PRESS RELEASE

From Capriano del Colle to the USA: the ongoing internationalization of IMG

The next step on the path of expansion that began in Germany and that is now under consolidation is the United States. The presence in Great Britain, Ireland and Eastern Europe is already well established and positive. The company is preparing to welcome customers for the R-evolution Days with Federico Rampini, Lorenzo Montagna and Marco Pugliese

Capriano del Colle (BS), 19 September 2024 – IMG continues its internationalisation process.  The company – a leading manufacturer of injection and compression moulding machines for rubber, silicone and thermosets – has just concluded its participation in the International Elastomer Conference in the United States (Pittsburgh, 10-12 September 2024), a major event in the rubber industry. This is a first scouting step for IMG towards the USA. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is close to the territory considered the ‘Rubber Valley’ of the Mid-West in the USA, just as the Italian Sebino district – which includes the areas of Brescia and Bergamo.

For IMG, the United States represents a further step in the expansion process that began a few years ago. In July, the company from Brescia exhibited at the German DKT trade fair (Nuremberg, 1-4 July 2024) with a 120 m² stand featuring two injection moulding machines: the REM horizontal machine and the new vertical version of the VCV series. The REM, the world’s first full-electric model for rubber injection moulding, which is already one of the winners of the Lombardy Region’s ‘Tech Fast’ tender, is a key player in IMG’s launch on the European market. Presented in 2022 at the K trade fair in Düsseldorf, it has immediately attracted attention for its advanced electronics elements that allow a lower energy impact.

Furthermore, on German soil, the company has already confirmed its participation as an exhibitor at the K 2025 trade fair in Düsseldorf. “Germany is the first foreign country in which IMG has entered and in which the intention is to establish itself with increasing authority,” continues the Director of the board, Barbara Ulcelli. “It is a country that boasts a long-standing manufacturing tradition with great potential and our second market, after Italy”.

The Italian market for IMG represents 80%, the foreign market 20%, and the goal is to grow the latter to 30% within two years. The tendency to open up to foreign markets is taking place gradually. In addition to collaborations in Germany, there are business partnerships with representatives in other European and non-European countries.

The first in order of landing is Great Britain and Ireland, which are particularly interesting because the rubber industry in the UK is characterised by specialised companies producing small volumes and batches of many different types, from O-ring seals to oil seals to shoe soles. Rubber parts are produced for demanding sectors with very high-quality standards, such as the automotive, oil, gas and aerospace industries. The main demand is from the automotive sector, consisting of well-known manufacturers, including Formula 1 racing teams, and engine manufacturers. The production value of rubber products in the UK is estimated at over €4 billion and the industry employs over 20,000 people.

IMG is also active in Eastern Europe, in particular in Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Slovenia; on the other hand, it is represented on the Iberian Peninsula in Portugal and Spain with good potential: according to the Consorcio Nacional de Industriales del Caucho, the Iberian elastomer transformation sector consists of around 300 companies with 22,000 employees in the tyre and technical articles segment. 

And lastly, IMG is also present in South Korea and in China, in the Zhenhai district in the east of the country, where it has a warehouse for storing spare parts for customers in the East, which is functional for being closer and faster in sending spare parts. “These partnerships allow us greater proximity and are a guarantee of constant support for foreign customers. They allow us to understand and intercept their needs in order to better meet the demands of very different markets, which have equally peculiar characteristics,” Barbara Ulcelli further emphasises. 

A priority for IMG is the focus on customers, who will be invited on 3 and 4 October for the first edition of the R-EVOLUTION DAYS, a two-day event dedicated to the most up-to-date and technological issues, to encourage reflection on a world that is rapidly changing. Among the speakers will be Lorenzo Montagna, with a focus on virtual and augmented reality and the metaverse to be experienced through special visors available for participants; Federico Rampini, with a speech on the current geopolitical situation; and Marco Pugliese, who will discuss green and ESG issues.

About IMG

IMG is the Italian leader in the sector of elastomer injection moulding machines. Founded in 2006, it is based in Capriano del Colle, in the province of Brescia, the cradle of the national manufacturing industry. Its main market is the Sebino district, known as the Rubber Valley worldwide. The 9000 square metre plant employs 60 people, a young and dynamic team oriented towards research, innovation and sustainability as growth drivers. Production involves presses with reciprocating screw or screw + piston systems, multi-injection systems for thermosets and loading and injection systems for BMC, liquid and/or paste silicone. IMG’s experience also allows the production of customised machines based on customer specifications. To complement this, the company offers consultancy and maintenance services by highly qualified personnel, including remote assistance, and punctual spare parts management.

For information:

IMG Press Office

Michela Bono – mob: +39 338 2627383

michelabono.ufficio@gmail.com