Unitec Group
Unitec Group

Unitec Group

Conditioning

UNITEC recovers from flood in record time

Despite severe flood damage to its facilities, UNITEC has swiftly resumed production, but its president, Angelo Benedetti, stresses the urgent need for structural interventions to prevent future disasters

1_OGGI.jpg
24 September, 2024
Conditioning

Just days after the disaster that hit the company in Lugo among many others, UNITEC is already working at full speed.

Angelo Benedetti, president of UNITEC, says:

“We’re not giving up, but immediate structural interventions are crucial.”

Benedetti explained, balancing both frustration and pride:

“In just minutes, a sea of mud engulfed all our facilities, in some cases rising over a meter. While the initial shock was overwhelming—especially since we’d faced similar issues in the last emergency— a pragmatic spirit quickly took hold. Hundreds of our team members rose to the challenge, driven by their strong connection to the company and a deep commitment to the Welfare of the community, of which our Customers are also part.

This shared determination meant that even over the weekend, they worked from early morning until late at night to clean the entire production area, ensuring we could keep our promises to our Customers and maintain uninterrupted production and customer service”.

UNITEC’s headquarters are in Lugo, one of the epicenters of the recent floods in Romagna, where the Senio River breached its banks just above in nearby Cotignola. As a result, a torrent of mud and debris swept through the company’s entire area, which also houses a Mechatronics degree program from the University of Bologna.

Benedetti added:

“Everything was flooded—courtyards, production installations, the company canteen, CNC cutting machine areas, the guesthouse, even university classrooms. It took us three intense days, with the help of specialized companies, to get production running again. We had to relocate servers, equipment, and services, as some areas where the water exceeded a meter are still unusable. There’s still work to be done, but we’re already able to proceed with our current production plans”.

“It’s a remarkable achievement, given the circumstances, but we can’t continue like this—at the mercy of unpredictable rains and rivers that might breach at any moment. We urgently need structural solutions, like flood control basins, to manage excess water beyond the capacity of the rivers. This time, we at UNITEC managed to avoid the worst, but what about next time? This situation is unsustainable”.

Benedetti concluded:

“We were able to resume operations in record time, but only because of the incredible dedication, availability, and loyalty of our team. From the heart of UNITEC, I want to extend a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to all our employees. They are the force that allows us to overcome such difficult times, but, once again, this is not a situation we can keep enduring.”

1_PRIMA.jpg
1A_PRIMA.jpg
2_UNITEC centro R_D.jpg
2_UNITEC PRIMA.jpg
Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia Financiado por la Unión Europea