The story of Matec

Matec, a Tuscan company based in Massa, produces machinery for the filtering and purification of waste water for disparate sectors. Established in 2004, today it has offices all over the world, from America to Australia.

According to the legislation issued in relation to the Covid-19 emergency, Matec operates in a production sector considered to be essential: the company has therefore remained open and operational even during this difficult time.

What impact has the Covid-19 emergency had on Matec and how are you dealing with it?

The main impact has undoubtedly been on the people. Although our company can remain open, we have chosen to stop production for two weeks just to guarantee the safety of our workers and collaborators.

The administrative staff is smart working, planning and commercial work is continuing, and fortunately we have received new orders also in the last two weeks. We expect to partially reopen next week, but we will have to wait a few more days before we can fully reopen.

We have sent a letter to our employees to reassure them of our solidity: it is a time of great uncertainty but Matec will make it and emerge stronger than before.

We would also like to do everything in our power to support the health emergency: we have submitted an application to the Ministry for permanent conversion of part of our facility in order to produce protective masks in the coming months.

What was the biggest challenge following the emergency and how are you facing it?

Matec has offices in the countries where we do most of our trade, such as the USA, Brazil and Germany, which will have to become increasingly autonomous in commercial terms and with regard to assembly of the systems. It may not be easy to travel for some time yet, so foreign collaborators will have to grow quickly. This is a process that we had already planned to do in a more gradual way, but which, given the emergency, we will have to accelerate.

Of the state measures on offer, which one has been the most helpful?

We have used the redundancy fund provided for by the decrees, so that our company can maintain greater liquidity.

What are “your thoughts as an entrepreneur at this difficult time”?

My thought is not to give up because I am sure that we will emerge from this difficult time. This is an emergency due not to individual entrepreneurial errors but to a contingency that nobody could have foreseen.

We Italians know how to do our best in times of difficulty and we are proving we can do so once again.