Just a few days ago, company president Paolo Mongardi emphasised the good sales performance of machinery maker Sacmi (Imola / Italy; www.sacmi.com), saying that given the trend in the first 10 months, 2016 will be “one of the best years ever” – both in terms of sales as well as operative margins.

All the more surprising then that the company recently announced the departure of its long-term CEO Pietro Cassani. Thanking Cassani for his contributions to the company over the past few years, Mongardi said the company intends to renew its management and ensure continuity in both its strategic outlook and day-to-day business.

Local media reports indicate that the departure was some weeks in the making. Cassani was notably absent from the company’s Industry 4.0 conference, held at headquarters in Imola and considered of utmost political importance.

Sacmi in 2014 sold its Plastics business – including injection moulding machinery specialist Negri Bossi (Milan / Italy; www.negribossi.com) – to Kingsbury Corp (Rush, New York / USA) – see Plasteurope.com of 16.04.2014. Since the divestiture, the company has focused on the ceramics and packaging segments. The latter includes machines for PET preforms, blow-moulded bottles and caps as well as turnkey filling lines. The Italian group recently sold one of its PET preform injection moulding machines to Iran – see Plasteurope.com of 10.11.2016.