International Business Talks – interview with the sales director of the Italian company Massenza
What the business situation related to the pandemic in Italy looks like? Our law office has many international clients, so we decided to ask at the source.
In today’s article, we are talking with Andrea Menetti, the chief sales director of the Italian company Massenza. The MASSENZA corporation has been exporting their specialized range of construction equipment to worldwide markets for over 60 years.
Walczak Wasielewska Law Office: What is the current business situation in your country and what are the restrictions on business operations?
Andrea Menetti: Business situation in Italy generally speaking is dramatically affected by the severe restrictions imposed by our government and recently extended up to May the 4th .
WWLO: How were your relations with Polish business partners before Covid-19?
Our only business partner in Poland is Strassmayr and, provided that we are common shareholders, relationships were indeed quite strong and aimed to continuously improve any potential synergy between our companies.
WWLO: How do you and your international partners cope with this situation?
AM: The large majority of our international business partners (dealers, local representatives and direct customers) are either totally blocked or anyway very much limited in their own activities due to local restrictions. Apart from quickly answering to the limited number of requests still coming, we can only go on keeping the best possible relationships with all our partners/customers, working in order to let them perceive that we are always present and available to support also in such a demanding period.
WWLO: What are your predictions on how this situation will unfold in terms of international business relations in the upcoming months?
AM: Providing forecast on the future is actually quite a difficult task due to the unique situation we are facing. As far as our activity is concerned, a first main threat can come from a wider spreading of the virus infection in areas still not highly covered but dramatically important for our sales, such as mainly Africa and Latin America, with consequent negative effects on local business continuity, customers financial situation and willing to invest money. Another major issue will be the existing crude oil price; the more its unbelievably low value will continue the more we will see negative effects and lack of resources for all those countries in Africa, Middle East and partially Latin America where local economy is mainly (if not totally) dependent on crude international sale and trading. On the other hand, being the investment on infrastructures one of the main levers historically used by local governments to relaunch/support the country economy in hard times, a chance is there for us to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. How far and big this light can be is indeed hard to predict.
WWLO: Thank you for your answers!
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