Under the sign of renewal

An early summer evening in South Tyrol: Alessandro Brignach strolls through the old town of Bolzano. He stops in front of the "Maximilianisches Amtshaus" in Bindergasse. It is more than 500 years old and has been used again and again – as an outpost of the Innsbruck government, as a customs collection point, in the 16th century state parliaments were held in its imperial hall, and in 1997 the South Tyrol Museum of Nature opened here. The Amtshaus is Alessandro Brignach's childhood home: "I spent my childhood here, I rode my bike in the backyard, played in the sandpit and with cars." 

As a teenager, he learned to play drums and played gigs with his band all over northern Italy. After secondary vocational school, Brignach completed an electronics degree. He found his first jobs in the frozen food industry: first he planned truck transports, then he sold the icy goods. He remained loyal to sales throughout his professional life. In the Italian subsidiary of a Baden-Württemberg supplier of vehicle and operating equipment, he specialises in ergonomic workplace systems for people with sedentary jobs. Brignach rises – from salesman to sales manager to managing director. After eleven years, he changed industries and came into contact with the world of windows and doors for the first time. For a trading company, again from Baden-Württemberg, he takes over the Italian sales management for wooden windows, wooden doors, tools and accessories. His tasks also include closing unprofitable branches in Italy. "I stayed there for six years, but then I wanted to work for a manufacturing company again. A friend told me that GEALAN was looking for a sales manager for Italy. After a telephone meeting, I met with the management at Milan-Malpensa Airport, then I visited the GEALAN headquarters in Oberkotzau and I started in May 2013."  

Brignach is gradually getting to know GEALAN – the products, the processes. "GEALAN is complex. It took a while to internalise that." GEALAN, on the other hand, had not yet internalised the peculiarities of the Italian market at the time, limiting itself to the bare essentials, offering standard profiles in white, which are in demand in other European countries, but have no chance on the Apennines. A complete realignment is unavoidable: "In order for GEALAN to really gain a foothold in Italy, I have created new structures. Today we have ten employees and only two of them were with us in 2013. Each customer has a contact person in the Bolzano office, a contact person in the field and one for technical questions. "In ten years, GEALAN has tripled its market share in Italy from three to nine percent. That makes me proud. We have become a permanent fixture and have now overtaken some good competitors." In Italy there are about 800 companies that produce PVC windows. Especially in the south, craftsmen manufacture windows in small workshops that GEALAN does not supply directly, but through dealers. In the different climate zones of the country – Mediterranean, continental, alpine – the requirements for a window are different, whereby it should always form a barrier between cold and warm air. In the Sicilian summer, it helps to keep rooms cool. In South Tyrol's winter, it supports a cosy, warm indoor climate. The proportion of second or holiday homes is high; they are often used exclusively in summer or winter. "Our market is complicated," says Brignach. "The cultural differences between the north and the south are great – and taste determines the product. There are colors or profile systems that are only purchased in certain regions."  

Renovation frames made of Z-shaped profiles are the common basis of Italian windows, even in new buildings. They are mounted on a wooden blind cane and cover the connection to the building façade. "After installation, there is no need to touch up the masonry, not even painting work is necessary. The Z-frame is a typical Italian product, even an exclusively Italian product, of which we have two or three variants for each system in our range. Without profiles for renovation frames, we would be uninteresting as a supplier for Italians."  

When it comes to the renewal of windows, Italian authorities take a close look. This is because new windows, as a rule, must have the color and aesthetics of their predecessors, which were often wooden windows. However, this requirement only applies to the outside of the window – in the sense of a homogeneous overall façade appearance. Old wooden windows must be replaced by windows that at least look like wood. "Wood look is widespread. Half of the profiles we sell have wood décor. GEALAN has developed some colours for wooden decorative films especially at the request of Italian customers. Italians are always looking for something special and they love design. Design takes precedence over U_w value. And after the design, safety counts."  

Triggered by government subsidy programs for the energy-efficient renovation of buildings, Italy has experienced a renovation boom in the past three years. "That was doping for the market," says Alessandro Brignach. "Sales in window construction have exploded. However, the programmes are now coming to an end and the market is consolidating." At 35 million euros, GEALAN recorded sales in Italy in 2023 and the highest growth in all European markets. The positive trend will intensify in the first quarter of 2024, when GEALAN will also feel the effects of market consolidation.  

The government subsidy policy has a positive side effect for GEALAN: "There were profile providers who were unable to deliver due to the high demand. We stepped in and were able to win some new customers." Brignach compares customer acquisition to "salto in alto" (German: high jump). If a window manufacturer has been using a proven profile system for a long time, it is difficult to convince it to change. "You can jump, but the bar is too high. We rely on consistency. With perseverance and perseverance and with convincing arguments, we win the trust of our customers. For further growth, we need more customers. At the same time, we must not neglect our existing customers."  

Alessandro Brignach is a sales person who has created the basis for sales success with renewed structures. "You can't sell anything without a stable organization. You can't build a castle on sand. Good performance, good prices, good service – that's what makes a good organisation for me." In the summer of 2024, the structures will finally be given a new framework and a new name – GEALAN Italia S.r.l. will be founded. Brignach no longer manages a foreign subsidiary, he runs an independent company. "Our customers keep their contact persons, but they have an Italian contractual partner. We have moved into new offices and plan to hire three more people."  

Notary appointments, bureaucracy, the stress test for the new SAP architecture – after the gruelling start-up phase, Brignach wants to have more time for sales, to which he dedicated himself decades ago. He has a clear goal for GEALAN Italia: "90 customers. When I started in 2013, there were 30. Today there are 60." The customer portfolio is very balanced and GEALAN is now strong in retaining its customers.  

New structures, new framework conditions, new goals – Alessandro Brignach has realigned GEALAN in Italy. "Ten years ago, the GEALAN brand had no significance in Italy. Today, GEALAN is present, integrated into associations, networked with the media and has established itself in the top 5 of the best-known PVC profile brands."