Market, Innovation, and Leadership: An Interview with Ciro Correggi, CEO of DIECI
As is tradition, this year we met with Ciro Correggi, CEO of DIECI, to review the company’s performance and future prospects.
An open and direct conversation allowed us to discuss the results of 2025, market dynamics, and the technological evolution of products, as well as stories, anecdotes, and reflections that offer a more human side to the leadership and highlight the values behind the decisions that have shaped DIECI’s growth path.
The 2025 market and expectations for 2026
1. If you were to summarize DIECI’s 2025 in one word, what would it be and why?
I would say “challenging”. It was a year marked by external factors that had a significant impact on the economic and industrial landscape: geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflicts that directly affected markets where DIECI had historically been very active.
Sanctions also impacted the continuity of operations and trade in the Russian market, which is now largely dominated by Chinese manufacturers and will be difficult to recover, even in a post-conflict scenario.
Our hope, of course, is for a peace solution and a phase of reconstruction.
2. The telehandler market is becoming increasingly competitive and globalized. In which geographical areas did DIECI record the best performances in 2025, and where do you see the greatest growth opportunities for 2026?
In 2025, Southern Europe made a decisive contribution to maintaining our revenue, particularly Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Greece.
Looking to 2026, we expect a recovery in the Northern European markets – Germany, Austria, and Scandinavia – and especially a resurgence in the agricultural sector, which has been experiencing significant slowdown for the past three years.
In this context, dynamics related to incentives and subsidies remain a key factor: even limited support measures can stimulate investments, especially in Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union countries – such as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia – which have traditionally been more reliant on these mechanisms.
Innovation and energy transition
3. Today, electrification is no longer a novelty but a reality. What did the market “teach” you in 2025? What technologies are you truly focusing on to make a difference?
From a technological standpoint, the market has confirmed the validity of some of our strategic choices, such as the investment in high-performance lithium batteries.
In 2025, we expanded our electric range with the e-smart models and are already working on upcoming launches.
Building on what has already been achieved and the positive feedback, our goal is to further extend our electric offerings with solutions capable of delivering real-world performance in the field.
4. Customers demand increasingly high-performance machines that are also easy to manage and maintain. How do you balance technological complexity and ease of use?
Technological complexity should remain behind the scenes. It is the job of our electronics engineers to develop advanced software and systems, but for the operator, the machine needs to be simple and intuitive.
Today, our telehandlers are equipped with large displays, clear interfaces, and immediate visual signals: indicators that allow the operator to instantly assess whether everything is working correctly or if there is a potential risk.
The goal is for the operator to always have full control over the machine, working safely and without operational difficulties.
In summary: complex technology for those who design it, absolute simplicity for those who use it.
5. Digitization is becoming a key factor: telematics, predictive maintenance, machine management. In the future, will the winner be the one who builds the best machine or the one who builds the best ecosystem around the machine?
The winner will be the one who finds the right balance.
A quality machine with adequate performance at a sustainable price is essential. However, alongside the machine, an efficient ecosystem is crucial: service, after-sales, responsiveness, customer support. Today, organization and support capacity make a difference just as much as the product itself.
It is this balance between product, service, and value offered to the customer that determines long-term competitiveness.
Corporate assets: people make the difference
6. There’s often talk about products, but less about people. How important was the DIECI team in achieving the 2025 results?
I believe that 60-70% of a company’s success depends on its people. The skills, commitment, and sense of responsibility of those who work in the company every day are the true engine behind the results.
Alongside this, the brand and the strategic choices of the management, particularly those related to product range development, play a fundamental role: these decisions guide the market positioning, define the industrial vision, and steer investments in the medium-to-long term.
However, without a solid, prepared, and motivated team, even the best strategies remain on paper. In the end, beyond technology and numbers, it’s always the people who truly make the difference.
7. What is DIECI looking for in a young person entering the company today? What positions are in the highest demand?
We primarily seek competence and enthusiasm.
We don’t want people who “passively adapt” to the environment, but individuals who bring ideas, challenge what’s not working, and seek to improve processes.
Currently, the most sought-after profiles are electronics engineers and software developers, but we are also looking for technical profiles such as assemblers, painters, and especially testers, a key role in ensuring the quality and reliability of the machines.
The tester is the final and most delicate step before the machine leaves the factory: they verify that every function works properly, that performance meets standards, and that the product is truly ready for the end customer.
A good tester ensures that the machine reaches its destination – even thousands of kilometers away – in perfect condition.
Finding professionals with high-level skills and a sense of responsibility is not easy, but these are the competencies that contribute significantly to the perceived quality of DIECI products.
8. Since you mentioned testers, let’s delve deeper into their role: how is a tester trained at DIECI?
At DIECI, testers are trained internally through a structured growth process. Typically, they start on the assembly lines, where they learn every detail of the machine, understanding not just how tasks are performed, but also why they are done in a certain way.
We need people who don’t simply perform assigned tasks but who feel the need to fully understand how the machine works and the responsibilities tied to their work.
This is the same path taken by the testers currently at DIECI: professionals who have grown within the company, developing solid expertise combined with enthusiasm, critical thinking, and a proactive approach.
Corporate assets: products and vision
9. Among all DIECI models, is there one machine that is making a significant impact on the market?
I would say two models.
The first is the Agri Max Power X2, an agricultural machine that represents a technological breakthrough. It is the world’s first telescopic handler to feature a mixed hydrostatic-mechanical transmission, a solution that combines high performance in speed and towing capacity with optimal power management, free from the typical overheating issues.
Thanks to this architecture and proprietary software, the machine guarantees continuous performance, precision, and speeds of up to 50 km/h, making it comparable to tractors in terms of versatility and performance.
The second is the Apollo-e 26.6 electric telescopic handler. This compact machine now delivers performance levels rarely matched in its segment. It is designed to operate in confined spaces and complex environments where maneuverability, precision, and reliability make the difference.
Apollo-e combines small dimensions with a solid structure and advanced technological solutions, offering operators control and comfort even in the most delicate operations. It is an extremely versatile machine, adaptable to various applications, and a concrete example of how electrification, if developed correctly, can be a real alternative to traditional solutions.
10. Is there, however, one machine that, more than others, represents DIECI’s history and origins?
Without a doubt, the Icarus 40.17. For many years, it was the machine with which we achieved the most significant numbers, and it marked our entry into the telehandler market.
Initially, DIECI produced exclusively machines for the construction sector, and the Icarus 40.17 perfectly met the needs of that industry: easy to drive, simple to maintain, reliable, high-performing, and economically accessible.
This model is still available today in its updated version, the Icarus 45.17.
11. Which aspect of DIECI’s entrepreneurial vision has made a difference and continues to set it apart in the market?
Certainly, the product range, the quality of the machines, and especially the direct and straightforward relationship we maintain with dealers and distributors.
One of the elements that sets us apart is our responsiveness: at DIECI, problems are addressed and resolved quickly, without complex procedures or lengthy decision-making processes. This approach allows us to be truly close to the market and our customers in a practical and effective way.
This philosophy requires commitment and responsibility, and sometimes involves organizational challenges, but overall it has proven to be a strength. Our direct and pragmatic way of working has helped us build a solid, long-lasting relationship of trust with the sales network.
The choices that made the difference
12. Reflecting on DIECI’s history, is there a moment you recall with particular pleasure or pride?
Yes, paradoxically, it wasn’t a moment of growth, but one of the most difficult periods in our history: 2009, right after the great financial crisis that began in 2008.
That year, our revenue plummeted by around 45%.
We found ourselves facing an extremely complex situation: customers in trouble, machines being returned, solvency issues, and at the same time, the commitment of a significant investment related to the new production facility, which had just started with a substantial lease.
Despite the dramatic context – many companies in our sector closed at that time – we managed to react. We continued to invest, starting internal production of arms, and most importantly, making a crucial strategic decision: entering the agricultural sector, which had not been part of our core business up until that point.
It was a decision taken during a period of significant uncertainty, but one that proved decisive for the company’s future. By the end of 2009, we managed to close the financial year without incurring a loss, a result I consider one of DIECI’s greatest successes.
It was the year we proved to ourselves that we had the strength, courage, and vision necessary to overcome even such a major crisis. That’s why it remains, even today, the moment I’m most proud of.