An entrepreneur who not only runs the company, but is also its custodian of its tradition of success and an unwavering commitment to innovation.

What are the main challenges and opportunities the paint industry is facing right now, and how is your company addressing these challenges to remain competitive and innovative in the market?

“All companies, not just paint companies, need to question what they need to do to be there in the future! This in my opinion is the biggest challenge! To ask oneself what is the meaning: to “be,” even before the “do,” to widen one’s gaze, to be aware of one’s own fragility, to collaborate within the company, as well as within one’s stakeholders, including the social context. Involve your employees, give them responsibility, trust, personal and common goals, according to a clear vision, resting on shared values! Then measure the progress of an annual plan, included in a multi-year strategic plan to go home in the evening, after a day’s work, having the serenity of having done everything possible to achieve a result that can be, not only explained, but generative, that allows the company to last over time.”

Does the Company you lead integrate environmental sustainability into its operations and business strategies, and how does this commitment contribute to both environmental protection and the long-term success of the company?

“Sustainability is closely related to durability. The literal translation of the English word “sustainability” is “ability to maintain” whatever needs to be done, to last over time. In the corporate context, governance is paramount. This includes establishing clear responsibilities, identifying strategic goals, ensuring the safety of products and work procedures, and respecting people, rules, communities and the environment in which the company operates. If you do not act with these organizational and strategic values and principles, you cannot have a future. So it is a necessary choice, not so much because the rule or regulations dictate it, but because it is the very culture of the Entrepreneur, who has the responsibility to continue to develop and grow the business, which often, as in my case, is not first generation. Lechler was founded in 1858, I represent the sixth generation: the first two attributed to the Lechler family (founders), then to my great-grandfather, who bought the company from the Germans.”

Could you share a particularly rewarding or successful moment that your company has experienced recently?
What was the key to this success and how did it help shape the company’s culture or long-term vision?

“A particularly rewarding moment was the opening in June of the new Bistrot within a project, which I call “Lechler Village.” Currently, we are restructuring the company area with a two-pronged approach. A significant part of the plant is clearly intended for the production of our products, which in our case include paints and enamels. We have devoted considerable effort to renewing certifications and improving safety measures, ensuring full compliance with the strict regulations applicable to companies operating in the chemical sector. On the other hand, we are building a new facility to improve even more the way we work, not only among ourselves, but also and especially with the community of our customers, suppliers, schools, users, etc. In essence, an “open,” stimulating, idea-generating and constructive relations place, which I call the “Chemistry of Relations”! The production part, which for safety and environmental reasons must be considered all in all “closed,” I call the “Chemistry of Matter.” The physical, material product must contain intangible values, such as knowledge, perseverance, and never giving up: for this reason, the Lechler Village project also includes the construction of new research and development laboratories, by 2025.”