Rematec meets Emanuele Di Cecca, CEO of DIEN Group – Italy, a company specialized in turbochargers, EGR valves, and air conditioning compressors for cars, both new and remanufactured aftermarket Dien.
The company was founded in Basilicata, Matera (Italy), in 2011. Initially, our activity was focused on the sale of turbochargers, EGR valves, and air conditioning compressors for cars. After just one year, we moved on to remanufacturing turbochargers, injectors, and high-pressure pumps for diesel engines. We started with the classic Peugeot, PSA, and Fiat engines, the simplest ones, and then achieved the qualified standards we have today, from electronic control to Siemen’s actuators used in Audi, BMW, and Mercedes groups.
How does your company address the issue of sustainability and the advent of electric motor technology?
We participate in the major industry fairs, and it is precisely on these occasions that we have noticed that more and more end users, especially young people, are looking at sustainability. We acknowledge that the future is electric, and we are organizing ourselves by imagining what the scenario could be like over the next ten years, as market indicate an increasing spread of electric cars. We hope, however, that the 2035 ban on the sale of internal combustion vehicles (ICVs) in Europe can be postponed, because as turbocharger remanufacturers, it is clear that we cannot be happy about it! It is also true that even if ICV sales are halted from 2035, the market will still have ICVs, so work will not be lacking, at least until I retire!
In light of this scenario, how do you combine emission reduction and sustainability?
We have consistently focused on the remanufacturing of parts, always paying great attention to sustainability because, by nature and ethics, environmental respect has always been our top priority. In this regard, I want to highlight one of the most delicate processes of remanufacturing: the sandblasting process, which is the phase that releases the most pollution into the water. We have always paid maximum attention to using the best disposal companies, and within the company, we use the most degradable solvents possible, taking care to protect our planet and the future of our children.
How do you see the landscape of remanufacturing and the aftermarket, both as a company and overall?
I believe that today we have a more informed public. With the advent of Internet, people are updated on any product that interests them; it's enough to take a look online at both reviews and the available products. The price of a remanufactured aftermarket product is much more competitive compared to a new product, so the prejudice between a remanufactured component and a new one has changed. We see this also in the fields of mobile telephony and computers; online, a refurbished product is sold for 100 to 150 euros less. However, it is a good refurbished item, and these days, having 100 euros in your pocket can be quite useful!
You surely know that some Chinese companies are already marketing perfectly original products that are at the same level, if not better, than remanufactured ones at the same price. How do you deal with this type of competition?
This phenomenon has been spreading for some time, and we have noticed it. As a company, we find ourselves facing this scenario. Remanufactured products inevitably have a higher cost due to labour expenses, which are significantly higher in Italy.
How do you manage to cope with this challenge? What strategies do you adopt?
Currently, we have optimized our production chain to the maximum. The remanufacturing process has been streamlined, partly thanks to the use of Artificial Intelligence applied to state-of-the-art software.
Have you been forced to reduce your workforce?
No, we chose to maintain the same workforce and managed to increase the daily production of remanufactured turbos by 26%. In this way, we changed the way we manage the various phases of remanufacturing, which include disassembly, preparation, sandblasting, assembly, and bench testing. We optimized the turbochargers by sorting them by article code, family, and type through the Artificial Intelligence integrated into our DIEN software. We have successfully managed this gap and kept our structure intact.
So, we can say that Artificial Intelligence helps you avoid laying off employees!
Yes, exactly. We have chosen not to let anyone go. It has always been a fundamental principle for us to create jobs rather than eliminate them.
How is your company organized? How many employees are there?
The first company party of DIEN was held at Christmas in 2011, in a small trattoria in Matera, and there were only four of us. We used to have this Christmas party imagining what the scenario could be like after twenty years. The 2023 last company party had 150 people, including various important suppliers and clients from the industry. At DIEN, we are fifty in the company itself, with at least another forty in external support roles such as sales representatives, and finally, foreign distributors.
What are your upcoming projects?
Autopromotec 2025 is definitely one of the trade fairs we will participate in. Additionally, we are considering increasing our presence on social media channels. We are convinced that over time, the first point of contact with potential customers is often through social media, where we can write clear and engaging content, explaining our products to end customers. We've observed that after COVID-19, the use of video conferences has increased significantly; more and more people now prefer video calls rather than traditional in-person meetings.
But you will allow me to say that being able to meet and exchange opinions, as well as conduct business in person, perhaps during a trade fair, has a completely different appeal!
Absolutely true! Five minutes before your arrival, I had the honour of shaking hands with one of our distributors who invoices several hundred thousand euros per year, whom until today I had only known through video calls! I can assure you that the emotion and pleasure of physical contact, and having shared a nice prosecco with him at my booth, are unparalleled!
