10 years were enough for Vincenzo Munzio to transform a simple Service for tank trucks into a successful business.
His brilliant idea was turned into O.ME.P.S, an Italian company headquartered in Battipaglia (in the South of Italy) which became an important producer of all types of self supporting and tipping silotrailers and rigid silo tanks and for the transport of powders. Its large range of products is present in most of European countries and since 1999 the number of its clients has reached 2 thousands.
From a small business to a worldwide trademark
O.ME.P.S. was founded by Vincenzo Munzio, its sole managing director, and initially functioned as a small Service for tank trucks. When in 1999 he decided to start the construction of silo-trailers and tanks in light alloy suitable for the road haulage of bulk and powdered products the company underwent a real revolution. From a small local firm O.ME.P.S. became the leading company in this sector of production in Italy and a well-known worldwide trademark. Today the company has its distributors in most European countries and its main clients are Rumania, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
2009 and Australian conquest
In 2009 O.ME.P.S. has entered Australian market thanks to the partnership with Tieman Industries, who actually has the sole distribution rights in Australia and New Zealand. The new partnership has posted a big challenge in the form of specific regional regulations and needs. In consequence special semi-trailers were produced and latterly supplied on the Australian market. With this pass and thanks to ability to satisfy needs of clients operating in different parts of the world the company entered the scene of world’s silo-trailers and tanks producers.
Success made with a mother’s care
Every year the company produces about 350 silo vehicles. The company’s founder, Mr Munzio, describes production of every single vehicle as a process comparable to childbirth. Planning and construction of silo vehicle are controlled and studied with attention to minimal details and according to client’s needs - he says. O.ME.P.S. uses only raw materials of the highest quality and carries out careful controls at the end of respective stages of production. Mr Munzio underlines that in every case the quality of all raw materials is verified by technicians through mechanical and destructive tests. All staff members work in way to ensure reliability and safety of every silo vehicle produced. Thanks to their experience and dedication to the work all the products become unique pieces made with special care, what is a guarantee of clients’ satisfaction. According to the opinion of O.ME.P.S.’ general director this mix of factors is the key to his company’s success: it permits to gain confidence of customers who find themselves in front of the company they can count on and a partner they can trust.
The quality-price relation balance
The strategy of O.ME.P.S. is focused on so-called quality-price balance. Its aim is to achieve the best relation between the two components, quality and price, by supplying the best quality product at the best possible price – Mr Munzio illustrates the concept. The company’s founder also considers active involvement of personnel to be essential to ensure high quality products to the clients. According to this belief the company makes a point of involving personnel in the uninterrupted and structured process of quality improvement, which provides updating courses, informative seminars, and everything what can contribute to improvement and comprehension of quality concept. O.ME.P.S. pays close attention to use production methods always in conformity with the current safety regulations and to offer its clients products only with UNI EN ISO 9001:2008 certification.
Technology - a bridge to the future
O.ME.P.S. is the first Italian company in posses of its own technical department able to apply revolutionary and innovative system of design managed entirely by itself. The department is equipped with the software for 3D model-making and the structural calculation. New programs have reduced significantly the time of planning and design and have permitted to decrease the number of possible design errors. The implementation of new systems was an excellent choice also from an economic point of view. Thanks to new programs it is possible to evaluate almost in real time the volume of the tank and using a sophisticated software for structural calculations permits members of the department staff to simulate the loading conditions on pressure vessels provided by the European directive and vehicles’ behaviour in curve and braking. The result is a safer and more reliable vehicle able to satisfy every particular need of the customer.
Individual approach
Since the beginning of its activity the policy adopted by the company is concentrated on satisfying individual client’s needs. O.ME.P.S. attempts to respond even to the most particular customers expectations. The company’s factory in Battipaglia produces a wide range of vehicles for bulk material transportation in way to satisfy the demand of all the customers even those who work in such a special field as the transport of dangerous materials (ADR)., Moreover the company is specialized in the equipment of the vehicles with air compressed systems for the pneumatic discharge of the product. There is also a series of prototypes designed and constructed as a response to the international market needs. Every silo vehicle is build according to the customer’s previous specifications and in conformity with the norms valid in different countries. This aspect is considered by Vincenzo Munzio a principal reason which has guaranteed the company’s success.
High standard production process
Manufacturing process begins from the customer’s specifications and the creation of the CAD 3D-model of the vehicle. Then the technical department proceeds with the FEM analysis of the model in way to reveal the more stressed zones of the structure beforehand and to strengthen them with the purpose of avoiding eventual deformations of the vessel. Tankers in particular have to be tested under pressure and the company uses a special software programme (the same used to test aircraft cabin pressure) to ensure that its tankers meet the relevant standards. The 3D-model analysis allows O.ME.P.S. to reduce the problems of assembly and elaborate the sheet component in way to proceed with CNC machine cutting. Every part of the sheet and chassis is cut with a plasma system. Well-thought use of the new generation welding rods for gross welding works and skilled welders for finish elements lessens the risk of cracks. Each step of production work ends with a follow-up inspection. The result is an efficient, solid and durable vehicle that boasts extremely low maintenance costs over its lifetime.
Clients’ satisfaction in the first place
One of the most important aspects of the company’s strategy is its policy focused on clients. O.ME.P.S’ founder describes it in this way: to satisfy every minimal need of the buyer, to advise and assist the client with dedication and experience also after come-out of the finished product. To render this continuous assistance to its customers Munzio’s company has opened nine services always ready to assist in case of any problem. The company also took care of customers future expenses and has guaranteed low costs of exploration. Using a special light alloys reduce the tare and increase the payload and design of the self-supporting elements helps to improve aerodynamic performance. The result is significantly reduced fuel consumption. Another vitally important factor in the cost-conscious transport sector is the use of the drilled discharging cone and special aeration canvases which guarantees a better fluidification and reduction of unloading time.
Towards the world of science and innovation
Technological progress is one of the company’s most important fields of interest. Vincenzo Munzio explains that his company is characterised by the great engagement on innovation level, research and know-how in planning to be always ready for competing and meeting new markets requests. In fact, during the last years the company has made important investments in the sector of innovations what has permitted to benefit uninterrupted technological updating. One of the examples of the lately introduced innovations of the company is the employment of last generation sophisticated software for modelling, planning and testing, investments in automation device for computerized management of some production cycles like plasma cutting or numerical control. O.ME.P.S. is engaged in research and development activities. It collaborates closely with various universities and technical research organisations. The aim of this practise is the exploration of new fields of application of its products and creation of new software programs to achieve as a result improved process of computer-aided design.
In search of a new perspective
Nowadays, at the beginning of 2010 O.ME.P.S. has decided to search for fresh perspectives. Mr Munzio explains the choice by the fact that European market is now too saturated. There are already 2 millions of silo trailers on the European roads. – he says. That is the reason why the company’s new strategy predicts a penetration of extra-European markets. O.ME.P.S. is interested in further expansion on the Asian, South American, and African markets with its innovative high technology products. One of the examples of its extra-European promotion was recent participation in International Truck, Trailer and Equipment Show 2010 in Melbourne Australia. From the 18th to the 20th of March 2010 potential customers could visit an official O.ME.P.S.’ stand represented by ‘Tieman Industries’ and see the latest news of its products.
Written by Kinga Nykiel
