2016-2019: Hi-tech Solution Company

2016 has a been a year of growth for our Group, in terms of profitability, projects and resources.

Our successes, the diversification of the business and our presence worldwide have enabled us to develop a series of targeted publicity initiatives featured in the media, with the publication in numerous local and international newspapers of the history of our Group, which registered 99.6 million euro turnover in 2015/16. Custom, thanks to our 200 strong engineering and R&D teams, has developed not only hardware but also propriety intelligence design automation software, with the launch of our Custom Power Tool.

In  January 2016, at New York's NRF trade fair, Custom presented the new FLY, a 15.6" POS PC with standout design features; in the OEM area, we introduced the PP54, a uniquely multifunctional and versatile product which simplifies and customises a variety of features, making it the best option  currently available  for “ticketing management”, including standalone solutions.

Custom gets on the track with LCR Honda and on court with Top Volley Latina

In March, Custom was on the track with the LCR HONDA team as Official Sponsor and Event Title Sponsor at the MUGELLO GP, a unique opportunity for presenting ourselves in the Premier Class. In doing so, we highlighted our shared values of speed, dynamism and technology leadership. Our commitment to sport, understood not just as an exercise in brand awareness, but rather as a fully-fledged means of communication, also involved us in the world of volleyball, with our sponsorship of the TOP VOLLEY LATINA team.

More mobile and digital

In 2016, Custom reinforced its partnership with NETRISING, a subsidiary of the leading app and digital design Group, by acquiring a majority share in the company. Its major projects include the development of an application for Austrian railways, as well as a number of retail business apps.

Aviation, GLB and Phone

The Custom Group also saw significant growth in the aviation industry, thanks to our robust, functional, design-oriented technology, as well as in the GLB (Gaming/Lottery/Betting) industry, where our long-standing experience enables us to offer terminals which are currently among the most flexible and innovative on the market, with added value payment services.

Our most recently established department, the PHONE division, also made major gains: its diversified offering, inspired by the mission "Technology at a smart price", has captured the attention of both seniors and younger users, with custom solutions for a wide range of users with specific needs.

Custom has celebrated its 25th anniversary, and is pleased to announce a number of new technological developments and recent successes. Custom is increasingly a global point of reference for the conception, design and fabrication of print and scanning solutions for automated public services.

International vision

This financial year has been characterised by growth in the Retail and GLB segments, with genuine custom solutions complete with hardware, software and service. Our presence in the American and Russian markets is growing, while the rest of our markets are consolidating, with our brand becoming increasingly known worldwide.  Our commercial expansion plan is directed at Brazil, Europe, India and the Middle East. At the BU level too, the Group is continuing its high level of engineering competency, adding products which offer improved functionality and innovation with outstanding performance. 

Multi Scan and new multi-sector products

2017 saw the introduction of multi-sectorial strategic products which made a considerable impact in the market. The most important is MULTI SCAN, the first independent scanning system featuring both Wireless and Bluetooth connectivity. The Group designed the technology for compact size and handiness; a new solution that, with its WI-FI connectivity, offers a vast range of applications for markets including logistics, health care, retail, aviation, ticketing and access control in general.

Premio Le Fonti

On 30 June, Custom won the LE FONTI Prize as company of the year.

Fiscal markets

Custom, with its well-established know how born of years of experience in the field, is increasingly present in the various fiscal markets, which are undergoing technological changes worldwide. This is why Custom supports 15 different fiscal markets. Custom continues to be the go-to provider of solutions designed specifically for telematic payment: a genuine technological revolution in Italian regulations, as well as in Europe and the world at large.

New SCC headquarters

2017 also saw the inauguration of the new SCC Service Center, with its workforce of 300 specialised technicians. In over 10 years, our service has provided strategic and operative solutions to the leading companies in specialised sectors including fashion and luxury goods.

It's been an intensive year and one that has consolidated the results of the “2020 strategy” industrial plan.
In spite of the uncertain political and economic climate, the Group has continued to invest: four acquisitions and lots of new things, including getting the project for the new Parma headquarters underway.
The last tax year saw turnover settle down but above all, a growth in our most important resources, our employees. In fact, during the last tax year, the Group has brought 30 new people on board, for a total staff of 600.

New international acquisitions

The most important elements of the year have been the acquisitions that have allowed us to extend our synergetic offer to the development of integrated, value-added services: Italiana Macchi and the Zenith brand, an Italian company with 132 years of history in the weighing sector (scales, slicers, and equipment for stores); Power2Retail, an innovative start up in the field of cloud-based software for stores and retail chains; Nitere, Brazil-based manufacturer that will be taking products designed in Parma into a country of more than 200 million people; finally, last but by no means least, PosX, US company based in Seattle and well established in the Retail trade.

A Solution Company

The Group has begun to benefit from extending its offer, recording a consolidation in turnover thanks to its recent acquisitions, and concluding the year with an overall turnover of 133 million euros.
Custom is now an established international point of reference in the design and creation of Retail solutions for automation and innovation in services to the public. Growth in terms of figures but also and above all, in terms of offer.
Today, Custom Group presents itself as a High-Tech SOLUTION COMPANY, specializing in Retail and Enterprise, including Gaming, Ticketing and Aviation Systems, and Data Intelligence, through a selected network of Tech Partners.

2019 saw further developments and involved major choices. Custom made important investments and organised their staff further to strengthen management resources  based on the 2025 industrial plan and expansion strategy. Today, Custom Group produces hi-tech data printing, scanning and reading solutions, as well as automation systems for public services, and supports digitization processes aimed at improving customer experience by means of hardware, software and service solutions.

A growing retail market

The driving business segment has proven to be the Retail one. A growth that has involved not only turnover, but also the most important resource: employees. During the financial year, the Group hired a total of 60 new staff members, thus reaching a total of 680 human resources. New resources, new managers from multinational companies. The will to invest has translated into a growth project that involves the entire Group, from companies to individual departments.

A new era driven by intelligence

Global distribution, a major role player, has added to the Group's internationalization strategy, based on the provision of integrated solutions  and professional support. 2019 saw the development  and birth of a new range of data intelligence solutions,  connected with all business lines. The Group has decided to simplify and improve automatic data acquisition and identification processes by conceiving new custom solutions.

For this purpose, the Group provides specially designed alternative solutions for  integrated printing, reading and processing systems with a value-added service, organised according to the specific needs of the market, and,  in particular, of Technology Partners.

Foreign market shares

To develop foreign market shares and increase internationalization,  new Branches have been opened and Local Territory Managers hired with the aim of strengthening the business. This has further increased the market share in Europe as well as in America, Brazil and Bangkok in Thailand.