In High Gear

Gearbox and motor manufacturer Sicor is determined to continue its trajectory with a focus on new markets. 

Headquartered near Rovereto, a small, picturesque city in northern Italy in the shadow of the Alps, Sicor SpA has grown from a staff of 45 when it was founded in 1981 to a major player with more than 180 employees and strong demand for its gearboxes and motors from all over the world. Today, Sicor’s biggest customers are in the Middle East. It also has customers in Europe, Russia and the Far East. Sicor aims to increase its presence in these markets, particularly northern Europe, said CEO Massimo Santambrogio: 

“In our mid- to long-term strategy, Sicor wants to focus more on reinforcing and increasing its market share in Europe, especially in northern European markets where our presence and market share can still be improved, considering that our products have the quality these markets require.” 

Sicor’s geared motors feature:

• Nominal loads up to 5500 kg
• 1:1 roping
• Speeds up to 4 m/s
• Traction pulleys ranging from 320 to 885 mm

Its gearless motors feature:

• Loads up to 4000 kg
• 2:1 roping
• Speeds up to 4 m/s, with additional speed range available on request
• Traction pulleys ranging from 120 to 670 mm
• A central pulley for elevators with sling car frames and reduced distance between guide rails and overheads

Bespoke rope traction systems are available by request. Annual production capacity is more than 45,000 machines. The company states: 

“Sicor’s market is basically the whole world, with a production system ready to meet the needs of each foreign marketplace, making us proud of our fully Italian model. It is no coincidence that Sicor’s ‘Made in Italy’ has become a calling card in more than 60 countries worldwide. We serve thousands of customers.” 

Beginnings

Sicor was started by 41 shareholders. Nearly all were local elevator manufacturers who wanted to produce their own gearboxes. They did so in a 3,000-m² facility close to where Sicor operates today. In 1999, Sicor bought the Bologna production plant of Società Anonimo Bolognese Industrie Elettromeccaniche (SABIEM), a major elevator and machine manufacturer that was then owned by KONE. Sicor had its eye on SABIEM’s MR12 machine, which, until 2009, was produced at its Bologna factory. MR12 production moved to Sicor’s Rovereto facility that year and is still in production today. 

“There is a lot of synergy between Fermator and Sicor. We have machines. They have doors. People need both.” 

—  Sicor CEO Massimo Santambrogio

The acquisition of the SABIEM facility meant growth. From 2010-2012, Sicor’s factory was enlarged by 8,000 m² to 11,000 m^2. An external automatic warehouse and 5,000 m² of underground storage were also added. Ranging from a machine able to power a simple home lift to a 2.5-m/s, 2600-kg powerhouse, MR12 remains Sicor’s bread and butter. “This machine has long been the bestseller worldwide, with more than 400,000 units operating in over 60 countries,” Sicor says. Last year, Santambrogio said, the company saw turnover of EUR46 million (US$51.4 million). The COVID-19 pandemic is not expected to impact turnover this year, he added. 

The company works with more than 200 suppliers, both domestic and foreign. Rope traction machines are designed and assembled entirely in Italy, and Sicor strives to provide clients with any spare parts needed, even those no longer in production. A catalog allows customers to identify necessary spare parts. 

New Ownership, New Ambitions

After a few changes in ownership, Sicor was purchased in October 2017 by the Gomis family of Spain, who own elevator door company Fermator. Santambrogio observes the companies operate independently of one another. Sicor S.p.A. also owns Sicor India Pvt. Ltd., which also operates separately from Fermator and from Sicor in Italy. “There is a lot of synergy between Fermator and Sicor,” he said. “We have machines. They have doors. People need both.”

Under Gomis family leadership, the company says, “business began to soar under the positive force of new management.” Santambrogio stated: 

“The family was involved in this business for many years. They believed deeply in Sicor, and aimed to change the way it was presented in the market. They were ready to make investments in technology, range of products and marketing. Step by step, we will make progress. In January, I was hired, and now the expectation is to work to meet the expectations of the family.” 

Those expectations involve developing stronger relationships with existing and new customers. The renewed market approach includes bringing clients onsite to see Sicor’s product range and production capabilities in person. Its new automatic warehouse system, described by the company as its biggest recent investment, is able to store and supply production lines with more than 6,000 pallets of components. The warehouse boasts: 

• A 24-m-high ceiling that facilitates flexibility and automated infeed/outfeed operations
• Three industrial stacker cranes with a horizontal speed of up to 6 m/s
• Laser-guided vehicles (LGVs) that eliminate the need for operators

The warehouse handles more than 100,000 orders per year and allows Sicor to process most orders within 48 h. “Our storage capacity places the company among the most flexible  in the whole country, both in terms of speed and precision of deliveries,” Sicor says. 

According to Santambrogio: 

“Sicor is a huge company but, in the last 10-15 years, we haven’t invested as heavily as we should have in our real value — our customers. We need to restart and focus on this effort. The number of gears we are manufacturing is another challenge. We aim to expand our offerings based on listening to our customers. If you don’t listen, you won’t improve.”