The interview to our G.M. Francesco Petrosino - Condor Formwork

The history of this company goes back 40 years with his father, Alfonso Petrosino. Before 1981, Alfonso Petrosino was a building entrepreneur with a great sense of initiative, always looking for new adventures and challenges. That is when, in 1981, the construction industry, specifically scaffolding and construction accessories, was a very successful business. There he identified an opportunity to diversify and concentrate the core of his future business. SKY EDILAGRO in Castel San Giorgio, is a distributor company that still operates in the market of construction equipment in the area of Caserta. In 1981 it was the embryo, which the current company developed from, namely CONDOR S.p.A. from 1991.

The corporate book is a roundup of the company’s developments and above all, the whole of important values that the company still follows today in carrying out business.

Also, the family commitment was extraordinary, for example Francesco’s aunt, Nadia Petrosino, who is currently the sole director and has been leading the company in a path to success, becoming one of the main European players and leaders in the scaffolding and formwork industry. Presently, the company is managed by the second generation and Francesco’s sister, Nunzia Petrosino, is among the key figures, holding the role of CFO.

In the 90s the company began a vertical growth path. At that time, due to the growing demand for construction equipment, the company was in need of a larger production area, hence the relocation in the Avellino area.

A strategic choice since Avellino is an outstanding hub for the manufacturing industry.

25 years have passed since CONDOR moved to Irpinia. It is now integral part of the local economics, ever contributing to the growth of the territory.

Until 2000 the focus was the scaffolding manufacture. However, from 2000 to 2005 a phase of significant investments in research and development took place, which led to the creation and launch of its own wall and slab formwork systems.

Consequently, this led to the opening of a new production site in Nusco, Avellino area, which is part of the 4 plants the Italian company operates in: three in the Avellino area and one in Turin.

One of the “pillars” of the company is our production capacity and rather fast delivery times.

From product to service: as a family strategy, the company shifts the focus from production to services.

Specifically, CONDOR currently manufactures formwork, scaffolding and shoring systems, finding scope beyond construction, also in restorations, in the event and entertainment, in the shipbuilding industry, in industrial maintenance, as well as Oil&Gas applications. Thanks to a team of commercial technicians and designers, CONDOR has been closely following any project and any construction site since 2000.

CONDOR essence is unique, customer-oriented on a daily-basis business with two distinct and separate product divisions. Traditional scaffolding: distributed through retailing channels (mostly Italian market). The second, formwork and frame systems: which is intended for any end user, the general contractor. The latter division is in fact aimed mainly at international customers; this is what got the business back on track following the 2007 severe crisis. To such a degree, Francesco Petrosino is the Director of the export department.

The scaffolding is a provisional structure, that is, an equipment whose scope is the construction site and is applied to renovation works, such as facade refurbishment as well as new building projects.

The formwork, on the other hand, is a piece of equipment combined with a strong technological component along with a lot of design behind the study of the perfect offer with technical and financial specifications. This system allows companies to engineer their construction site, saving processing times and material final costs.

The formwork is a steel and plywood frame, that is, wood that allows the armouring of vertical and horizontal reinforced concrete structures which, unlike traditional systems employing timber, has the advantage of being reutilised.

This equipment can also be hired and that is what the company has been aiming for in the last 5 years: the market has undergone a radical change in the consumption paradigms of scaffolding and formwork.

There are many construction companies that today live in uncertainty and opt for a temporary use of the product rather than a one-time purchase.

The rental was facilitated not only by the crisis but also by a change of mind-set being experienced in Italy. As a result, the rental is offered at CONDOR branches abroad also, for example in Dubai, as well as in Tunis.

On top of that, a new opening is being considered in the United States, to better serve customers in North America.

CONDOR is proud of the many international collaborations established, among renown names, the famous architect Renzo Piano. CONDOR was the supplier of the project designed by the famous Genoese architect to rebuild the City Gate to the Maltese capital, Valletta. A prestigious accomplishment for the Italian company. Achieving ambitious goals and raising the bar of pride and quality, after successfully dealing with job managers and demanding artistic directions. Further development and affirmation of the product supplied is now possible thanks to experience gained and all the steps forward.

A borderless company, exporting 50 percent of its production and permanently to 50 different countries with significant investments. Such as the project in Dubai, started in 2016 to better follow the Gulf and Middle East countries, Africa, with a project started a year and a half ago in Tunisia.

A team of engineers and sales technicians travel systematically and continuously all over the world. For example, a month and a half ago CONDOR was in San José, Costa Rica, to supply equipment for the construction of Microsoft new headquarters in Central America.

Interventions also for the control tower project of the new Brazzaville airport. Many projects see the company supplying not just products, but also technical assistance during the pouring and processing phases.

A special attention is also paid to investments in training and security.

In France, which is a very avant-garde country from a construction site safety point of view. The company could make its contribution as a producer in terms of innovations, making operators work and life safer day after day. This is certainly something that makes the company stand out, easily recognisable from the competitors in the long run.

Although the market doesn’t leave much space to medium- and long-term projects, the vision towards the future and the desire to expand business abroad is ever stronger. A special thanks goes to the precious contribution in these dynamics of the company’s CFO, Nunzia Petrosino.

Indeed, quarterly management meetings are planned with branch managers, allowing consumption planning and therefore, in the long term, even more efficient warehouse management.

CONDOR is a company bound to be part of the 4.0 industry and is adjusting the organization to manage a multi-plant structure in a young and dynamic environment. By choice, the average age is 35.

Thus, the experience of outsourced managers together with the dynamism of young people who want to move and face new adventures is fundamental. The company is constantly looking for new talents to join the team.

The secret is a mixture of several elements:

mainly, satisfy the customer in research and development, or the opening of a new branch, or the study of the best formula. Furthermore, the human and professional touch the entire team is certainly tangible and appreciated by many.

The fuel necessary to face the journey into the future is not about money, but the emotional and mental energy of all the people who share it with you“. These words best sum up the Petrosino philosophy and common vision that binds two generations of success at the helm of Condor.

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