Productive characteristics of the enterprises existing in the Municipalities of the Territorial Agreement of the Sistema Murgiano.

Status of the Area

In order to analyse the current situation of the Area of the Sistema Murgiano, which is in continuous development and change, a sample testing has been used aiming to determine the orientation of the main economic variables of the enterprises existing within the Areas for productive settlements. Over the total of the enterprises existing at the level of the productive settlements, a sample of 280 firms equivalent to the 70% has been interviewed. Data have been collected after a direct interview of the selected firms which started from the second half of the month of August to the first half of the month of October in the year 2004.

On the basis of the data elaborated from the selected sample, the area is characterised by the presence of handcraft enterprises for the 48,5%, and for the 81% of small size enterprises counting about less than 10 working units centred on car reparations and the creation of wooden doors and windows. The 36.7% of the enterprises belong to the industrial sector. The relevant production is based on the manufacturing production of sofas. There is small percentage of commercial activities and services agencies on the territory (respectively the 9%and the 6%).
The small size enterprises counting up to 9 working units represent the 63,8% of the total percentage of the sample list of the enterprises, the 20% counts between 10 and 19 working units and the 12,8% of enterprises counts from 20 to 49. Three is a small percentage of enterprises, about the 3%, with more than 50 employees.

The analysis of the system is centred on the identification of 4 important variables: sale proceeds, employment, export and investments.
The sales proceed of the year 2003 has resulted to be in a continuous growth for the 39.8% of the sampled enterprises in comparison to the year 2002. It is expected that a share of 35.7% of enterprises will produce an increase of sales proceeds even though less consistent compared to the year 2003. The tendency is therefore very positive, although there is a slight increase of the percentage of those enterprises willing to register a fall in their sales proceeds and that will pass from the 21,4% in the year 2002 to the 22,4% expected for the year 2004.

Strictly linked to the orientation of the sales proceeds there is the intention by the side of each enterprises to employ personnel. Almost half of the sample enterprises of the area (47%), are willing to access the labour market in three year times. There is higher demand for specialised operators which reflect the 42,2% of potential recruitment, against the 30,6% of non specialised operators. This is a positive result as it demonstrates that enterprises tend to locate themselves on higher segments of the market. Concerning the export factor, only the 21,4% of the sample enterprises is present on international markets with an average percentage of exported goods equivalent to the 28% in the year 2003. Preferences of the enterprises have been classified toward the main potential markets are: the 32% have chosen the EU Member States, the 18.6% are for non-EU Member States, the 15.5% are for USA and Canada. For the year 2004 there is an increase by the 32% of those sales proceeds who have registered export transactions.

According to the Annual Report of the 2004 of the "Puglia's System" of the Regional Observatory of Banks- Enterprises, Economics and Finance, it has been confirmed a scarce percentage to investments. In facts, only the 32, 1% of productive settlements of the sample have made use of benefits laws in the last three year time.

In particular, the 47.2% of industrial firms have appealed to investments in comparison to the 32,4% of the regional average; then the 24.2% of the handcraft firms has asked to these forms of investments against the 41,4% regional average. More particularly, the 44.8% enterprises have used the "488/92's law" and in a lesser measure, about the 7,5% have had access to the "POR measures".

Concerning the investments, the 30% of the firms of the sample has preferred to enlarge the productive capacity, the 20,8% was orientated towards the technologic innovation, the 15,3% was in favour of the enlargement and the 13,2% of them was prone to the diversification of the productive range and the substitution of obsolete implants.
The status of the area is shown in the table, by clicking on the right column.

NOTES FOR REFERENCE