Interview with Corrado Malighetti
What are the characteristics of a company that after 40 years continues to renew itself and achieve new goals? What makes a company stand out from the competition?
In the current international context, it’s certainly not an easy task, and that’s why “The Company with Superpowers” can provide ideas and insights of great interest to managers and entrepreneurs.
We explore these issues with the author, Corrado Malighetti, owner and CEO of Naster S.r.l., which has recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
THE BOSS BOOKS (BB): What is your company’s superpower?
CORRADO MALIGHETTI (CM): Over the years, I’ve worked hard to transform my family business into an ecosystem that acts as a glue between people – employees, their families, customers and suppliers – generating wellbeing for our local area, because I firmly believe that businesses should have a socially responsible role in their area. Our superpower is to be a cohesive team determined to make a difference for our customers and the local community. At the core of the company is a philosophy of cooperation, in which customers become partners, suppliers become consultants and everyone works together toward a common goal.
(BB): Most books written by entrepreneurs have the author’s photograph on the cover, while yours shows the entire Naster team. What prompted you to make this choice?
(CM): The excellence of a company is not due to a single person, but to a team that works. To my mind, a company is like a football team: the things that count are team spirit, the existence of serious and clear rules, and the fact that everyone feels part of the team and can contribute to achieving its goals. My staff are A-list players, well paid, trained, motivated, stimulated and with a great desire to grow. There are photos of everyone on the company website, so customers can see what they look like and know who is responsible for what.
For the same reason it’s important for them to be part of this book, which represents all of them. I decided to introduce them to the readers and collect their comments in a chapter dedicated to the team, giving them the opportunity to express their different points of view and share their experiences.
(BB): The protective film industry is very competitive. How do you manage to compete with multinational corporations?
(CM): An agile organization like ours is able to offer a valid alternative to multinational corporations, because the quality of Italian products and our strong customer orientation are the basis of a more constructive and stable relationship, where price is only one of the factors to be taken into consideration.
We give our customers added value compared to large multinational companies, which by their very nature cannot guarantee personal contact. Our small size and flexibility allow us both to customize existing products and to create new ones designed specifically to solve particular problems. All of this can be achieved in a very short time, because we know that time, efficiency and concrete results are essential for our customers.
(BB): Is there a particular sector you’re focusing on at the moment?
(CM): All the sectors we work in are important to us, but at the moment we’re particularly proud of our contribution to the nautical sector. The nautical industry produces luxury products, and each yacht is a very valuable asset that must be treated with extreme care and professionalism. Even minimal damage to one of the surfaces of a yacht during outfitting, refitting or painting can result in major financial and professional damage. That’s why we produce a wide variety of products for the nautical industry, one for each type of surface. Every part of the yacht deserves a film designed specifically for that surface, because a mediocre result is not acceptable.
In addition, to meet the needs of customers in the nautical industry, we have decided to expand our product line for boats, adding a new line of real and imitation leather products for interiors and exteriors.
(BB): What is your recipe for business success nowadays?
(CM): In difficult times like these, the most financially reliable companies are those that focus on sustainability in the broadest sense. I’m not only referring to environmental sustainability (which of course is fundamental) but also to social sustainability, in the sense that people’s lives are more sustainable when they are based on respect and growth. It’s essential to have a well-trained and professional team and a sustainable working environment that is close to the needs of your employees and their families, the real company stakeholders. Human capital is the only real asset of a company, because it’s the people who make the difference.
