SACMI chooses Iowa for U.S. headquarters

The SACMI Group, an Italian industrial group established in 1919, is growing its United States operation from an Urbandale location.

According to Luca Berrone, SACMI USA general manager, the $1.5 billion international conglomerate manufactures custom-designed equipment for customers in the ceramic, plastics, packaging and food processing industries.

SACMI USA was established in 1994, as a subsidiary of the SACMI Group, to provide support and service to North American customers. The location began as a 1,500 square-foot office that housed only Berrone.

As business in North America expanded, the group realized that a strong U.S. headquarters would be vital to ensuring efficient service and support. Several expansions later, the company now employs 35 Iowans at its 85,000 square-foot USA headquarters in Urbandale, Iowa.

It includes more than 50,000 square feet of manufacturing space and stocks more than $5 million in spare parts.

"Our Urbandale location is home to after-sales service operations; spare parts for ceramics, plastics, food processing and beverage packaging machinery; a full-fledged machine shop ready for molds and dies; back-office support for all administrative logistics for SACMI's regional offices; and corporate leadership," says Berrone.

With six locations in North America, SACMI could have put its USA headquarters anywhere.

"In choosing a site for our headquarters, we looked at accessibility and work force quality," says Berrone. "A strategic location was important for the company to directly serve the needs of the ceramic and packaging industries across North America. Our Urbandale location is, literally, at the crossroads of America. We are only a few blocks away from Interstates 35 and 80, America's most-traveled thoroughfares. Additionally, we wanted employees with a strong work ethic, ingenuity, loyalty, honesty and an ability to work well with others," he continues. "Central Iowa provides SACMI with an abundance of highly skilled workers."

Originally from Torino, Italy, Berrone attended Des Moines' Hoover High School as a foreign exchange student in the 1970s. He later met his wife as a student at Iowa State University.

"Iowa has been good to me both personally and professionally," he says.