We delve with Daniele Malfanti, Comet S.p.A.’s Italy Sales Manager, into the factors that have helped make the company one of the world leaders in the Professional Cleaning industry.
An insightful interview in which we devoted a special focus to the world of hot water pressure washers and the new Scout, now one of the segment’s best sellers.
Hello Daniele, can you briefly tell us what is your role in the company and how long have you been part of the Comet team?
My professional experience stemmed from the automotive and agricultural sectors, working with major companies such as Landini, Same, Piaggio and B&W, where I held positions of Sales Manager. This path has given me a solid understanding of market dynamics and business management.
I joined Comet in 2017 as Sales Manager for the Italy Agriculture sector, a role that gave me an in-depth understanding of the agricultural pump market, historically the core of the company.
Since 2023, with the expansion of my positions to Italy Sales Manager for Industry, Cleaning and especially Floor Care - the professional cleaning machine sector - I have been able to contribute to the growth of a strategic area for Comet. This transition came at a time of great transformation for the company, which accelerated its development through major acquisitions.
In 2017, with the acquisition of Lavorwash, Comet made a structural leap from a company focused primarily on agricultural pumps to a more articulated and international industrial group. Later, in 2021, the acquisition of Poli further strengthened the Floor Care catalogue.
Comet, in fact, started out as a manufacturer of pumps for agriculture but, over time, has also become a leader in the Cleaning and Floor Care sector: how did this change come about?
Comet began as a manufacturer of agricultural pumps, but over time it has also become a benchmark in the Cleaning and Floor Care sectors. This change was made possible through a strategy of targeted growth and acquisitions.
Lavorwash, in particular, was a company very similar to Comet as to its culture and structure. This represented a radical change from the original company, which was established in 1959 and focused on agricultural pumps. This acquisition nearly doubled our production and sales capacities, marking the transition from a small-to-medium-sized Italian company to a larger industrial group.
The acquisition of Poli expanded the Floor Care catalogue by offering floor scrubbers and sweepers and strengthening our range in the professional cleaning equipment market.
This path has required significant investment and a major change in mentality, which we are working on with great commitment. The involvement of the entire team is maximum, and we are confident that the results of this transformation will be seen in the near future.
From 2017 to the present, what have been the steps in integrating these businesses?
During the Covid period, the company experienced significant growth, but this also led to some difficulties in deliveries due to the sudden increase in demand. In response to these challenges, we decided to make a major investment in the internalization of a large part of components, creating a dedicated area for CNC machines.
This has enabled us to produce components in-house that were previously made by outside suppliers, thus increasing our flexibility and production capacity. Thanks to this organization, we are able to handle even small productions, which many suppliers did not accept before, because our goal is to meet customers’ specific needs through customized solutions.
For example, we often deliver orders of 100 pumps, rather than standard 1000-unit orders, because we work closely with the customer to develop tailored products that perfectly meet their needs.
Agriculture and Cleaning seem very different sectors, although linked by Comet’s original core business, the pump. Can you explain how these two worlds are integrated?
Although the technological origins are common - the pump is at the beating heart of both - the pressure washer and Floor Care sector differ markedly from the agricultural sector in terms of applications, needs and business models.
In Professional Cleaning, we mainly work with piston pumps, which are designed for high pressure performance, up to 1000 bar in the case of industrial pressure washers. We are therefore talking about systems designed to deal with tough dirt, complex surfaces and often harsh environments, where reliability of the overall machine is crucial.
Unlike the agricultural world, where we supply the pump as a built-in component for machines produced by OEMs, in the Cleaning sector our role is that of a manufacturer of complete solutions: we directly manufacture and distribute pressure washers and professional cleaning machines, such as floor scrubber dryers and sweepers.
In essence, these are two sectors that share a technical basis but have evolved on different trajectories: in water cleaning and Floor Care, the challenge is to combine performance, ergonomics and innovation within a finished, ready-to-use product intended for a very competitive, specialization-oriented market.
In the world of Cleaning, however, Comet has also become an important and established player worldwide. To what is this success due?
In the field of professional pressure washers, Comet has developed a range so complete and varied that it has attracted the amazement of the market and even of its more established competitors. For hot pressure washers, we are somewhat the industry benchmark.
Professional Cleaning, then, is a mainstay of the company: how is this sector evolving in Italy?
Comet is experiencing steady growth in this sector, thanks to market recognition for some distinctive strengths: a wide range of products, high build quality and reliability over time.
Business results confirm this positive trend. In addition, we are investing in the development of more and more advanced machines designed not only for traditional cleaning but also for specific applications in the industry. One example is our range of ultra-high pressure washers, which reach values between 500 and 1000 bar, ideal for particularly intensive and specialized uses.
And what are the most active and receptive sectors for your cleaning solutions today?
The health care and hospital, hospitality and hotellerie sectors, as well as industry and logistics, are strategic areas for us.
In these areas we are carrying out an important renewal process of our range, made possible thanks to cross-sector synergies between the different entities of our group. This internal collaboration enables us to develop more advanced, targeted solutions tailored to the specific needs of each sector.
Hot water pressure washers are a strength of your range. What advantages do they offer over cold water pressure washers and in what areas are they most used?
Hot water pressure washers provide deeper cleaning, especially when there is greasy, oily or particularly difficult-to-remove dirt. Heat enhances the effectiveness of the water jet while reducing the need for chemical cleaners: a benefit in both economic and environmental terms.
These machines find application in many professional fields:
- Agri-food: for sanitizing facilities, surfaces and equipment where hygiene is a priority.
- Automotive: for cleaning engines, chassis and bodies, where removing oil and grease is a must.
- Construction: for cleaning floors, equipment and construction sites after work.
- Mechanical and heavy industry: in plant and machinery maintenance.
- Agriculture: for cleaning tractors, livestock environments and equipment.
- Transportation and logistics: for sanitizing commercial vehicles, public vehicles and containers.
In summary, these are versatile, powerful solutions that are increasingly in demand in professional business where cleanliness is not just an aesthetic issue, but a functional and regulatory requirement.
In this specific segment, you recently launched the new Scout pressure washer: what are its strengths?
The new dark grey color, with its modern and eye-catching design, immediately won great praise for its compact and neat aesthetics. This is coupled with high performance, excellent value for money, high-grade components and easy and affordable maintenance, all elements that make it a comprehensive machine highly valued by the market.
What feedback are you getting from early users of the Scout?
We premiered it in early 2023, and right away it received excellent feedback from the market, with steady demand that continues to this day. It has quickly become our best seller among hot water pressure washers. In 2024 the model was completely updated, both in aesthetics - with a modern and attractive design -and in performance, thanks to the introduction of the EVO version, equipped with a more powerful, professional-grade pump.
The Scout was born as an evolution of the Patriot, a machine geared more toward hobbyist use. With the Scout, on the other hand, we enter a semi-professional segment, ideal for different users: small craftsmen such as plumbers, electricians or painters, as well as discerning individuals. It is in an underserved market niche, but one with real and growing demand.
The EVO version gained acceptance among professionals who were looking for top performance without having to invest in high-end machines, such as our KP range. It has hit a virtually virgin market segment and the 2025 sales results are fully confirming this strategic choice.
In a competitive market, what makes your hot water pressure washers truly distinctive?
One of our main strengths is our deep experience in this area: Comet has a long tradition in hot water pressure washers and was among the first companies to make this technology more accessible and versatile, compared to a time when it was almost exclusively reserved for heavy industry, with very large and complex machines.
Our competitive advantage also comes from the fact that we manufacture pumps in-house, the heart of pressure washers. This allows us to control the entire process and customize products to the needs of different market segments. We can thus offer a very complete range, from hobbyist solutions to high-performance professional and industrial machines.
Over the years, the market has recognized our ability to combine wide offer, quality of materials and 100% Italian components, always ensuring high performance and reliability. This has enabled us to become a benchmark in the industry.
In addition to pressure washers, do you offer floor cleaning machinery: what are the top products in the Floor Care range?
Our floor scrubbers such as the CPS 35, 45 and 50 are versatile models that can be employed on different surfaces - tile, concrete, industrial parquet - thanks to interchangeable brushes and adjustable modes.
These are energy-efficient models, with low-consumption motors and long-life batteries, reducing operating costs and environmental impact.
What role do versatility and energy efficiency play in your professional cleaning solutions?
Versatility allows cleaning solutions to be adapted to different environments and surfaces, improving operational effectiveness. Energy efficiency reduces consumption and costs, contributing to environmental sustainability and regulatory compliance.
Both are critical to delivering high performance with minimal impact.
We thank Daniele Malfanti - Comet Italy Sales Manager, for this pleasant insight into the world of Comet Cleaning. For an in-depth look at the world of diaphragm pumps for Agriculture as well, you can refer to the article:
The new BP-X agricultural pumps: Comet’s latest innovations for the agricultural pump market.
