(source: bari.repubblica.it | by Gianvito Rutigliano)

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Technically it's an Apr: an Apple Premium Reseller, authorized seller of the galaxy of Apple products. But C&C Consulting SpA today has a deeper role in the sector, with a history that starts from the capital to extend throughout Italy. A lot of time has passed since 2006 when the CEO Michele Gigli opened his first store in the center of Bari. Today C&C physical stores amount to 29 in Italy, all led by the Bari headquarters.

A constellation of stores stretching along an ideal line 1,200 kilometers long from Brunico in Trentino-Alto Adige to Lecce, spanning ten regions. But Bari remains the pulsating heart, in addition to the legal and operational headquarters. "I wasn't born an entrepreneur - Gigli says - At 6 years old I started playing with computers and developing a passion for information technology, programming, and the features of all Apple equipment.

From a technician to a "similar-seller" was a difficult leap. But when my employer in the late '90s, when the company was described as collapsing despite the return of Steve Jobs, explained to me that Apple's future would soon end, I decided to take up the challenge instead. In 2001, with my brother, I opened C&C and started as a consultant for installed Apple products; in 2005 we became the second Apple center in Italy and in 2006, amidst debts, the Bari store started. Today, two months shy of 49, I represent the most important of the four main Aprs in Italy".

In the Top 200 ranking of companies in Puglia, carried out by PwC and the Department of Economics, Management, and Business Law of UniBa together with Repubblica, with 2018 data, C&C ranks 32nd (a leap of 33 positions compared to 2017), with a turnover of over 109 million euros and profits of almost one and a half million. But the 2019 data will allow for further growth, thanks to a fiscal year closing at 160 million and a 45% increase in turnover.

"A result that certainly reflects our acquisitions nationwide, especially in the North in the last three years - explains Michele Gigli - but is also a sign of growth in all stores thanks to optimized services and centralized management here in the South". All sales points are monitored in the multi-floor headquarter in the San Pasquale neighborhood of Bari.

In a green and sustainable structure, powered by a photovoltaic system that produces more energy than needed (the rest goes into batteries) and enjoys a geothermal system. Since 2017, it has replaced the initial 80 square meter apartment from which orders were placed. Today, it serves as logistics, support, purchasing, and communication and marketing office, employing 30 people with an average age of 35: a part of the over 200 operational units working in the 29 locations.

And a significant portion of C&C's business is represented by the education sector. "With Edu, we aim to spread technology in Italian schools - says the CEO - We don't want to sell hardware, but to change education with Apple tools, made even safer by the possibilities for teachers to inhibit certain device functions. Our team consists of a commercial part, but above all of teachers who experiment with the devices on a daily basis in an inherent spirit of the Cupertino headquarters. Classroom experiences, opportunities, and attractive technology capabilities in support of schools are shared, especially in the events we organize. And we are the first in Italy for Apple product penetration in schools and the tenth in Europe".

From this collaboration with the publishing house Pearson, the participation of schools in European events, teacher training, robotics licenses for the youngest, and involvement of successful models have arisen, such as Apple-certified schools as examples of excellence (Volta in Perugia and Ungaretti in Melzo, in the province of Milan) or the curious case of Pioltello (Mi) where the Municipality supported the cost of devices used to combat school dropout.

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