We recently had the opportunity to talk with Mr. Luca Comunello, the President of Syncro System Spa, a leading company in the production and installation of van fittings, furnishings, and accessories. In this exclusive interview, Mr. Comunello shares the fascinating history of the company, its commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction, as well as the future goals and plans for Syncro System Spa. Join us as we delve into the inner workings of a company that has dedicated itself to providing customized solutions to meet the unique needs of its customers in the van outfitting industry.
When was SYNCRO SYSTEM SPA founded and by whom?
SYNCRO SYSTEM SPA has its origins in 1960 when Francesco Comunello founded Francom, a small local company dealing with bicycle and motorcycle parts. In response to the changing market, the company shifted to producing toolboxes and cash boxes in the 1970s, and later to safes and small parts cases. In 1982, Francesco Comunello passed away, and his wife Maria Menon and eldest son, Luca Comunello, took over the company’s management. They were later joined by Luca’s brother, Adamo, and his wife, Fabiola Bellagamba. Francom Spa has been dedicated exclusively to the production and installation of van fittings since 1996. The name Syncro System Spa was born in 2020 from the merger of Syncro System Italia srl into Francom Spa.
Can you please introduce the company’s main activity? What are the main services and products offered by the company?
Syncro System Spa produces and installs fittings, furnishings, and accessories for vans, supporting customers from the initial consultation to after-sales service. The company’s catalog includes floor and wall protection for commercial vehicles, metal and plastic drawers, shelves, pull-out containers, vise holders, loading ramps, roof transport systems, and accessories for various needs. Each mobile workshop is custom-designed according to customer requirements: the Syncro Ultra fitting system allows complete flexibility in combining components and can be successfully installed on vans of any make and model.
Can you tell us about the production process and where Syncro System’s production plants are located?
The production process starts in the Cassola (Vi) plant in the design office, where ideas are transformed into virtual and then real prototypes. After passing a series of tests, new products can become part of the Syncro Ultra fitting system, characterized by the combinability of all furniture elements and the flexibility of the solutions offered. The individual components are produced in Cassola, where there is also a large warehouse: shipments to dealerships responsible for fittings in 35 countries worldwide are dispatched from here. In the Italian Syncro System production plant, selected raw materials are used for their physical and mechanical properties: embossed and anodized aluminum, high-strength steel, and birch plywood. Products are made using state-of-the-art machinery that ensures the highest quality workmanship: it is thanks to this virtuous production process that Syncro fittings have a lifespan far exceeding the useful life of the van in which they are installed.
What are the main current and future investment activities of your company?
Syncro System focuses its investments on two fronts: researching increasingly functional solutions that meet the changing needs of customers in the field of van fittings and the ongoing modernization of its production processes and corporate logistics. The declared goal is continuous improvement.
How does your company differentiate itself from competitors in the market?
As certified by a Cerved customer satisfaction survey conducted in late 2022, Syncro System stands out from competitors for the high quality of products and services provided. Interviewed customers also appreciated the flexibility in handling special requests, customization of fittings, and quick quote processing.
What are the company’s main objectives for the future?
The company’s long-term goals include qualitative and quantitative growth of its potential to fully meet customer demands. Syncro System aims to increase service efficiency, offering more comprehensive and satisfactory fitting solutions, while also expanding the range of catalog products to increase the specificity of the solutions offered.
What are the company’s core values? What are the main challenges the company faces, and how is it working to overcome them?
Syncro System has placed customer service at the center of its operations: everyone in the company works to design, create, and provide satisfying and personalized solutions for every need. The most challenging task is to continue improving their ability to achieve this goal and ensure that every single link in the chain, in each of the many authorized workshops around the world, shares the same values to guarantee the same quality level for each outfitting completed.
What are the current projects or new initiatives that the company is currently developing? What have been the main achievements of the company so far?
Now, Syncro System is planning the purchase of some innovative machinery to continue its evolution towards the highest level of technology in the production of components for van outfitting. Simultaneously, the company is continuously researching improvements to be applied to existing catalog products and designing new products. In over 60 years of history, Syncro System has reached many milestones, but the most significant achievement still seems to be the transformation that began in the 1980s. A small company, which dealt with a few products targeting an exclusively Italian market, became a large enterprise operating worldwide, offering a wide range of products (36,000 references!) and a vast array of services.
What are the main areas of research and development in which the company is investing?
Syncro System is currently investing in three directions: the development of in-house compressors, the integration of mobile energy solutions, and the expansion of its plastic container offerings.
How does your company introduce innovation in its industry, and what are the results achieved?
Innovation is the guiding light of Syncro System’s activity. In recent years, two significant technological updates have been introduced in production: laser cutting and numerically controlled bending machines. The Research & Development department conducts studies to find the best materials for creating van furnishings and accessories, focusing on strength, lightness, and durability without neglecting aesthetics. Innovation and process rationalization have also entered the company’s warehouses and permeate every aspect of activity, reducing waste and errors to a minimum, reflecting the Kaizen philosophy of continuous improvement that Syncro System embraced many years ago.
How is the company committed to providing high-quality service to its customers?
The company has set itself the goal of supporting the customer throughout the entire process to meet each requirement personally. Proper management of the production, marketing, and sales chain is based on efficient and effective organization combined with almost thirty years of experience in the sector: since 1996, Syncro System has exclusively dealt with van outfitting. As further proof of its commitment in this regard, Syncro System has obtained the Uni En Iso 9001:2015 certification.
What are the main markets in which the company operates, and are there plans to expand into new markets?
Currently, the company operates throughout Europe, North and South America, Oceania, Asia, and Africa. There are no further plans for expansion into new geographic markets at the moment, but if the opportunity arises, Syncro System will be ready to seize it!
What are the company’s long-term prospects? What are the company’s growth expectations for the next 5-10 years?
Syncro System will continue to improve its products and services and pursue sustained and sustainable growth over time, in line with international events beyond its control.
The interview was given by Company President Mr. Luca Comunello.
