Nord Legnami: targeted investments and human capital to drive continued growth
- Technologies for houses and construction elements
How can companies compete successfully in the face of the many challenges affecting the wood industry? Nord Legnami Group has developed a clear growth strategy based on high production flexibility, continuous innovation and technological leadership. CEO Davide Benedetto explains: “Wood is a key raw material thanks to its strong green potential, especially when combined with advanced technologies.”
After the exceptional years immediately following Covid—strongly influenced by incentives and bonuses both in Italy and abroad—the last two years have been more challenging for the wood sector. A general slowdown in demand and market uncertainty have been compounded by major issues such as the shortage of skilled labour and rising energy and raw material costs. These factors are pushing companies to rethink their strategies and define new development paths.
Is there a single recipe for success?
According to Davide Benedetto, CEO of Nord Legnami Group and President of Associazione Legno, regardless of market trends, it is companies’ vision and strategic choices that make the difference. The real key to success lies in targeted investments in both human capital and innovation.
The company, led together with his cousin Flavio Benedetto, clearly embodies this approach. Nord Legnami Group has chosen to cover the entire value chain, operating in green building, advanced joinery and interior design, offering a wide range of customised products and services for highly diverse customers. Just a few steps inside the production departments of the new headquarters in Settimo Torinese are enough to experience the company’s strong drive for innovation. It is evident in the size of the plants, in the choices made over the years, and in the way machines communicate with each other. It is also reflected in record-breaking technological solutions, such as a “flexstore hp” automatic storage system extending over 60 metres—the longest system installed by SCM in Italy—and a “mini plus” automatic spray machine, the first Superfici finishing solution also suited to specific applications in timber construction. Details that immediately stand out, but above all clear signs of a company willing to go one step further.
Growth has also required a change of scale in terms of space. The new facility was developed precisely to meet this need: 10,000 square metres of covered area, including 5,000 square metres dedicated to production, divided between the two main sectors—construction on one side and joinery/interior on the other. The expansion was designed to give more room to production processes, technical and sales offices, and a future showroom. At the same time, the team has grown significantly: over the past ten years, the workforce has increased from 15 to 60 employees within Nord Legnami alone, as part of a group that now counts around one hundred people.
“We have a young and highly skilled team—this is our real strength,” Benedetto emphasises.
In this journey, SCM has become a strategic partner.
“It was essential for us to rely on a single partner capable of supporting different business areas,” says Benedetto. Beyond the technological level of the machines, Nord Legnami has also benefited from SCM’s after-sales and digital services, which are crucial for optimising maintenance, monitoring machine performance in real time and minimising downtime—ensuring consistent operational continuity.
All machines are networked and interact with two technical offices—one dedicated to construction and the other to the remaining sectors.
“Thanks to dedicated software, our technical departments design and define all machining operations, and the data is then transferred directly to the machines,” explains Flavio Benedetto, Co-CEO. It is not uncommon for certain processes to move between departments, a level of flexibility that represents one of the group’s key strengths. “Our customers range from construction companies to joineries, from hotels to exhibition stand contractors, so we must be equipped to engineer any process.”
In the timber construction sector, the production core is the “oikos x” CNC machining centre, the first SCM investment made by the group.
“We initially purchased it with a smaller loading area, then added modules so that today we can process beams up to 16 metres long,” explains Flavio Benedetto.
“Here we can carry out every element a construction company may require, including X-Lam/CLT panels. It is an extremely versatile machine that has allowed us to enter this fast-growing market, achieving productivity levels of 16–20 cubic metres per shift with virtually zero downtime.”
Production efficiency also plays a key role in the joinery and interior division. Today, thanks to a “gabbiani s” single-blade automatic panel saw, integrated with a 3-axis “flexstore hp” automatic storage system, the company has doubled its productivity, reaching approximately 500 panels per shift. The process is continuous: as one panel is being completed, the next is automatically loaded from the storage system.
Thanks to its record dimensions and optimised handling of both homogeneous and mixed stacks, the flexstore hp is also used as a logistics hub for materials not processed by the saw, with evening programming ensuring readiness for next-morning delivery.
Among the most recent investment there is also a “morbidelli p200” 5-axis CNC machining centre, capable of handling all drilling, routing and edge banding requirements for just-in-time production of ready-to-assemble panels up to 80 mm thick.
“We need to be fully versatile to offer such a wide and diversified range of products, which is why we chose this solution—and we are still discovering its many features with great enthusiasm,” adds the Co-CEO.
As mentioned, Nord Legnami also aims to be a pioneer by applying high-quality finishing processes to timber construction. This is the rationale behind the most recent investment: a Superfici “mini plus” automatic spray machine. With the continuous support of SCM and Superfici teams, the company is leveraging the machine’s flexibility to apply coatings to construction elements such as cladding boards and small beams.
“This spray machine already delivers excellent results in our joinery and interior projects,” adds Flavio Benedetto. “We believe it can help us offer higher added-value products also in construction, where we don’t just want to supply the ‘structure’ but also superior finishing standards.”
Solid wood processing remains equally important, with the company successfully using a “superset nt” automatic throughfeed moulder alongside several other SCM joinery machines.
“We consider SCM to be Italy’s leading manufacturer of woodworking machinery,” comments Davide Benedetto. “We have found a higher level of technology in their solutions and a strong willingness to listen and engage. Moreover, given our multiple business areas, it was essential for us to have a single partner to support our growth path.”
The future for Nord Legnami Group is clear: technology, integration and sustainable development.
“With SCM, we have planned our growth strategy. In an evolving market, wood—when industrialised with expertise and vision—is set to remain a key player.”
Standing, from left: Fabio De Lucchi, Production Manager – Giuliano Gariglio, Head of Construction and Large Structures – Luca Peretti, Sales Manager –
Giuseppe Minischetti, Head of Joinery Division.
Seated, from left: Davide Benedetto, CEO – Flavio Benedetto, CO-CEO.
