With its gas burners for professional use and tailored for customers, ARC combines aesthetics and functionality. Spotlights cast on market strategies and product novelties.
by Massimiliano Luce
ARC designs and produces professional burners subjected to severe quality controls. From big restaurants’ kitchens to domestic ones, customizing the existing products or developing specific projects, in the relationship with all customers the company of Sabaf Group stands out for the extreme care of any detail, materials included.
A propensity that, exploiting values such as competences and reliability, proves decisive to face the crisis caused by pandemic, which has affected the market of professional burners to a certain extent, too. «The sector of catering and of hôtellerie is, obviously, very influenced by the restrictions to people’s social life and to touristic flows», explains, in fact, Loris Gasparini, general manager of ARC. «Therefore, it is clear that the sector was hardly struck by pandemic effects. Fortunately, after the end of restrictions, the market showed signs of good recovery, to be interpreted as a sign of vitality and soundness».
They are positive indications that allow ARC to proceed on the market, following consolidated ways. «Our strategy remains unchanged compared to the past: it has always been, and still is, able to assure the highest support and flexibility to our customers», Gasparini assures. «We try facing all of their requests, even if delivery terms are very short».
The search for beauty
Concerning customers, their expectations are always high. «Our customers look for a partnership relationship instead of a supply relation», Gasparini confirms. Demands are articulated and numerous, representing a strong boost for ARC to do better and better. «Technical support, prompt reaction to their requests, availability of goods in stock, efficiency in suiting changeable market situations, maintenance of high qualitative standards. We are very satisfied with this approach: a partner is much more than a supplier and we daily work to be the best possible partner for each of our customers».
To satisfy customers’ expectations, ARC is particularly facing the quality aspects connected with the design and choice of materials. In this ambit, interesting trends are emerging and they simultaneously award aesthetics and functionality. «We notice, in most advanced customers, a search for valuable finishing, in addition to the functional characteristics of the product», Gasparini tells. «In professional cooking as well, “beauty” is increasingly sought for. I am speaking of new finishing treatments, which maintain a valuable look of our components even in case of “heavy-duty” use and, at the same time, they can grant user-friendly cleaning, to facilitate the hygiene in the kitchen environment».
Tailored products
In terms of products, ARC has some important novelties to be presented to the public, conceived to give a convincing high-profile response to very diffused concrete requirements. «We focus on some important novelties», Gasparini highlights. «On one hand, all of our new “stacked flames” products, that is to say with superimposed flame: efficient cooking even in case of use of small-diameter pots; on the other hand, the new surface finishes of our burners, which facilitate the daily cleaning and keep the aesthetical features unchanged, even under intense use».
Moreover, it is confirmed the centrality of the customization issue, become a real “must” acknowledged and extremely appreciated on the market. «The customization of burners is a plus that in recent years has assured us a cut above: the range largeness and the possibility of customizing the aesthetics of burners make us the ideal partner, for both the big and the small manufacturer, which needs care on niche requirements», Gasparini underlines. A mission pursued through consolidated know-how along the years and constantly enhanced. «To do this, we need sound knowledge of manufacturing processes and a technical output that just a company with solid know-how and outstanding Technical Office like ours can grant».
Double transformation
ARC is also dealing with two themes of hot topicality, considered decisive by the legislator to fuel the economic recovery: digital transformation and ecologic transition. Concerning the first, referring to manufacturing techniques, ARC confirms they have adopted the paradigm of Industry 4.0 according to a Group logic.
«In the first half of 2020, we faced a challenging project of introducing ERP SAP that, besides implementing a strong integration with Sabaf parent company, has allowed us to improve the digitalization level of our logistic/production processes», Gasparini illustrates. A digital transformation initiative that, soon, will be concerned by further developments. «In the next future, we think of connecting directly some production machines with our managerial systems, not only to benefit from “Industry 4.0” incentives, but to collect and to analyse reliable process data on machine board, in view of constant amelioration».
In the environment protection ambit, the commitment is as neat. «The appurtenance to Sabaf Group has led us to conform, even more than before, to the principles of environment protection and small ecologic footprint of our factories», Gasparini highlights. «Likewise, also the social impact of our Group’s companies is assessed proactively: we monitor the impact that each of them exerts on the civil society, in terms of training delivered to employees, consumption of energy, water and production of wastes. These policies have introduced Sabaf SpA among the “Leaders of Sustainability 2021”, according to the investigation by “Statista” and “Il Sole 24 Ore”».
Next steps
Concerning future strategies, the investment areas for ARC will be different, showing a commitment to innovation that addresses more directions. «In recent years, the extreme flexibility demanded by the market is leading us to a strong growth of investments in process automation and control: the 24/7 production has already been a reality in ARC for several years», Gasparini points out. «However, R&D, due also to the strong integration with our Parent Company, has always been our feather in the cap».
The technological progress, to be lived in its full possibilities, cannot anyway neglect the human element, in its turn decisive for the corporate growth, as Gasparini in person confirms. «The need of more automation does not go to the detriment of a higher and higher attention to human resources, where we always invest carefully, being the primary resource of each company», ends, in fact, the general manager of ARC.
