A metalworking company supporting alternative mobility. An Italian excellence that believes in respecting the environment and promoting a green production line. This is Ursus today. What will it become tomorrow?
The battle for climate conservation on our planet begins with each of us, and we at Ursus know this well. Our historic metalworking company has chosen to focus its operations on the design and production of components designed to support the development of bicycle mobility. But that's not all: Ursus SpA has also chosen to become a driver of change by adhering to a green ethic , including the clean transformation of raw materials, thus promoting a comprehensive vision of respect. Respect for the environment, therefore, but also for the work and health of our employees.
URSUS, A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Despite the challenges brought on by the international health emergency, Ursus SpA is preparing to face 2021 with optimism. The continually growing company is now looking to the future, thanks in part to the consolidation process undertaken in recent years, culminating in the renovation of its operations headquarters in Rosà (Vicenza). The work, completed before the national lockdown last spring, has given Ursus a state-of-the-art production and management facility.
The new hub has enabled us to achieve several levels of excellence.
- First, it should be emphasized that it represents a new outpost of Made in Italy, which in itself brings significant environmental benefits , such as reduced CO2 emissions . Shortening a supply chain that normally relies heavily on imports allows for fewer containers to arrive from Asia.
- Furthermore, a complete reorganization of the production chain was implemented, expanding and restructured according to Industry 4.0 principles and the highest European quality standards (ISO 9001 and ISO 14001). Pursuing such a goal, fundamental to the company's vision, required significant investments. The space dedicated to manufacturing and product storage was increased through the construction of a second 3,000-square-meter industrial warehouse, in addition to the existing 9,000-square-meter one. The new facility was dedicated to "clean" production, including the storage and assembly of semi-finished components, while the existing area was rationalized to accommodate heavy processing of raw materials.
All production activities are now managed through a Manufacturing Execution System (MES ) and a Statistical Process Control (SPC). The former is a management tool that optimizes processes , thus increasing plant productivity and improving environmental conditions, while the latter is monitoring software that uses big data to provide a series of statistics useful for the continuous improvement of our equipment. Ursus has also made storage operations smarter thanks to the new Modula automated warehouse and the Stockforce WMS management system.
The company's technology is supported by a massive photovoltaic system that produces 550 kWh of clean electricity. Waste management is also streamlined. For example, the rags used for various processes are recycled, always with a view to maximizing the sustainability of our operations.
LESS PLASTIC, MORE “GREEN”
Not just clean manufacturing. Ursus SpA is committed to eliminating polluting materials from its product packaging as much as possible . The company is currently pursuing a program to progressively reduce its use of plastic. The first Ursus-branded "plastic-free" packaging is already in production and will contain bicycle stands dedicated to the aftermarket. To implement this project, Ursus conducted an in-depth study on the stability of the supports and subsequently arranged for the gradual replacement of shelf-side packaging.
The company's green credentials were also communicated to employees, who were raised on the importance of a sustainable approach by receiving a free thermal aluminum water bottle bearing the slogan "less plastic, more green."
QUALITY PAYS
The path taken by Ursus is not, and certainly never has been, easy. However, the financial efforts made to make our spaces and production processes sustainable have been appreciated by the market , allowing the company to double its turnover and increase its number of employees over the last decade. Ursus thus presents itself at the end of 2020 with a turnover that has grown significantly compared to the same period of the previous year, both for "premium" components such as our wheel sets and for "urban" components such as bike stands, seat clamps, and hubs. A fine testament to how quality often pays.
