Maurizio Saia was appointed President of Maap, the Padua fresh produce market, a little over seven months ago and, since then, he has learned how the market works and is leaving his mark.
Maurizio Saia, President of Maap as of July 2020
"My work is based on transparency and sharing, as I believe that clarity is needed when administrating an organization that must refer to a public body. Our purpose is to provide the best services to those working within our structure, therefore operations must run like clockwork," reports the president.
After a period to settle in and understand what worked and what could be improved, Saia took over the reins of Maap. "I am a very active, I am not one of those people who gets appointed and then rarely gets seen. I am here every morning to talk with our managers and operators. The relationship with the Board of Directors and our wholesalers is getting stronger."
Among the initiatives that should be started immediately there is the improvement of the IT system. "We need to look towards the future without forgetting the past. A market like ours must always keep up with the times on all fronts - from the computerized management of logistic flows to internal security and traffic. I believe that those who are precise and punctual when it comes to the small things also perform well when it comes to bigger things. This is why I want nothing to be left to chance."
Saia believes that "we need to consider the other facilities in Italy and all over the world to learn from them and improve ourselves. I believe that, in the short period, we should collaborate more with big retail chains in order to become a platform useful for them as well. We need to open up more and have the courage to change while we still have the time."
The President with Director Francesco Cera, at Maap
"The road to success starts from the small things and opening to the city is part of those small things that improve visibility. We have created a character, Maapo, to provide positive messages on the consumption of fruits and vegetables through short videos. The slogan is Frutta e verdura, la forza della natura (i.e. Fruit and vegetables, nature's strength). When the pandemic will be over, we will open the facility to citizens and especially to schools."
And what about investments? "First of all, we should finish the work already underway. Secondly, we need to think about how to promote our area covering 50 thousand sq m. Considering our strategic position, the idea is to create a logistic hub for both fresh produce and other goods."
Contacts
MAAP
Corso Stati Uniti, 50
35127 Padova (PD) - Italy
Tel.: (+39) 049 869 2111
Website: www.maap.it