PARTNERSHIP Italy - UK

PARTNERSHIP | Winter 2019 18 Focchi Ltd, on top of Manchester Changing urban landscapes M anchester is a city with multiple souls generated from its history, diverse culture and architecture. The refined Victorian buildings that dominate the landscape are a modern testimony of the wealth brought to the area by the Industrial Revolution, which made Manchester an international powerhouse. Later in the 20th century, modern glass structures became part of the city’s urbanistic landscape, marking the skyline. One of the first structures to be constructed was the City Tower, followed by the Beetham Tower - also known as the Hilton Tower, completed in 2006 - that has been a symbol of the city of Manchester for years, being the main feature of the skyline of the city and the tallest building in the UK outside of London. After the 2008 financial crisis, Manchester underwent a relevant transformation, constantly changing its urbanistic asset. Today, there are many construction sites in the city employing a large number of workers. Among the companies, agents and institutions behind the building of the city centre, an important name to mention is the Italian company conducting the curtain walling works (the outer covering of a structure): Focchi Group. FOCCHI GROUP The Focchi Group was founded in 1914 near Rimini, in Northern Italy, by a family in the metalworking business that, a few years later, started what would later become their core production: curtain walling. Since that moment, Focchi has succeeded as one of the most innovative companies in the sector introducing in Europe new methods and materials, such as structural silicone. Over the years, thanks to the company’s high-level of performance and results, new and bigger projects were launched, marking their expansion in foreign countries, among which the UK and the USA. Although being very innovative, the Group remained loyal to their origins in Italy, as construction materials come from the Rimini area. Furthermore, the main office is still in Italy, but the cooperation with their British one proceeds harmoniously. Entering the building market in the United Kingdom was not easy though: newly arrived companies need to gain clients’ trust, and this takes time and effort. Focchi was able to deliver high-quality results in an efficient manner, conquering the UK market. According to Ray Philips, CEO of Focchi Ltd, patience is the core strength of the Focchi company, along with perseverance. These elements made it possible to access the British market, becoming a well-established and active enterprise in the sector over the years. Times have now changed and, even if the United Kingdom represented a land full of opportunities for Focchi, today it would be much more difficult to enter the market, especially in Manchester. Paradoxically, it would be easier to have access in London, where the sector is more dynamic compared to the North West region, where there are already many successful curtain walling companies. The first opportunity for Focchi to enter the British market was in 1992, with the building of the Quay West structure in Manchester. In 1995, following other architectural works, Focchi Ltd officially opened in London in order to establish an office in the