Interview: Vincent Albasini on Tesya’s rental rebrand

CGTE, Finanzauto Rental and Emerent will now be branded known as Alayan.

When IRN first reached out to Vincent Albasini, the new leader of the rental companies under the Tesya Group umbrella, the intention was to discuss his new role with the company.

And, while that in itself was worthy of an interview, just weeks later Albasini asked us to put the interview on hold as “there is news coming.”

We were invited to an event in Milan where the news broke: Tesya was rebranding its rental division as Alayan.

The move will see Italian business CGTE, Spanish and Portuguese businesses Finanzauto Rental and Emerent all operate under the same name.

While at the unveiling, Albasini, who joined Tesya in August 2024 after 19 years with Avesco Rent in Switzerland, sat down with IRN to outline why the company decided to rebrand its rental activities under one consolidated brand.

Fully integrated rental solutions

Vincent Albasini, CEO of Alayan.

“I think it’s two very important things,” he tells IRN. “The first is to consolidate all our rental activities from the different countries and territories under one name. Our goal is to create one company for rental and services inside Tesya and for that we need to have one name.

“It will help to organise the group under one name, and it will help the customer to understand that with Alayan we are able to provide a full solution for their needs, specific for their segment of activity. Alayan is the meaning of alliance with the customer, with our partners and our suppliers.”

The mention of full solutions ties into a key aim for the company, Albasini explains. Rather than focusing on product-based solutions as it has done previously, it now wants to position itself as a “multi specialist” that provides fully integrated solutions to its customers based on the application.

He says Alayan’s new identity underlines its focus on providing comprehensive solutions to customers and aims to consolidate its diverse rental services into a single, cohesive offering for clients across modular buildings, earthmoving, power equipment, and more.

Albasini adds, “We were born from a dealership, so that means a focus on the product. We are now providing the solution and approaching the markets from the customers needs and not on the product.

“What the customer can expect is to have a high level of know how in terms of different applications.”

Alayan’s growth strategy

Alayan will invest €100 million on fleet this year alone.

Alongside the rebrand, the company outlined an ambitious growth strategy during the Milan event, one that will see it focus on both organic and inorganic moves.

In terms of organic growth, the company revealed that branch openings across Italy, Spain and Portugal will play a key role in driving growth.

The aim this year is to add seven or eight new locations in those territories, bringing the total number of Alayan branches to 58 overall.

“We have a large scope and at the same time the organic growth is quite important because we opened five branches this year and our plan for the future is to continue to be on the same level,” Albasini says.

Fleet expansion will also be key, with the company also announcing a €100 million investment in renewing and growing its fleet this year.

“Even though our main product segment is construction equipment, power gensets, logistics and lifting equipment, our fleet investment strategy is to diversify and develop our product portfolio according to the application needs of our customers,” he says.

“Then there is modular space because we just acquired a company (see box story at the bottom of this page), and we want scale up quickly.

The new branding for Alayan.

“And then we have all the light and small tools that we are very active in, especially in Italy, but now we are doing that in Spain.”

Another way the company aims to realise this growth ambition is through people, and Alayan said the key challenge remains to have “the right people in the right place”.

It said that “capital human is certainly the main area of investment” and is linked to the creation of its ‘Academy’ to develop and recruit all new talents. “We need to be attractive to preserve and develop our existing team and attract new talent from the market,” adds Albasini.

Plans for acquisitions 

It’s at this point in the conversation that the perhaps inevitable topic of acquisitions is raised, and he says the company, which placed just outside the top 50 of the IRN100 in 2024, expects to be active in that respect.

Acquisitions of companies in the specialist range are more attractive currently, he says, particularly in the small to medium range; “We are more interested to focus on the acquisitions of specialist companies that have a very particular knowledge.

“It could be an acquisition to accelerate the development and increase the coverage in the product or solution that we are already providing.

“It could also be an acquisition to extend like Strutture in Italy, because we were not active in the modular space business before.

“For example, containers. That is something that we are looking really to enter and to push them.

“We are looking to develop different services on the job site, so I think the opportunities are even larger to be a general provider and to be able to answer and provide the solution to the customer for the small one to the bigger one, to the large job site, to the events, to the municipality to work on the industry.

He adds that “the scope is very large” for acquisitions, but the company wants to “attack the market, but on the solutions, not on the product.”

Albasini on his new role with Tesya

Albasini speaking at the unveiling of Alayan in Milan.

Albasini joined the company lasy year, replacing Massimo Rossi Mossuti who had held the role since 2016.

“An opportunity came directly to me, and it was a discussion internally and was the right time to make a move, to see a different country, to be in the south of Europe and to have a larger role,” says Albasini when asked about his new role.

“Not only on the rental side but to have the scope for all the different services we want to add.”

Tesya described the appointment of Albasini as a “major change at the top” and said that it marked an “important step towards the future of the company.”

He is of course best known for his time with Avesco Rent in Switzerland, after spending most of his career with the company.

Under his guidance the company navigated the pandemic, moved into untapped territories through acquisitions and created new revenue streams.

It was after a move into Finland with the purchase of Vatupassi Törmälä Oy at the beginning of 2024 that Albasini says the decision was made to make the move; “I spent around 20 years with Avesco, with the first 10 years dedicated to the Swiss market.

“After that we had a huge opportunity to develop in Finland for Avesco Rent and at the beginning of 2024 we announced the acquisition of Vatupasi.”

And, while helping the company to grow its footprint was one of the last acts of his tenure, his new role will also see him branch further afield, where he says there are many opportunities for both rental companies and for him to explore other markets.

“The markets in Italy and Spain, for example, are huge markets compared to the size of the markets in Switzerland and Finland. So, it was maybe an opportunity to really concentrate on the big markets with other competition.”

Regional focus

Growth opportunities aren’t confined to existing markets for the company, and one market of interest is the Balkan region.

Any movement there would add to Tesya’s existing footprint in the region through its Teknox Group business, a Caterpillar dealership based in Slovenia that also offers heavy equipment rentals.

While the Balkans remain a secondary focus at the time of writing, Albasini sees long-term growth potential there, driven by infrastructure development and increasing private housing projects. Although the market is still maturing, he predicts significant opportunities.

“We think that in the next 5-10 years something will happen, and the country will move in terms of infrastructure and in terms of private housing.

“It’s not a huge market, but it is a market that is starting to develop, to be more professional and like all of Europe you have needs in terms of infrastructure. If you talk about Montenegro, OK, maybe it’s a small country, but some countries are of a size that it makes sense to look.

“It’s a little bit early to announce anything, but we have some plans that we will maybe announce after the summer.”

Albasini sees significant immediate potential in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

One challenge, he admits, could be entering the region without the in-depth knowledge of customer behaviour and preferences, which is perhaps a reason to prioritise acquisitions.

And, while the Balkans present a future opportunity, Albasini sees significant immediate potential in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

In fact, in the case of its home market in Italy, Alayan is targeting its next acquisition, with the end goal to make the most of favourable conditions, both now and in the future, to elevate its position in the market.

In that respect, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo present a significant opportunity in Italy.

“The time is very short until 2026, so in terms of infrastructure and preparation of the Olympic Games, it will bring a lot of opportunity,” he says.

Another factor offering opportunities in Italy is the recent changes to tax incentives to develop the infrastructure and the renovation of private buildings that Italy introduced after the pandemic.

These conditions have sharpened the focus for the company, he says, and “motivated the market” in Italy.

“So, I see a very huge opportunity. The market is not concentrated, it’s very fragmented with a lot of different small and medium-sized companies.

“Now is the right moment to move fast, to move with a different approach. The consolidation is one. We have done some acquisitions in the last few months, and we are looking for the next one.”

As for the rest of Southern Europe, he highlights recent reports from the European Rental Association (ERA), which point towards “very dynamic markets with growth of between 5 to 10%”, in particular in Spain and Portugal.

“Against maybe the North where I have a lot of experience in the last 20 years, which is a little bit on the stable side or maybe some are coming back,” he adds.

He notes that companies in Southern Europe are at a stage where they are “trying to compensate for the delay of the last 15 years”, including the financial crisis, pandemic, and supply chain disruptions.

The company wants to position itself as a “multi specialist” that provides fully integrated solutions to its customers.

As for its own position in that market, Albasini believes that Alayan is now at the same level as other key players; “I think we can say that the three main players in the South of Europe are Loxam, Kiloutou and us. I think probably more or less the same size in terms of turnover.”

The first step

So, what does all this mean for the company at a revenue level? According to Albasini, Alayan expects revenues this year to be around the €220-€250 million mark, which would follow growth of around 25 to 40% in the last five years.

“We are a family company, and we have a motto that we are building a company for the next 300 years, so for us it’s really a long-term strategy,” he says.

“Our ambition is to grow, but with a sustainable approach. We announced €100 million of investment for 2025, but it’s the first step. We have a plan now to accelerate our development.”

So, an opportune time for the Tesya rental business to grow, it seems, with Albasini and his colleagues confident that the future looks bright amid the rebrand and the more solutions-based approach.

Meanwhile, there is perhaps more to come overseas in the future, but the immediate focus is on consolidating in Italy, Spain and Portugal. Watch this space…

Tesya acquires modular building specialist

A couple of weeks after the first interview with Albasini, Tesya Group announced the acquisition of modular building specialist Strutture Srl.

Headquartered in Alessandria, Strutture also operates a depot in the Terni region.

It offers sales and rental of a range of prefabricated modules and containers, including temporary offices, changing rooms, classrooms, homes, canteens, sanitary units and event structures.

Tesya said the acquisition is part of its expansion strategy aimed at further strengthening the position of its Rental Service division, which has “long been developing new business lines to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving market.”

It added that it aims to strengthen its role as an integrated supplier, able to offer “complete solutions to support companies in various sectors.”

Commenting on the deal, Albasini said, “The acquisition will allow us to support companies in the efficient management of their activities, thanks to a wide range of services that complement the rental activities.

“We continue with determination on our growth path in the Southern European market and aim to significantly increase the turnover of the Modular Constructions division in the construction, industry, events and public institutions segments.”

Tesya’s chairman and CEO Lino Tedeschi added, “This investment allows us to expand our portfolio and solidify our position as an integrated supplier, ready to meet the dynamic needs of an evolving market.”