Brambati on why maintaining close customer relationships and sharing its story on evolution and values are just as important as its commitment to new product development.
When roaster manufacturer Brambati Spa first exhibited at the esteemed Host Milano expedition in the 1980s, just 60 kilometres from its Codevilla factory in Lombardy, Italy, owners Fabrizio and Andrea Brambati’s parents were present. It was a special occasion to see the continuation of the business their grandfather, Francesco Brambati, had founded in 1945, and the beginning of a future linage that would see the Brambati name become synonymous with roasters across the world.
“It is important to pass on the history of the company, the values passed down,” says Brambati President Fabrizio Brambati.
“That’s why this year at Host Milan, a new institutional video was previewed, which, stepping out of the corporate canons, aimed to tell the story and the importance of family values that are handed down from generation to generation, creating an emotional tale that explains the growth of Brambati in its more than 75 years of history, celebrating innovation, integration, and tradition.”
A significant part of Brambati’s innovation was in 2018 when it initiated a project for a testing laboratory, leading to the birth of the Advanced Food Lab (AFL).
“Thanks to this facility, it is possible to carry out product testing while offering a service to users and developers of new technologies. Thus, a rigorous scientific method for testing food processes was born,” Brambati says.
“The Advanced Food Lab is equipped with a pilot plant and certified energy consumption measurement systems that make it possible to objectively evaluate energy consumption and emissions of products, and thus develop and choose the most suitable solutions for each user. It represents a unique facility, among the first in Europe, where research and development is done on food products, in the processes of processing, drying, roasting, grinding etc, with innovation of technological solutions, reduction in energy consumption, and environmental impact.”
With this consideration top of mind for consumers, Brambati says the company remains devoted to finding solutions with research on new plant materials and development of industrial automation, artificial intelligence data analysis, and cybersecurity applied.
He says maintaining close ties with customers from sales to plant testing and continuing a high level of responsiveness and service is also a critical part of the company’s continuous investment in product development.
“Customer feedback is crucial. Listening to the customer and paying attention to the customer’s needs and planning are one of the underlying strategic elements of Brambati’s approaches in product evolution, and continuous improvement of its service level,” he says.
“Brambati believes that maintaining a constant and solid relationship based on transparency, trust and dialogue, with all its stakeholders, both inside and outside the company, is very important.”
He adds that relationships based on continuous dialogue and shared active involvement is the expression of the company’s responsibility towards the community it interacts with, and leads to continuous improvement for the whole supply chain.
“All players are fundamental for the goal of making the agri-food supply chain fully sustainable: people, the environment and the company coexist and collaborate to create higher value for society at large,” he says.
This display of evolution and decision making was evident at Host Milan in October when Brambati released its Specialty Grinder range for capsule and gourmet coffee grinding.
These new grinders can produce the desired granulometry with a small amount of fine particles necessary for capsule coffee production, while also giving delivering bulk density in ground coffee.
One such grinder in the range is the new KL250, which Brambati says is “unique” for its scale, as one of the company’s smallest specialty grinders for small production capacity, yet still retains all the details and features of its classic cylinder grinders.
“Our Specialty Grinders are the ideal solution for small producers and for large producers installing one specialty grinder for each single confectionary line,” Brambati says.
These grinders are set to become popular new additions to the Brambati suite, in addition its range of roasters and grinders. Brambati says their development is timely and continuous to ensure its machines are increasingly performance driven, and can meet the most demanding specifications in terms of efficiency and sustainability.
“Technological innovations and technical improvements have made it possible in the period between 2018 to 2021 to reduce the energy consumption of coffee grinding grinders by 22 per cent,” Brambati says.
He adds that innovations in software and preparation of machines/systems according to 4.0 logic are also an exciting next step. This technological concept monitors all vital parameters and conditions of Brambati’s machinery, connecting with Internet of Things, and can be integrate with Artificial Intelligence systems.
Brambati now has a worldwide presence in sales and installed roasting plants, with about 70 per cent of its sales accounted in foreign markets. In 2014, Brambati opened an Asia Pacific office in Australia, and most recently an office in the United States.
Beyond its international office markets, Brambati says Host Milano remains the most valuable Hospitality Restaurant and Catering exhibition in the world, and this year, provided the chance to connect with its audience on a new level, all under the one roof.
“With each edition [at Host Milano], the investment in terms of exhibition space, machinery and resources has increased to the current square footage of 210 square meters and the presence of the entire Italian and foreign sales team, and the latest in technology and research and development,” he says.
“Being able to present in detail the technology, performances and capabilities of our machinery creates a different relationship because the confrontation becomes direct. Knowing in person who you will be dealing with is an added value.”
The biggest take-out for the family-owned company in exhibiting in the 43rd edition of this year’s show, was having new customers and existing ones feel part of Brambati’s extended family.
“To better represent what the customer means to Brambati spa, we quote Mahatma Gandi: ‘The customer is the most important visitor who can enter our premises. He does not depend on us; we depend on him. He does not interrupt our work because he is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider because he is part of our business,” he says.
For more information, visit www.brambati.it/?locale=en
This article was first published in the November/December 2023 edition of Global Coffee Report. Read more HERE.