At Alias there are almost native figures, who were born and grew professionally in the company’s various departments and have in turn contributed, from department to department, to helping the company to evolve while always remaining closely knit.
Alias’s rapid rise over these first 20 years has passed important milestones.
It was the dawn of the twenty-first century. As a new technical designer Giovanni Alberti preferred the uncertainty to the certainties of a quiet life, throwing himself into a much less defined and constantly evolving role. Not much more than twenty years of age, he was fascinated by Dario Vaccari’s entrepreneurial project: hugely challenging, with vast growth margins, but at the same time potentially risky, both on paper and in the marketplace (by then already well populated and saturated). Thanks to the experience he had gained working at another company in the sector, Giovanni decided to throw himself in and accept the challenge. The path that awaited him was long, often uphill, but he had always been stimulated by challenges. His taste for the challenge, short or long-term, saw him enter the company with a CV in CAD, and then consolidate this as Alias’s commercial director. Certainly, along the way, the experiences in the service and after-sales departments, as well as in the quality and certification area, have been extremely formative and fundamental, but his attitude to customer relationships prevailed, becoming his focus. Those who joined Alias at that time, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, knew what they were leaving behind but not what they would find (or not find) after a few months. We talk in terms of months because time was moving fast and there were many changes that saw the small sales force of the early days become today’s modern and structured network of approximately 40 professionals deployed on multiple fronts and active in several regions. Especially at the start, when this small team was still distributed in an uneven and unstructured way, the figure of the founder was central. Dario Vaccari also held the role of commercial director, but Giovanni was soon entrusted with the task of managing some of the most challenging areas, and after Alias’s exploits in 2008, his role as commercial director was made official – almost physiologically.
Among the many professional stories, Giovanni remembers with vivid curiosity an anecdote that occurred during a trade fair at the old Milan trade fair, where a “live” demonstration was organised to attempt to break into some security doors of the brands represented at that memorable show. There was an attentive and select audience: customers, retailers, distributors, showroom owners, agents, journalists and of course many, perhaps all, of their competitors. And there were several security doors made by many brands ready to be “opened” by a skilled individual armed with crowbar as well as other tools. Each company took to the stage in turn to commentate on stage – and in real time – about the characteristics of their security door while a “would-be thief” attempted to force the locks, hinges and knockers using brute force and cunning in a set time of just a few seconds. The outcome was far from obvious. It was a true test, blind, there were no guarantee that the doors would withstand it, there was a big risk, the door could resist or it could yield. There was a real risk of embarrassment for all involved. Some renowned, already well-established companies were in a cold sweat during those long seconds, others had to bow their heads when faced with the proof, when the would-be thief was able to force and break their door, perhaps one that was at the top of the range. But Alias’s security door turned out not just to be really good to look at, but also robust, burglar proof. In particular, Dario Vaccari decided to pass the microphone, on the spot and without warning, to Giovanni as speaker to remark on the technical characteristics of the Alias door live. It was on that occasion that Alberti’s experience as a designer and then supervisor of some of the company’s production processes came to the fore. The cool report of “an attempted break-in, failed!” was a beautiful trial by fire. Apparently it was also the last time such a live contest was held at that or other trade fairs, the brands that suffered such a public defeat probably did not appreciate it.
Much time has passed since that impromptu experience, years in which the commercial strength of Alias has been consistently characterised by a deep bond with its dealers, agents and customers. Nowadays, Alias has a presence in every region of Italy and France with its own agent or distributor. And if twenty years ago it was a massive task to find an agent willing to add an almost unknown brand in his portfolio (even one that wanted to combine beauty with security!), today the relationship has been reversed and the sales office is overwhelmed with requests from agents that want to offer Alias as their premium brand.
Thanks to the commitment of all the departments, not least the commercial one, turnover has increased steadily over time and underwent a significant propulsive force in comparison to the historical curve during the two-year-period 2021-2022. But from a small business to the engineering industry, what has never changed in relation to customers is that direct relationship. The specific choice to maintain this line of communication, and not outsource it to call-centres and hard to understand sales, after-sales and assistance systems has proved rewarding. Tiring but rewarding. It also fosters close interpersonal, intercompany relationships, where there is no lack of conviviality at Alias’s modern exhibition stands. Whether in Milan, Bologna or abroad, a slice of traditional cappa piacentina and a glass of Gutturnio always accompany the “commercial chit-chat” about our security doors.
Industrial processes do not often lend themselves to customised or tailor-made solutions, neither do manufacturing nor commercial aspects, but at Alias, we have put everything possible in place to concretely meet our customers’ needs.
The entire sales department managed by Giovanni Alberti, with the assistance of Paolo Castignetti and Fabio Lozza for the foreign market, is today facing extra work commitments as a result of Alias’s skill, but also a consequence of a market that has been doped in some ways by various bonuses and eco-bonuses. Aware that anomalous waves can overwhelm even the most robust and stable companies, Alias has focused on balanced growth, working over multiple shifts and, in the meantime, building new production plants. We are attempting to meet current demand and, in the process, lay the foundations that will allow everyone to work smarter and with greater satisfaction in the future.
Next December, we will be meeting other key figures, administrators, technicians and partners who have contributed to making Alias a leader in the “Made in Italy” security door sector. If you would like to follow us, it will be a great pleasure to share the story of our first 20 years!
Thank you all, we will see you again in the next episode of “Alias20”.
Over the coming months, we will meet other key figures, sales, technicians and designers who have helped make Alias a leader in the “Made in Italy” security door sector. If you would like to follow us, it will be a great pleasure to share the story of our first 20 years!