COMPANY INVESTMENT

STRONGER TOGETHER AGAINST COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic spread the world is facing represents, no doubt, a never-before-seen situation.
Itema Group and its 7 manufacturing sites worldwide including Itema S.p.a., Lamiflex and Schoch plants dealt with this sanitary emergency with a significant reorganization phase, by putting in the first place the safety of their people and their families.

The first plant of the Group being affected by COVID-19 outbreak was Itema plant in China, in Shanghai. Itema HQ in Italy promptly supported the Chinese branch by delivering face masks and single-use gloves that in January were almost impossible to find locally. In this way, and thanks to the strict safety and sanitary protocol implemented, Itema Chinese branch could resume its activities on the 10th of February after successful completion of local authorities inspections.

But, unfortunately, Itema could not stop there. While the Swiss based plant never stopped its operations, Italy – and especially Lombardy, the Region where Itema Group Italian plants are located – from the end of February became one of the main outbreak of the disease.
Itema immediately operated to put the safety of its employees in the first place, by activating smart working practices where possible and introducing in the Italian plants dedicated personal protective equipment and social distancing through differentiated shifts, till the decision of Italian Prime Minister to impose the shutdown of all productive activities on March, 23rd .

During this lockdown period, Itema spare parts logistic hubs have been fully operational and never stopped to deliver parts to Itema worldwide Customers. In the meanwhile, at the Italian HQ took advantage to operate a massive sanitization of buildings in Italy and to prepare and implement accurate safety protocols.

In this difficult situation, the cooperation and support within the branches of the Group played a pivotal role. Indeed, while in January the Italian HQ’s immediate reaction was fundamental to help Itema Weaving Machinery China in resuming its activities, just one month later, it was Itema’s Chinese branch to return the favor, with even more generosity. Itema China, indeed, not only managed to sent protective materials for Itema employees in Italy, but also shipped 25.000 masks, scarcely available in that moment in Europe, to be donated to the local hospitals and municipalities of Bergamo area.
Thanks to the sanification procedures and the personal protection equipment prepared in lockdown period, Itema was fully ready to restart activities on the 4th of May, when the Italian government regulations authorized the resumption of productive activities.

All the Itema Group Italian companies are currently equipped with triage areas before entering each building, with the distribution of PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) and information material.
Itema also launched a dedicated campaign “Stronger, Together, Against COVID-19” to raise awareness among the employees of all the Group’s companies to protect them while working and to protect their relatives when back home. Social distancing is guaranteed in all departments, from manufacturing to accounting, and smart working is still promoted for the white collars.