The Fast and the Serious

It’s All About Family At the Budrio Facility

From business transparency to group runs, Quanex’s Budrio, Italy, facility exemplifies a commitment to employee engagement.

Quanex’s Budrio, Italy, facility is within the city limits of Bologna, sharing the region with plants that make products for brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Ducati. So when it comes to creating employee engagement and high retention rates, “We have to compete a little bit more against those sexy brands,” said Roberto Romagnoli, operations director. “But we have practically zero turnover and there is a sort of aspiration to be a part of this company.

That level of connection and spirit of togetherness across two Budrio locations with 270 permanent employees, especially as it’s grown from a family company to a multinational corporation, has remained strong. And it’s a big reason why the facility is this year’s Engagement Award winner.

Giving Back

Generosity comes second nature at Budrio, whether it’s helping local families affected by a flood last October to supplying extra snacks in the canteen for kids on a take-your-child-to-work tour. The plant has been an ingrained part of the community for so long that what they do for employees cascades to neighborhoods, and vice versa. As a result, the Budrio facility is never at a loss for ideas that make connections and create engagement.

• Regular all-staff town halls to communicate business updates and bring employees together to promote a sustainable cause.
• Group participation in the Bologna 5.30 run, where plant employees were invited to run together.
• The Junior Tyman Experience Day for employees’ children, who were invited to visit the site and see and experience what their parents do for a living.
• International Women’s Day events, with dessert for colleagues, accompanied by a motivational message from a famous female figure randomly drawn from a basket.
• An annual Christmas party that has become a traditional moment cherished by all team members.
• Support the programming of the local theater, one of the oldest in the region, which has been active since 1672.

“This kind of engagement is difficult to describe,” Roberto said. “But walking through the workshop or the offices, it’s something you can feel.”

Alessia Pescari, senior HR business partner, agreed. “The attention to people is something that is in the DNA of the company. It’s true when it was a family company, when it was part of Tyman, and now part of Quanex.”

This is exactly the effort we appreciate at every one of our global locations. Engagement drives success, and the Budrio team is proof positive.

It’s obvious this team cares—not just about its customers and our company’s success, but about each other.

Congratulations on your award!