Scm Group continues to invest to promote development and made in Italy: new headquarters for Hiteco

Hiteco is an Scm Group company, specializing in the development and production of hi-tech mechatronic components for machine tool manufacturers.

Established in Villa Verucchio (Rimini) in 1977 as an in-house department, to provide components (electro-spindles, bi-rotational heads, drilling heads and aggregates) for the group’s machines for machining wood and other materials, Hiteco has grown steadily over the last few decades, aided by a constant growth in exports.

A progressive growth which reached a turnover of around 40 million Euro at the end of 2023, and which has made Hiteco one of the main global manufacturers in the sector for high-tech components for numerically controlled machines used to machine a wide range of materials like wood, plastic, composites, glass, stone and metal.

The new headquarters in Rimini covers an overall area of 9,000 square metres compared to the previous 3,000 at the plant in Villa Verucchio, of which more than 7,000 is set aside for production. The investment will allow Hiteco to increase its workforce, as well as improve its production efficiency (100% Made in Italy) and its R&D work. The projects specifically concentrate on the development of new digital services, IoT services and intelligent products complete with AI algorithms, as well as an expansion of the range in the stone, glass and metal machining sectors and Industry 5.0.

More space and greater competitiveness on Italian and foreign markets also translate into more steadfast collaborations with schools, universities and professional training organisations and greater opportunities for growth for its co-workers, thanks in part to the training provided by Scm Group’s Campus for Hiteco and all the companies in the group.

Also highlighted is the sustainability of the new headquarters with a 356 kWp photovoltaic system, and the link with the history of the area: in fact, the construction work made it possible to unearth and recover archaeological sites and artefacts from the Roman era, specifically an ancient road route of the road that connected the colony of Rimini to the city of Arezzo (via Ariminensis) together with a group of tombs dating back to the same period.

"The inauguration of Hiteco's new headquarters," said Scm Group President Andrea Aureli, "confirms the group's desire to continue investing in the area where it was founded over 70 years ago and to acquire new market shares even in a sector such as industrial mechatronic components, which is characterised by significant growth margins”.

"This investment is the crowning achievement of the continuous progress made in recent years, as well as a new starting point for continuing to increase the innovation and quality of our products and services," commented Hiteco director Massimo Benvenuti, who, addressing the employees and their families attending the event, added: "If today we are an excellence recognised throughout the world with a widespread international presence, this is possible thanks to the people who work with dedication and passion for this company every day, from operations to offices”.

Present at the Grand Opening of Hiteco’s new premises were some authorities from the Emilia-Romagna Regional Council, with the councillor, Vincenzo Colla (economic development and green economy, work training and international relations), the president of the province and mayor of Rimini, Jamil Sadegholvaad, the Superintendence for Archaeology, Fine Arts and Landscape for the province of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena and Rimini and different institutions present from the world of business and further education.

“This new investment confirms the desire to continue to compete globally at a high level, proud to produce top-quality products that are always technologically advanced and sustainable - explains the regional councillor Vincenzo Colla -. At the same time, the relationship with the local community is consolidated, something that is a prerogative for businesses in Emilia-Romagna, not just boosting high employment but opening up to training and cultural events that benefit the entire area”.

The president of the province and mayor of Rimini, Jamil Sadegholvaad, added: “When a company invests, it gets stronger, it expands its horizons and it does so through research and innovation, something that is of added value to the community. The impact and importance are not measured solely in the narrow perimeter of a leading business, but on a wider scale of the social life of the local area. The opening of Hiteco’s new premises is confirmation of its propulsive role in industrial investment which allows it to compete globally. But there is something else: an awareness that the quality and ‘being one step ahead of the others’ are elements that define an excellence which then spreads well-being, work and widespread future opportunities for hundreds if not thousands of people. A healthy business, a business that invests is a community asset. There is no doubt about that”.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the event continued with a tour of the factory and a get-together with Hiteco employees and their families.