Bruno Vianello, TEXA's founder, had a passion for mechanics and motors since childhood. So you could say that, like many other global companies, TEXA grew out of a childhood hobby. Perhaps that is why, as an adult, Bruno enjoys spending money on a fancy office and building a robot-transformer three meters tall for the exhibition. Read about how TEXA lives today in our interview with autoExpert.
- We know that TEXA is a young company compared to its competitors, but it is very "temperamental and angry" in a good way. How does TEXA compete for its place in the world? And how do you see yourself in the world?
- TEXA's policy, which has been cultivated since the beginning, is to invest all the money in technology. We have noticed that our strongest competitors are seriously engaged in something other than diagnostics that does not overlap with it. Consequently, by doing mostly diagnostics, our goal was to make it much better than our competitors.
- Did it work out as planned?
- We are growing all the time. And I see that the clients are satisfied. We're a fairly important firm in the world at the moment, which means that we've earned the position that we have. But that's like asking a beautiful woman if she's beautiful. That's for others to say.
- What special tools does TEXA use to compete?
- We try to make the best equipment we can. When I opened TEXA, I didn't have the idea of making as much money as possible. I started with what I liked to do. I had a passion, and I tried to transfer that enthusiasm to all the people who work with me. Consequently, every time we create a new instrument, we try to make it a winner in the market, not just make an ordinary instrument.
- And has the money "caught up" with you?
- Yes. And the money I earned, I didn't put in my pocket, but invested in the firm. Because this firm has to be a home for the people who work in it. Only if the firm is going to be a home for the employees can I demand that they work well.
- Who designed the "home?"
- Everything is designed by us. We made drawings of what we want to see, then went to the architects, then to the commune and the municipality to approve. But the idea is ours. The idea is to create a house where employees will enjoy working.
- What is TEXA's place in Italy?
- The first.
- Does the state support TEXA?
- It has a lot of debt. We support the state.
- What TEXA has now, we know. What's going to happen tomorrow?
- For us, 2016 is the year of air conditioning units. At this point, air conditioning units are changing because there is a new type of refrigerant. If a car with a new type of refrigerant breaks down, branded stations are required to repair it. And independent service stations are likely to buy them next year.
- TEXA was founded as a diagnostic equipment company. How did the air conditioning business come about? Was it a matter of chance or a deliberate choice?
- When a company wants to grow, there are two possibilities. One, just grow commercially worldwide. The second, to introduce new products into production. We felt the lack of quality equipment in this topic on the market. We were born as diagnostics, then we added gas analyzers and smoke detectors, then air conditioning systems, then remote monitoring. The next important idea for us is the remote monitoring system (TMD (TEXA Mobile Diagnostics) - editor's note).
- What will happen tomorrow with diagnostic devices? What is in store for services?
- Devices that will be able to do more work. Cars are getting more complicated, and the devices should correspond to this. That's all there is to it.
- There won't be a revolution, there will be an evolution?
- Yes. But there will be a lot more data integrated. And there will be a lot more and solved problems, and instructions to mechanics on how to solve the problem.
- To this day, independent service stations that specialize in a particular type of vehicle prefer the original diagnostic tools and not TEXA. Why?
- Obviously, official dealerships just have to buy tools from car manufacturers, but independent service stations have almost no specialization in Italy. But if a service center specializes only on one brand, it doesn't need TEXA. The original dealer unit will do everything 100%.
- So why can't a TEXA do everything 100%?
- Because we have to have the original dealer gauge to create our own. But we don't copy anything, we design it ourselves.
- Do you always catch up with official dealer instruments?
- Yes. Just like all other manufacturers of diagnostic equipment. We can work at 98% because we only start when a new car model goes on sale. Obviously, this model is not in the base of my device in the first days of the "life" of the car. But we can put mechanisms in our diagnostic tool that will be better than the official dealer tools. Even if I don't have 100% coverage on all cars, where I do have coverage, the database allows the person buying the TEXA instrument to find problems already solved by Google. As for the car companies - they don't have such a database.
- Is this analogous to a "hotline"?
- Yes, in fact, our hotline is an option already inside our device. This information comes from all over the world, because all TEXA affiliates collect information. Where there are branches, there is a hotline. We solve the problem and put the information about the problem on the network.
- The information stacks up to you here, you recycle it and put it out there. How do I get access to this feed?
- This feature costs 100-150 euros a year, depending on whether it's a car or truck base. It's like Google: you go in and you can read. We have a contract with Google and put this feature in our software. It's the kind of access you buy with an upgrade.
- So why don't many people know about it?
- That's my fault (laughs). There are people who find it easier to call than to look for something on the Internet. In Italy we very often do TEXA tours. The distributor organizes the event, calls his customers and their mechanics. A TEXA expert comes and tells them everything and promotes our products. Usually a lot of equipment is sold during such meetings.
- How often were such tours held in Ukraine?
- There was such a tour in Ukraine, we conducted it together with Automechanika. If our expert comes to a service station, it makes it easier to work with customers because he knows his products better. The distributor sometimes doesn't know all the ins and outs of the products. But we don't have that many people to do TEXA tours all over the world at the same time.
- There are weak markets, such as the Ukrainian market - without loans, deferrals and with a floating exchange rate. What steps can be taken to support the market? At this time, the distributor's interest in the brand drops sharply, and a more nimble competitor can snatch up part of the market.
- It's not just a problem in weak markets... I don't have an answer to that question. Our competitors offer low prices, so they sell better. These are Korean and Chinese devices, fakes. The labor of an engineer in Italy costs 5 times more than in China, so we already have a good price, considering this fact.
- But that does not interest the buyer. He is interested in functionality...
- It is clear that if it is cheaper for the manufacturer to produce, the cost of the product will be lower.
- We are used to the fact that a good thing is expensive. It is everywhere: cars, appliances, clothing. If your product is more expensive, then it must be better. How is it better?
- We are always inventing something new, we are almost always ahead. Our products are of higher quality. I can only talk about TEXA. I never speak ill of competitors. It is a market where everyone decides for himself what to choose.
- Do you analyze your competitors?
- I do, but I never speak ill of them. If we were comparing ourselves with car manufacturers, we would be comparing ourselves with Mercedes or BMW. But not with Great Wall. TEXA stands for style, quality and the latest generation electronics. I try to do my job as best as possible, and then the customer chooses.
- Your air-conditioning units are praised. What are their advantages?
- We have created a great project, which we have implemented very well. The way in which the installation was created is also important. TEXA is the only manufacturer in the world that makes air conditioning units on a single automated production line. There is inspection and monitoring on the entire line. All units are checked for leaks. It is not checked by a human being, but by a robot, i.e. the human factor is eliminated. A machine can sometimes check better than a human, and even more so it can never get tired, while a human can make a mistake. When you need an accurate check, robots do it.
Consequently, our customers will speak well of our installations for the following reasons: 1) spectacular design; 2) ease of use; 3) good functionality; and 4) reliability. They function well and never break, and if they do, we guarantee quick technical support and repair. We have a good technical support department. We organize courses for distributors to help them react properly and quickly to breakdowns.
For example, there is a company in Italy, which, like us, produces diagnostic equipment, gas analyzers, and air conditioning charging units. And they have 50 people involved in production. We have 500 people involved in the production of the entire range of products. Consequently, that company's diagnostics is so-so, air-conditioning system is so-so...
- So they're not competitors...
- But they sell at low prices and create competition. But someone who makes devices on their knees can't provide technical support. And they can't provide quality control in every phase of production.
- Do you have innovative solutions, or is it the same as what your competitors have?
- We have registered a lot of patents. Only we can implement patented ideas; competitors can't do that; we're protected by a patent.
- And what if our competitors are repeating, producing analogues?
- What should I do in that case? We try to be careful not to be copied. They copy us more often in diagnostics; in air-conditioning systems it's more difficult. Because it's easier to copy software than to copy something metal. And it's easier for lawyers to show that some metal part is copied, software is more difficult.
- Bruno, are you a fan of your business?
- I think I am. I'm not crazy, but I am an enthusiast. For example, mountain climbing: you see a mountain and have to climb it. But not everyone can do that. Those who can't do it, say that those who have climbed are crazy...
Alexander Kelm,
Kiev - Monastier di Treviso - Kiev
- We know that TEXA is a young company compared to its competitors, but it is very "temperamental and angry" in a good way. How does TEXA compete for its place in the world? And how do you see yourself in the world?
- TEXA's policy, which has been cultivated since the beginning, is to invest all the money in technology. We have noticed that our strongest competitors are seriously engaged in something other than diagnostics that does not overlap with it. Consequently, by doing mostly diagnostics, our goal was to make it much better than our competitors.
- Did it work out as planned?
- We are growing all the time. And I see that the clients are satisfied. We're a fairly important firm in the world at the moment, which means that we've earned the position that we have. But that's like asking a beautiful woman if she's beautiful. That's for others to say.
- What special tools does TEXA use to compete?
- We try to make the best equipment we can. When I opened TEXA, I didn't have the idea of making as much money as possible. I started with what I liked to do. I had a passion, and I tried to transfer that enthusiasm to all the people who work with me. Consequently, every time we create a new instrument, we try to make it a winner in the market, not just make an ordinary instrument.
- And has the money "caught up" with you?
- Yes. And the money I earned, I didn't put in my pocket, but invested in the firm. Because this firm has to be a home for the people who work in it. Only if the firm is going to be a home for the employees can I demand that they work well.
- Who designed the "home?"
- Everything is designed by us. We made drawings of what we want to see, then went to the architects, then to the commune and the municipality to approve. But the idea is ours. The idea is to create a house where employees will enjoy working.
- What is TEXA's place in Italy?
- The first.
- Does the state support TEXA?
- It has a lot of debt. We support the state.
- What TEXA has now, we know. What's going to happen tomorrow?
- For us, 2016 is the year of air conditioning units. At this point, air conditioning units are changing because there is a new type of refrigerant. If a car with a new type of refrigerant breaks down, branded stations are required to repair it. And independent service stations are likely to buy them next year.
- TEXA was founded as a diagnostic equipment company. How did the air conditioning business come about? Was it a matter of chance or a deliberate choice?
- When a company wants to grow, there are two possibilities. One, just grow commercially worldwide. The second, to introduce new products into production. We felt the lack of quality equipment in this topic on the market. We were born as diagnostics, then we added gas analyzers and smoke detectors, then air conditioning systems, then remote monitoring. The next important idea for us is the remote monitoring system (TMD (TEXA Mobile Diagnostics) - editor's note).
- What will happen tomorrow with diagnostic devices? What is in store for services?
- Devices that will be able to do more work. Cars are getting more complicated, and the devices should correspond to this. That's all there is to it.
- There won't be a revolution, there will be an evolution?
- Yes. But there will be a lot more data integrated. And there will be a lot more and solved problems, and instructions to mechanics on how to solve the problem.
- To this day, independent service stations that specialize in a particular type of vehicle prefer the original diagnostic tools and not TEXA. Why?
- Obviously, official dealerships just have to buy tools from car manufacturers, but independent service stations have almost no specialization in Italy. But if a service center specializes only on one brand, it doesn't need TEXA. The original dealer unit will do everything 100%.
- So why can't a TEXA do everything 100%?
- Because we have to have the original dealer gauge to create our own. But we don't copy anything, we design it ourselves.
- Do you always catch up with official dealer instruments?
- Yes. Just like all other manufacturers of diagnostic equipment. We can work at 98% because we only start when a new car model goes on sale. Obviously, this model is not in the base of my device in the first days of the "life" of the car. But we can put mechanisms in our diagnostic tool that will be better than the official dealer tools. Even if I don't have 100% coverage on all cars, where I do have coverage, the database allows the person buying the TEXA instrument to find problems already solved by Google. As for the car companies - they don't have such a database.
- Is this analogous to a "hotline"?
- Yes, in fact, our hotline is an option already inside our device. This information comes from all over the world, because all TEXA affiliates collect information. Where there are branches, there is a hotline. We solve the problem and put the information about the problem on the network.
- The information stacks up to you here, you recycle it and put it out there. How do I get access to this feed?
- This feature costs 100-150 euros a year, depending on whether it's a car or truck base. It's like Google: you go in and you can read. We have a contract with Google and put this feature in our software. It's the kind of access you buy with an upgrade.
- So why don't many people know about it?
- That's my fault (laughs). There are people who find it easier to call than to look for something on the Internet. In Italy we very often do TEXA tours. The distributor organizes the event, calls his customers and their mechanics. A TEXA expert comes and tells them everything and promotes our products. Usually a lot of equipment is sold during such meetings.
- How often were such tours held in Ukraine?
- There was such a tour in Ukraine, we conducted it together with Automechanika. If our expert comes to a service station, it makes it easier to work with customers because he knows his products better. The distributor sometimes doesn't know all the ins and outs of the products. But we don't have that many people to do TEXA tours all over the world at the same time.
- There are weak markets, such as the Ukrainian market - without loans, deferrals and with a floating exchange rate. What steps can be taken to support the market? At this time, the distributor's interest in the brand drops sharply, and a more nimble competitor can snatch up part of the market.
- It's not just a problem in weak markets... I don't have an answer to that question. Our competitors offer low prices, so they sell better. These are Korean and Chinese devices, fakes. The labor of an engineer in Italy costs 5 times more than in China, so we already have a good price, considering this fact.
- But that does not interest the buyer. He is interested in functionality...
- It is clear that if it is cheaper for the manufacturer to produce, the cost of the product will be lower.
- We are used to the fact that a good thing is expensive. It is everywhere: cars, appliances, clothing. If your product is more expensive, then it must be better. How is it better?
- We are always inventing something new, we are almost always ahead. Our products are of higher quality. I can only talk about TEXA. I never speak ill of competitors. It is a market where everyone decides for himself what to choose.
- Do you analyze your competitors?
- I do, but I never speak ill of them. If we were comparing ourselves with car manufacturers, we would be comparing ourselves with Mercedes or BMW. But not with Great Wall. TEXA stands for style, quality and the latest generation electronics. I try to do my job as best as possible, and then the customer chooses.
- Your air-conditioning units are praised. What are their advantages?
- We have created a great project, which we have implemented very well. The way in which the installation was created is also important. TEXA is the only manufacturer in the world that makes air conditioning units on a single automated production line. There is inspection and monitoring on the entire line. All units are checked for leaks. It is not checked by a human being, but by a robot, i.e. the human factor is eliminated. A machine can sometimes check better than a human, and even more so it can never get tired, while a human can make a mistake. When you need an accurate check, robots do it.
Consequently, our customers will speak well of our installations for the following reasons: 1) spectacular design; 2) ease of use; 3) good functionality; and 4) reliability. They function well and never break, and if they do, we guarantee quick technical support and repair. We have a good technical support department. We organize courses for distributors to help them react properly and quickly to breakdowns.
For example, there is a company in Italy, which, like us, produces diagnostic equipment, gas analyzers, and air conditioning charging units. And they have 50 people involved in production. We have 500 people involved in the production of the entire range of products. Consequently, that company's diagnostics is so-so, air-conditioning system is so-so...
- So they're not competitors...
- But they sell at low prices and create competition. But someone who makes devices on their knees can't provide technical support. And they can't provide quality control in every phase of production.
- Do you have innovative solutions, or is it the same as what your competitors have?
- We have registered a lot of patents. Only we can implement patented ideas; competitors can't do that; we're protected by a patent.
- And what if our competitors are repeating, producing analogues?
- What should I do in that case? We try to be careful not to be copied. They copy us more often in diagnostics; in air-conditioning systems it's more difficult. Because it's easier to copy software than to copy something metal. And it's easier for lawyers to show that some metal part is copied, software is more difficult.
- Bruno, are you a fan of your business?
- I think I am. I'm not crazy, but I am an enthusiast. For example, mountain climbing: you see a mountain and have to climb it. But not everyone can do that. Those who can't do it, say that those who have climbed are crazy...
Alexander Kelm,
Kiev - Monastier di Treviso - Kiev
