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Simonelli Group has launched a new flagship branch office and experience lab to be even closer to the Australian market. The manufacturer explains how the lab is a space for customers to road-test the latest products and gain more technical support.
Nuova Simonelli and Victoria Arduino, sister companies under the Simonelli Group umbrella, have been active in the Australian coffee scene for more than 30 years.
While Victoria Arduino has gained momentum as one of the leading espresso machine and grinder manufacturers in the speciality market, Nuova Simonelli has long been known to produce traditional Italian workhorse machines.
Yet, despite their authority in the market, it wasn’t until recently that the Italian manufacturer has had a flagship venue in Australia.
On 13 May 2024, when the coffee world gathered in Victoria for the Melbourne International Coffee Expo, Simonelli Group launched its first Italian branch office in Australia.
Between cocktail, canapés, and music, industry movers and shakers were introduced to a little slice of Italian manufacturing heritage in the heart of Melbourne.
“Opening a Simonelli Group flagship branch office in Australia gives us a physical presence here and enables us to better support our Nuova Simonelli and Victoria Arduino brands,” says Andrea Calvio, Simonelli Group Australia Managing Director.
“The flagship provides our customers with the opportunity to draw from our extensive technical expertise, global knowledge, and innovative training platforms across the full suite of the Group’s equipment and technologies.
“It also enables us to better oversee the brands and communicate our products within the market, Australia being one of the most influential coffee markets in the world. The branch will allow us to be more proactive and responsive in order to improve the ongoing natural evolution of our equipment.”
The Australian flagship is one in a large network of international branch offices around the world.
“A branch office is essential in achieving our human-oriented approach to the industry,” says Hannah Fielding, KA Sales and Marketing Manager at Simonelli Group.
“While our brands have been loved by the Australian coffee community for a long time, as a group we have so much more to offer. It is important how our brands show up in market and we want to ensure we add value to our partners – cafés, roasters, chains, and distributors – in a bigger way than ever before while also delivering a better experience. We want them to feel closer to Italy and have a greater understanding of our values, innovation, sustainability, and education. What better way to achieve this than with a dedicated, highly experienced team right here in Australia?
“An Australia branch office not only allows us to respond quickly in a fast paced, ever evolving industry, but also enables our wider business to keep our finger on the pulse from a global scale.”
Due to the rapid evolution of coffee machines and grinders, together with the constantly developing technologies within the industry, Andrea says it can be daunting for some customers to choose the right product or solution for their business needs. He believes that now, more than ever, it is particularly important to have a dedicated team on the ground to ensure customers and partners are well informed and trained accordingly.
“Since I first worked with Nuova Simonelli 20 years ago, the Group’s machines and grinders have evolved drastically. In order to offer the very best brand experience, it’s now essential to be present and directly represent our brands in the Australian market,” he says.
Image: Prime Creative Media
The new Australian venue in Melbourne’s Southbank is multifunctional, with a glass-encased showroom taking up the lion’s share of the floor space to display the latest Nuova Simonelli and Victoria Arduino models.
It’s flanked with a technician’s lab, training facility, board room, and small warehouse for stock.
“We see it more as an experience lab than a showroom. It’s a place where our distributors and customers can come and test our equipment and get to know the products and brands. It’s important for them to be able to feel, touch, and understand the machines,” says Zane Subritzky, Simonelli Group Australia’s Technical and Training Manager.
While the display space is the main event for visitors, the technical lab is where Zane applies his knowledge and expertise. Having a hub where he can listen to feedback from customers and filter it back to headquarters allows the engineers in Italy to tailor equipment and install optional accessories during the manufacturing stage. The latest round of updates on the Victoria Arduino Eagle Tempo, for example, focused on improving the new Easy Cream steam technology to ensure it produces consistently high-quality milk-based drinks in countries like Australia where a high percentage of coffees are paired with milk.
“Having a technical lab in Melbourne allows us to offer superior after-sales support, it’s also where Zane holds training sessions with partners that service our equipment throughout Australia. This is designed to give them a deeper understanding of our products and therefore resolve any issues quicker. It is also where we hold stock of spare parts to cater for any ongoing maintenance or warranty claims,” Andrea says.
Another benefit of the new space is being able to present and launch new products rapidly in Australia.
“Our experience lab is an open space, anyone in the industry can come in and test equipment – whether it be to trial one of our grinders with their coffee, see new models in person, or experience the full capabilities of the Maverick and our PureBrew technology,” says Andrea.
Asia Pacific Sales Director Piergiorgio Cannara believes having an Australian branch will further improve and expand Simonelli Group’s partnerships within the region, enabling the company to build stronger collaborations and an overall better brand experience for all of its customers.
On the back of the successful launch in May, the team are looking forward to hosting more events – both their own and in collaboration with the industry partners – at the central Melbourne experience lab.
For more information, visit simonelligroup.com
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