Premier takes care about the human development of the company: behind every success there is always a close-knit team that works with passion to achieve a common goal.
For this reason, we have decided to talk to the protagonists of Premier, the people who, every day, contribute, with their knowledge and their personalities, to the growth of the company. Today's protagonist is Stefano Cattani.
Tell us about yourself. What is your role in the Premier and what are your main responsibilities?
Develop new products, maintain and refine existing products from both the formula and industrial point of view, aiming for quality and customer satisfaction. In recent years, ceramic materials have undergone a deep transformation linked to the need of creating large-format tiles and slabs, consequently, the doughs and mixtures have been modified making the finished product more compact and less porous. Therefore, it has become necessary to create more performing and durable tools, while keeping costs under control. So, the daily need for a continuous research of new solutions and new raw materials is evident. The substitution of a single raw material within a single formula means to probe the market to find the raw materials which could give an advantage, being able to obtain them, that, sometimes, is very difficult and then starting the tests in laboratory with several dozen if not hundreds of tests for each single formula. This is my job, which is based on great willpower, experience and technical preparation.
How was your passion born? What's your school background?
Since I was young, I've always had a passion for cars, boats and high-performance skis for which construction, are essentials composite materials, adhesives, paints etc..
I have a University degree in industrial chemistry with specialization in analytical chemistry at the University of Turin and ARPA Piedmont with the registration in the professional register. I followed several courses on ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 Reach about quality and safety at work. I started working in laboratories for analysis and environmental consultancy and waste disposal and then moved to the chemical processing industry dealing with adhesives, sealants, industrial abrasives, composite materials, paints, mastics, hot melts, industrial floors, inks, sintering processes, molding and extrusion working for both multinationals and small and medium-sized companies, crossing and establishing relationships at any level.
Why did you choose to work in the Premier? Which aspects of the Premier mission and vision are closest to your way of perceiving work and professional growth?
Premier gave me the opportunity to carry out the most interesting aspect of this job, namely RD, to create new products and find new solutions. Premier knows how important it is to have a vision of the future trying to meet and anticipate the demands of the markets. Within every industrial process there is a way to do things better while containing costs. The spirit of Premier is precisely this one; not to forget the past and the technologies that work but at the same time not to be satisfied with the phrase "it has always been done this way". Premier has the courage to try to change and take new paths, aware of how difficult they can be.
Are there any particular anecdotes from your career that have left their mark and that you would like to tell us?
During my career I lived several curious and funny episodes, I would like to mention three: the first happened over 25 years ago to my first tutor, a highly skilled ed person who had developed a new product by doing 468 tests!! When he arrived at the customer's central laboratories with the specimens to be tested, he was informed that an unplanned test would be carried out at extreme temperatures. While waiting for the preparation and in the absence of the customer's technician, my colleague carried out this test with a disastrous result, whereupon he took all his specimens and flew away without showing anything to the customer. The unexpected is always present in our work. Years later, however, it happened to me to be at the same client company, which praised the validity of its technologies and efficiency of laboratory instruments, quality systems etc etc.... when it was time to test the specimens there was no working instrument .... fortunately, after a few hours the laboratory was restored, and the tests were fully successful. Finally, I can mention another episode that happened to another colleague who was asked for a warm-cappuccino colored paint, suddenly he replied, with a comfortable Piedmontese phlegm, that he needed the exact temperature of the cappuccino to reproduce the color and that "warm-cappuccino" wasn't an accurate indication!!
Stop talking about work ... Do you have any hobbies and special interests? What do you like to do when you are not in the Premier?
I like both the mountains and the seaside, but, as my wife loves swimming, we go there any possible time!! In the summer we go on long boat trips with friends, they represent moments of conviviality and contact with nature that allow us to recharge. During the winter we usually go to the mountains, in the past I skied a lot, today we dedicate ourselves to excursions.
