ISOLFIN® is an industrial holding company operating in the petrochemical, energy, and naval sector that provides insulation, asbestos removal, scaffolding, blasting & painting, fireproofing, NDT, mechanical installations and facility management services.
The company was founded in Genoa in 1961 by Sergio Galli, a capable and far-sighted entrepreneur, who has grown the company into a reference point for large groups such as Fincantieri and ENI. Since then, ISOLFIN® has further expanded its areas of expertise by becoming a leader in remediation activities, in industrial metal scaffolding, in thermal, acoustic and fire insulation, in sandblasting, painting, fireproofing and sanitization.
Beginning in the early 2000s, ISOLFIN® expanded its business reach by opening offices in France, Bulgaria and Easter Europe, West Africa, Turkey, Norway, the United Arab Emirates, and Kazakhstan, and its services platform becoming a complete EPC able to build and manage a small-medium energy plant, making it today a leading company in the global energy sector.
Interview with Marco Nori, CEO of ISOLFIN.
Easy Engineering: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?
Marco Nori: ISOLFIN works at two main levels. On one side, the company is a complete EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) provider, the ideal all-in-one solution: ISOLFIN can design, plan and construct any energy plants of small to medium size.
On the other hand, within the scope of larger projects, ISOLFIN can smoothly plug-in its core services into any yard at any time, like we are currently doing in Brăila, where we operate in support of Fincantieri, for the construction of the Brăila bridge over the Danube River, one of the longest suspension bridges in Europe.
E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?
M.N: We see a revamping of small to medium energy plants that can fit the need of local communities without disrupting the social texture of the territory. This is where ISOLFIN aims to make the difference: we accompany the projects of our multi-decades clients to every corner of the world and then we integrate and interact with local communities, we have local partners, recruit local staff. We bring resources and opportunities. We are real glocal.
E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?
M.N: Our main innovation is the company design: we specialize in small-medium energy plants. Whereas our clients and competitors are interested in large scope of works, we are probably the only medium size company in Europe able to offer a complete platform of integrated services. This allows us to be flexible, reactive, and listening to our clients’ needs and strategy. The loyalty that our clients have shown over decades of work together is the best recognition I can think of.
Marco Nori, CEO of ISOLFIN
E.E: What estimations do you have for 2022?
M.N: In 2020 we entered unexplored territory and we are not out, neither we see the light at the end of the tunnel. Many yards had stopped any activity in the past couple of years and the energy business word has suffered like never before. When it seemed the situation was improving, the Ukraine war has brought even more instability. We believe now more than ever that the strategic direction we took a decade ago (internalization, integrated platform, small-medium focus, attention to people, renewable energy) is right – we need to push on the accelerator these days but also be careful never to lose control.
If I have to gamble on 2022, this may be a year when politics is taking back national and European control of the energy market, and everybody needs to understand what is going on very quickly. These days, changes are rapid and we are ready for it.