From five people at Otlas to running NEXAM: the story of Carlo Cavallo
NEXAM is the company that designs and builds the automatic storage towers and the loading and unloading systems matched to our laser machines. It is not an outside supplier: Cutlite Penta acquired it in order to have an automation division in-house. It is run by Carlo Cavallo.
His story inside the group starts much earlier, in a company of five people, and passes through the production of laser cutting machines before reaching automation. We asked him to tell it, and the most interesting part is the decision at its centre: why buy an automation company instead of buying automation.
How it started: Otlas, five or six people
«My story begins very early. Right after finishing military service I joined Otlas Srl, at the time a very small company within the El.En. group, with just five or six people. It was a close-knit environment that turned out to be a real professional school: I did a great many different jobs there, technical support, drawing, production, and that is where I learned to tackle problems in a practical spirit, laying the foundations of what I am able to do today.»
At CMRM, and the birth of CMRM Division
«I joined CMRM Costruzioni Meccaniche, a long-standing partner of Cutlite Penta, as a shareholder, to manage the production of laser cutting machines. CMRM Division was born out of the need to separate the production, testing and installation of a special line of laser systems from ordinary steelwork. It was a crucial step: I saw machines being born that would become an integral part of Cutlite Penta's development, and I was able to follow every stage of them closely.»
2022: plant manager at Cutlite Penta
«After years of experience tied to the group, joining Cutlite Penta as plant manager, coordinating in-house and external production together with the new testing department, was the natural continuation of my path. I already knew both the systems and the people well: I was able to broaden my view and contribute to the company's development.»
Why Cutlite Penta acquired NEXAM instead of buying automation
«In recent years market demand had been growing steadily, and for Cutlite Penta it was becoming important to have an in-house division dedicated to automation. That is when Delio Mugnaioni decided to acquire NEXAM, a company already active in the field, and offered me the job of running it. I thought about it a great deal: I did not know that world and I did not want to improvise.»
«Then I realised that if Cutlite Penta really wanted to offer solid automation, it could not rely on outside suppliers alone. It needed an in-house division, tailored to our machines.»
The first months in charge
«A race against time. From the outset we worked on the technological push behind these products. The goal was clear: to make the automation solid and reliable, as Cutlite Penta machines have always been.» The work focused on three fronts at once:
- Hardware
- Software
- Mechanical engineering
Who redesigned the storage towers
«A crucial role was played by Andrea Donati, today responsible for the design and study of the new storage towers. His experience and his vision allowed NEXAM to consolidate a more solid technical base, giving fresh input to the market and to the sales network.» This is the piece that closes the circle: a storage tower designed by people who know the machine it will be matched to behaves differently from one bought off a catalogue. An LME with a storage tower built to an off-standard size is exactly that.
A career of fresh starts
«It has been a career full of challenges and new opportunities, but I have never backed down. Several times I found myself starting from scratch, taking on new divisions until they were self-sufficient and efficient, because I have always believed that every difficulty hides a chance to grow.»
The common thread
«I have lived this company intensely over the years, both from outside and from inside. I have seen it grow and change, and I have always chosen to stay, even in the hardest moments. People and the project have always come first.» Today Carlo is chief executive of NEXAM and an executive at Cutlite Penta, where he oversees in-house production and that of some partner companies.
«Several times I found myself starting from scratch, taking on new divisions until they were self-sufficient and efficient.»
NEXAM's challenges today
«Today our storage towers are solid, reliable and up to date. It is not easy, but the direction is the right one. We are working to keep the division a strategic piece of the group.»
What he sees ahead
«For me, running NEXAM means more than managing a company: it means contributing to the future of Cutlite Penta. It is a constant challenge, but it is also an extraordinary opportunity.»
Frequently asked questions
What is NEXAM?
It is the company that designs and builds the automatic storage towers and the loading and unloading systems matched to Cutlite Penta laser machines. It was already active in automation and was acquired by Cutlite Penta to provide an in-house division. It is run today by Carlo Cavallo.
Why did Cutlite Penta buy an automation company instead of turning to outside suppliers?
Because automation has to be designed around the machine it is matched to. In Carlo Cavallo's words: if you want to offer solid automation you cannot depend on outside suppliers alone, you need an in-house division tailored to your own machines. It is also why a storage tower can be built to an off-standard size.
Who designs Cutlite Penta automatic storage towers?
The design and study of the new storage towers is in the hands of Andrea Donati. The division is led by Carlo Cavallo, its chief executive, who is also an executive at Cutlite Penta.
What path did Carlo Cavallo take inside the group?
He started at Otlas Srl, then a company of five or six people within the El.En. group, working in technical support, drawing and production. He then joined CMRM Costruzioni Meccaniche as a shareholder, where CMRM Division was created to separate the production, testing and installation of laser systems. In 2022 he joined Cutlite Penta as plant manager and later took charge of NEXAM.
Want to automate your loading and unloading?
Tell us your sheet format and how many shifts you run: storage towers and loading systems are engineered here, around the machine that has to use them.
