Gidd’s strategic evolution looks at SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises)
Its first office was right in the heart of Milan, just behind the Duomo; today its headquarters are in a strategic point for transport and its warehouses, forty thousand square meters, fully computerized and entirely managed via radio frequencies, are a state-of-the-art Italian logistics plant.
We are welcomed by Walter Gautier, Gidd’s sole administrator at Agrate Brianza’s headquarters; his son Umberto Gautier is with him, for several years he has been the Managing Director of the company.
Founded in 1934 for the collection and distribution of goods (“Gautier Corriere Espresso,” Walter explains, “my father distributed, in addition to haute couture fabrics and clothing, jewellery from Florentine goldsmiths to jewellers throughout Italy “), Gidd has continued to evolve; since 1980s, it has specialized in domestic logistics and distribution in various sectors.
Walter Gautier is an old-fashioned entrepreneur, but with a very open vision of innovation and new technologies.
Thanks to its policy of steady investments, Gidd is now equipped with more advanced processes, “always controllable and which can be monitored by our customers, “explains Umberto, and our company is equipped with all the tools for all-round logistics including processing of the final product, assembling, labelling, quality control, and an automatic packaging line.
For the organization and quality of its services, “determined by the adoption of various arrangements in the processing procedures,” explains Umberto Gautier, Gidd deals with medium-high level products, without inventory differences “thanks to a careful selection of the employees” . Preferential partner of foreign companies opening up to the Italian market, Gidd has a very stable clientele, in many cases clients have been loyal to the company for over thirty years, and have been followed throughout all their evolution: watchmakers, fashion, precision instruments, hi-fi, home appliances and many more .
Since 1985 it has partnered with the Italian branch of Mitsubishi Electric Europe BV: initially for the Japanese multinational following the audio, video and telephony logistics, nowadays it follows the whole logistics and distribution of air conditioners, photovoltaic panels and other items such as printers and video projectors.
Keeping an interesting profitability, Gidd -thirty-five direct employees and about forty external employees – in the last three years has grown by about fifteen percent and, for 2010, it is forecasting a revenue around thirteen million euros. For the reliability gained and the results achieved on the market, in recent years Gidd has had numerous offers of purchase from large companies, investment funds and even foreign public facilities “these have never been accepted, in order to keep the company in full control, “explains Walter Gautier ‘always free to take our own decisions.’
Umberto Gautier fully shares the paternal policy and looks positively at the future: they have never lost a client for inability or dissatisfaction and their goal is to continue to grow, “with new medium-sized companies, to use all the potential of the facility without making any big structural changes “.