the current uncertainties, a sense of optimism for the upcoming months prevails.”

For a company like Morandi Steel, why is attending this fair important?

“Attending such an event is vital for us as it allows us to gauge the entire supply chain’s sentiment, from suppliers to our main clients.”

Was your visit useful in exploring new market niches and services as part of your “formidable challenge” of servitization? Did you bring anything particular back home?

“The market is always evolving, necessitating a constant search for products and services that offer greater added value. We are enhancing our range with new product niches, which we will reveal in the upcoming months.”