OCCHIOBELLO, Italy – Alessandro Garbin, drawing on a family tradition spanning three generations in the world of green coffee, recounts his experience at the helm of IMF, the innovative company in Occhiobello that designs, manufactures, and installs machinery and industrial systems for roasting, with a keen focus on energy needs and environmental aspects, important themes of our times.
Speaking of history and tradition, how did your experience with IMF begin?
Alessandro Garbin, CEO of the company: “Our experience with IMF began in 2010 when we first had the opportunity to see one of these coffee roasting machines in operation. From the outset, we understood the innovative technology behind it and appreciated the final quality of the coffee obtained from the roasting process. We sensed the great potential it would have in the market, and immediately the idea of acquiring this small artisanal company arose.”
Can you tell us about this particular technology, and why we can talk about innovation and sustainability in the coffee world?
“The innovative roasting technology of IMF is equipped with a unique patented convection system that allows the recirculation of clean hot air through a dual-function combustion chamber, capable of generating the energy needed for the roasting process and reducing emissions into the atmosphere, ensuring significant energy savings as well as a substantial reduction in production costs.
Thanks to our knowledge of the raw material and collaboration and dialogue with the two founders, some technical improvements have been made which have yielded great results. With the addition of these optimizations, we have introduced to the market, first in Italy and subsequently worldwide, a truly high-performance roasting machine.”
Can you describe how the past year has been for IMF?
“The past year has represented another important step of growth and evolution for IMF. We have grown in terms of both turnover and expansion of product portfolio, reaching around 16 million. Further growth is expected for the current year as we have promptly responded to all the expectations and challenges posed by the market.
Additionally, new production spaces have been acquired, adapting them for safety and comfort within the company, with significant investments also in human resources, always striving to maintain the well-being of employees; all this allows us to maintain a good level of customer service, the company’s main mission, and to tackle all markets to the best of our abilities.”
In which markets is IMF present?
“After 11 years of our management, IMF has transitioned from a small artisanal company primarily present in Italy to being a medium-sized structurally organized company with significant presence in Australia, USA, Canada, China, Middle East, Italy, all of Europe, UK, Russian Federation, and the Balkans.”
Is there family continuity in the company?
“For now, yes, my nephew Dr. Giorgio Maria Mosca has been working with us for 10 years, excellently managing the commercial side, and for 7 years, his brother, engineer Lorenzo Maria Mosca, has been with us, managing the design aspect and handling orders with a highly skilled team; besides family, in recent years, experienced and professional collaborators have also joined us, such as Mr. Roberto Pedini, with 30 years of experience in the sector, for the commercial coordination, and technicians and engineers with proven capabilities.”
What are IMF’s strengths?
“High-quality roasters, customization of systems, and management of the entire coffee processing process, efficient and present after-sales service, and last but not least, a team of collaborators composed of competent individuals, always available and with a strong sense of belonging to the company.”
What does IMF do for sustainability?
“IMF continues its important internal transformation with the adaptation of workspaces to reduce energy consumption, partially sourcing from renewable sources like the photovoltaic system the company is equipped with.
Currently, IMF machines, having only one burner performing the dual function of producing energy needed for the roasting process and treating emissions, already allow a significant reduction in fuel consumption compared to common traditional roasting processes.
At the same time, we are studying, and will soon be ready to implement, the use of heat generators that can use non-fossil fuels to generate the heat necessary for the roasting process in our machines.”
Lastly, how do you see the coffee market overall in the world and in Italy?
“I see the coffee market always in great movement, albeit faced with thousands and more difficulties due to the general crises we experience daily and gripping the globe; however, IMF, maintaining strong flexibility and responsiveness, remains active and capable of being present in the market.
The prospects for the future remain good as the continuously growing population will always demand more coffee, so we should pay close attention to this issue.
Italy is also very active, but unfortunately, coffee roasters in the Horeca sector and commercial establishments are heavily penalized by the excessively low selling price of espresso, which is no longer remunerative compared not only to the rest of Europe but to the world as a whole.”
