IT ALL BEGAN WITH
NINE MECHANICS...
Aureliano Bassani
IT ALL BEGAN WITH
NINE MECHANICS...
Sacmi - Eighty years of growth and development
The history of Sacmi
ISBN 88-86123-97-3
Copyright 2000 Editrice La Mandragora s.r.l.
Via Selice 92 - P.O. Box 117 - 40026 Imola (Bo) Italy
Tel. 0542/642747 Fax 0542/647314
e-mail: mandrago@tin.it
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated,
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or
otherwise, without the prior permission of Editrice La Mandragora s.r.l.
Graphics by Roberta Rivano - Ag. Duerre
The watercolour on the front cover is by Germano Sartelli
Translated by Tecknotrad s.n.c.
6
Our story...
I
t seems that now is a good time to look back on the history of Sacmi.
In fact the idea to write this book had been in the minds of many
members of the company for quite a while but time flew by, decisions
were put off for another day and before we knew it years had passed by.
Now we are approaching the year 2000 and the twentieth century is about
to close - it would seem an appropriate time to write.
Sacmi has played an important role this century, not just in Imola,
and for this reason we wanted to relate the events which have marked the
formation and development of the Cooperative. We decided to give this
job to Aureliano Bassani who remembers the events himself and is a talented writer well-qualified to recount the eighty years of life of the company.
Sacmi was formed in 1919 - a difficult and turbulent year in the
immediate aftermath of the First World War. The main problem at that
time was unemployment - the difficulty of finding work for those returning from the war who were marginalised from an industrial sector already
in crisis. However, the nine mechanics and smiths who clubbed together
under the guidance of Romeo Galli and Giulio Miceti aimed to do more
than just support themselves and their families. Their idea was to build
up a business in the mechanical industry and - as stated in the original
company statute - “to set up one or more workshops to repair, buy and
manufacture machines...”.
At first the company’s business activities were restricted by the
7
The history of Sacmi
dictatorship in power at that time which spared no violence and threats
towards the members. This situation continued for over twenty years but
the company survived. During the Thirties, when the effects of the Great
Depression in America had repercussions on manufacturing and the
economy all over the world, Sacmi produced its first machine under its
own trademark: a cleaning machine for oranges.
It was, however, after the Second World War that Sacmi discovered the product that was to mark out its future. The Cooperativa Ceramica
di Imola, one of the companies worst hit by air raids during the war, needed
to start work manufacturing tiles again but their machines were damaged.
Sacmi’s mechanics repaired the presses (incorrectly referred to as printing
machines at the time) and, shortly afterwards, began to manufacture real
presses designed to form tiles. Step by step, Sacmi increased production
until it was manufacturing all machines (including kilns) required by the
ceramics industry for the production of tiles. The integrated range of
machines and equipment they produced became known as a “turnkey
plant”. Today, Sacmi covers all the needs of the ceramics industry and is
an international market leader.
At the same time as it was building up production in this sector,
in the immediate post-war period, the Group also began to construct
machines which make crown caps and, later, those which make containers for the food packaging industry. The Cooperative established two bases:
one in Sassuolo (for the ceramics industry) and one in Milan (for business
overseas). There was a high demand for Sacmi’s machines and their name
became known outside Italy. Associated companies and subsidiaries were
set up from the USA to China, from the Far East to South America.
It was a long and difficult path to success - but one that was faced
with tenacity every day by the men and women of Sacmi: general and
8
Our story...
specialized workers, technicians, operators of all levels and skills, engineers, designers and directors. The Cooperative established itself on the
worldwide market due to hard work, sacrifice, will-power and the wisdom
of its shareholders and employees. In this way Sacmi, which began as a
small workshop, has succeeded in becoming a major industrial concern
of international renown.
Today it is not easy to stay in the market and remain at the top.
The competition is keen and this means we have to be sharp, show perseverance and always be alert to new possibilities and opportunities. We
aim to be ready, if possible in advance, for changes in market trends and
the demands of consumers.
This book is intended as a thank you to all those who have worked
at Sacmi with such commitment and dedication. We are determined, as
we look to the future, to continue to follow the path of wisdom and good
management which was established by our predecessors and which has
characterised the Cooperative up until now.
Board of Directors
Sacmi Cooperativa Meccanici di Imola
9
The history of Sacmi
10
To the reader...
I
n addition to building itself up into an international industrial concern, Sacmi has also created its own history. As a chronicler of this
history I have limited my research to looking in news archives, jotting
down facts and figures in my note-book, interviewing people and personalities and then relating the various events which have marked the eighty
years of life of the Cooperative.
It is a human tale in which men have played a role as individuals,
as well as in groups of individuals, throughout life’s experiences: the hardship of the conquest, the hopes and disappointments, the calm and the
storm, the will to do one’s best and more, the light and the dark, the
pressure to make tomorrow better than today.
I knew right from the beginning that the task entrusted to me by
the Board of Directors was not an easy one. I was confirmed in my opinion as I went on. My friends from Sacmi have been marvellous helping
me and advising me with my research. In order to tell this history I have
had to bear in mind the times and the cultural background against which
it evolved and this has always indicated the direction to follow.
The history of Sacmi is not relevant to Imola only. It has taken
place within the wider context of Italian and world history over almost a
century. This is why my account touches, from time to time, on national
and international events. I hope the reader can indulge me in this choice
of narrative method and actually finds it useful in order to have an accurate picture of the life and times of the Cooperative.
11
The history of Sacmi
I would like to thank everybody who has helped me. First of all
the managers, directors and staff at the Cooperative. They have been patient, enthusiastic and extremely thorough in the help they have provided.
In particular, I am grateful for the help given to me by the secretaries of
the President and the Board of Directors.
My thanks also extend to other authors who have written about
Sacmi (Sergio Beltrandi, Benito Benati, Quinto Casadio, Vinicio Dall’Ara,
Tino Dalla Valle, Nazario Galassi, Valter Galavotti, Gianluca Pedrazzi)
from whose publications I have obtained important information.
I would like to give my most heartfelt thanks to all those bodies
and individuals who have helped me accomplish this piece of work. These
include the Town Council of Imola (with particular mention to the Director of the Council Library, Grazia Vittoria Gurrieri), Chiara Sabattani
Bertolini and the archivists of the Imola District Notary’s office, the
Statistics Department and the Registry Office, the head of the Imola
branch of the Records Office, Liliana Vivoli Paniccia, the Cidra association and its director Elio Gollini, the editors of the Imola newspaper Il
nuovo diario messaggero, the director and staff of the Bologna District
Notary’s Archive, the directors of the Banca di Imola as well as Daniela
Brescianelli Beltrandi, Maria Gabriella Bassani Piana, Silvia Bassani
Manelli, Carla Cacciari Donati, Alice Ghellini Dow, Alessandra
Giovannini Grumelli, Vincenzina Ricci Maccarini Belluzzi, Giuliana
Spadoni Costanzi, Lina Spadoni Pieroni, Rodiero Alieri, Giorgio Bartoli,
Cesare Barbieri, Benito Benati, Arrigo Casadio, Andrea Ferri, Ciro
Gasparri, Doriano Golinelli, Gianfranco Gualandi, Rino Marani,
Riccardo Miceti, Rino Morini, Carlo Parenti, Peppino Pelliconi, Giorgio
Penazzi, Franco Quartieri, Ezio Ramenghi, Gianni Sanna, Enrico Spisni,
Loretto Sullalti, Pier Paolo Tarabusi, Franco Tebaldi and Rino Vidotto.
12
To the reader...
I am also particularly grateful to the Public Relations Office at Sacmi
for their cooperation in editing this book.
A special thanks to all the organisations and people who have
cooperated and helped give this work an interesting and clear shape. In
particular, I would like to acknowledge the invaluable contribution made
by Cooperativa Galeati and the editorial team at La Mandragora.
These are the most important people to thank but I have undoubtedly forgotten somebody or something. Please excuse me if I have, I certainly did not intend to. If I have failed to mention anybody, please accept
my grateful thanks.
Sacmi, which I have compared to the legendary ship, the Mayflower,
sails the open seas to reach 100 years of life. Let us remember the company as it is and has been. Let us remember the first pioneers of the company, the past generations and the youthful influences which push it forward. Let us remember Sacmi as an excellent example of the entrepreneurial spirit in Italy and the world.
A.B.
The References are given in concise
form so that the reader can
immediately see where to find details
of any points of particular interest.
The notes under Other Sources are
an attempt at a small bibliography for
readers who would like to explore the
subject further.
13
The history of Sacmi
Italy after the First World War (1915-1918).
16
Italy after the First World War...
1
919 was the year after the end of the First World War. It was a victorious end to the war for the Entente nations (France, Great Britain
and Russia) and therefore also for Italy which had entered the war
late as their ally. The soldiers coming home returned to an atmosphere
full of fear, uncertainties, disappointments, rebellions and violence and
were particularly hard-hit by unemployment. The ex-servicemen were discontented and restless and sometimes mocked and derided. It seems a
contradiction in terms, but the war had in fact been a great means of
contact and communication. The soldiers at the front came
from the North and the South, there were Sicilians alongside
Piedmontese and Sardinians fighting together with Venetians
and Milanese. For the first time these people met and talked
together and the problems of one group were compared with
those of another.
The Italian proletariat was gathered together at the front
and for the first time an exchange of knowledge, ideas and hopes
took place. In fact it was the “ruling class” that spread the concept of
change with its propaganda. Lloyd George, the British prime minister,
said that the post-war world should be a new world and that, after the war,
1916. The renowned Alberghetti
technical school which educated a long
line of future Sacmi mechanics and
engineers.
workers should be bold with their demands. The rulers of Italy, heady
with victory, were not to be left behind. Vittorio Emanuele Orlando stated:
“This war is also the greatest social and political revolution in history,
greater even than the French Revolution”. Antonio Salandra also warned
Opposite.
1919. Porta Romana (also known as
Porta dei Servi).
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
17
The history of Sacmi
“Nobody think that, once the storm has passed, a peaceful return to the past is possible”1. So many empty words. So many
lies!
On an economic and social level in particular, but also
in other aspects, the post-war period was a disaster. “Allied financial aid dried up almost immediately, leaving Italy with debts
Via and Porta Mazzini. The
Alberghetti school was located just
outside this city gate.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
amounting to billions of lire. Subsidies for wheat producers and overexpanded war industries, as well as food benefits for consumers, were all
contributory factors which aggravated the inflation process and the budget
deficit whilst failing to alleviate hardship”2. In addition to the wholesale
destruction and loss of life (more than six hundred thousand Italians dead,
half a million maimed and disabled and more than one million injured)3,
the war was an economic catastrophe. In a letter to his electorate Francesco
Saverio Nitti wrote that the state’s expenses during the war had outweighed
income three times over. The state administration had accumulated a frightening deficit which was increasing all the time, while the military expenses
of a month of war had exceeded those of a full year in peacetime4.
The cost of living increased day by day leading to risings and serious social upheaval. However, Vittorio Foa warns that we should be careful not to exaggerate the idea of the communist threat during this period.
He writes that “the only real threat of subversion came in the summer of
1919 with the protests against the high cost of living which were largely
TASCA A., Nascita e avvento del
fascismo, La Nuova Italia, Florence
1950, pp. 16 and following pages.
2
MACK SMITH D., Storia d’Italia dal
1861 al 1958, Laterza, Bari 1961,
p. 501.
3
BASSANI A. Ca’ nostra, Galeati,
Imola 1965, p. 20.
4
MACK SMITH D., Storia d’Italia dal
1861 al 1958, p. 517.
1
18
independent of party or union leadership (with some exceptions - author’s
note). Instead they were spontaneous movements caused by hunger, unemployment and general disapproval of speculators. They coincided with
a widespread feeling of support for soviet Russia which was in danger
from the White Army in a relentless civil war and from the rash threats of
intervention by the English and the French. It was under these circum-
Italy after the First World War...
stances that many shopkeepers handed over the keys to their shops to the
trade union headquarters: - You have the power, take the responsibility
too -. There were subversive aspects in the agrarian struggles too, although
in a different way. The most reactionary section of the propertied class
must have been extremely fearful at this time. The upsurge of poor farmers with little or no land, the peasants and the farm labourers became an
important force. It was their response to the war which had left them
defenceless victims. The land the peasants occupied, above all in the South
and in Lazio, was uncultivated or badly cultivated but the question was when and where would they stop?”5.
In May 1919 strikes began to break out. One of
the first was the metal workers’ strike in Milan6. In June
and July they intensified. As previously mentioned, the
increase in the cost of living spurred the workers and
their organisations into action. They soon demanded
and obtained salary increases but the protests continued to gather momentum and finally accelerated out
of control7.
While Italy trembled and trouble loomed on the horizon, the
Imola (during the Twenties). The Old
Bridge on the Via Emilia lit up by the
electric street lamps and the snow.
government took control of the situation - performing what was, after all,
its duty - in the face of the difficult problems which arose in post-war
Europe. The Peace Conference (1919) which took place in Paris gave rise
to treaties between the victorious countries and the defeated ones (the
Treaties of Versailles, St. Germain, Neuilly, Trianon and Sèvres).
Cries of “mutilated peace” and “betrayed pacts” followed. Fiery
accusations, arguments and dramatic scenes took place. But what had
happened? In broad terms things went as follows. When, in 1915, Italy
changed sides (a little vice of ours) and switched over from the “Triple
FOA V., Questo Novecento,
Einaudi, Turin 1996, p. 98.
6
Corriere della Sera, 7 May 1919.
7
BASSANI A., Ca’ nostra, p. 23.
5
19
The history of Sacmi
Alliance” with Austria-Hungary and Germany to ally itself with the “Entente” powers of France, Britain and Russia, it signed the Treaty of London in which its main territorial demands were accepted. The United
States of America had also entered the war on the side of the Entente
allies. In 1918 the American president, Woodrow Wilson, proposed his
famous “Fourteen Points”. Here, he laid out his suggestions for the settlement of the European states at the end of the war, as well as listing other
ideas regarding freedom of the seas, free trade, self-government and independence for all people and, finally, the formation of a “league of nations” to which he gave great importance. The ninth point in Wilson’s
proposal suggested, in stark contrast to the principles enshrined in the
Treaty of London in 1915, that each review of Italy’s borders would have
to be based on “principles of nationhood”. At first the Italian representaThomas Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States
of America in 1919.
tives - Orlando and Sonnino - applauded Wilson and his “Fourteen Points”.
The delegates of the allied nations agreed with the American president’s
views. The Italian delegates were slow to realise “the rub”. Italy claimed
Dalmatia and its islands in addition to the Dodecanese islands in the
Aegean sea and a large part of Venezia Giulia. To this end, they brought
up the Treaty of London to bolster their demands. We made a poor show
of ourselves and we were not helped by the fact that Orlando and Sonnino
had different ideas. In the end Italy acquired the Brenner frontier with
the annexation of Italian-speaking Trentino and German-speaking Alto
Adige. To the east, Italian sovereignty extended to Venezia Giulia and we
also gained Trieste and Pola. Subsequently, by the terms of the Italo-Yugoslav Treaty of Rapallo on 12 November 1920, Italy also obtained the city
of Zara and certain islands, but Dalmatia remained under Yugoslavia. The
Dodecanese became an Italian possession following the Italo-Turkish treaty
of July 1923 and remained so until the end of the Second World War.
20
Italy after the First World War...
The controversy which grew out of the Paris conference stirred the already muddy waters of the political and
social Italian sea. The nationalists had their moment. In particular, the poet-playwright-soldier Gabriele D’Annunzio put
himself on the front pages of the newspapers with his activities. Also included in our, or rather his, territorial demands
was the city of Fiume. This was in Yugoslavian territory but
its people were ethnic Italians and Italian-speaking. Fearing allied occupation of Fiume, D’Annunzio, at the head of his “legionari”(mostly made up
Imola 1919. Piazza Vittorio Emanuele
II at the time of Sacmi’s foundation.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
of former shock troopers and grenadiers), took over the city and port thus
creating the “Reggenza italiana del Carnaro” until the Italian government
gave the order for the army and navy to occupy the stronghold. Not wishing to give rise to a civil war, D’Annunzio and his troops withdrew. Fiume
became a “Free State”. At the beginning of 1924, with the signing of the
Pact of Rome, Fiume was officially handed over to Italy and remained
under its formal sovereignty until 1945. The relationship between Mussolini and D’Annunzio was volatile, partly because of the war-like nature of
the poet and partly because of the Fascist leader’s possibilist standpoint8.
Also in 1919 (1918-1920), Italy was struck by the “Spanish ‘Flu” - a
pernicious epidemic of influenza which raged through the country causing much loss of life and even reached Imola.
Other sources
CASTRONOVO V. - PARIS R., Storia d’Italia, fourth volume/I, Einaudi, Turin 1975.
MONTANELLI I. - CERVI M., Storia d’Italia, 38th vol., Fabbri ed., Milan 1995.
BELCI C., Quel confine mancato - La linea Wilson (1919-1945), Morcelliana, Brescia 1996.
MACK SMITH D., La storia manipolata, Laterza, Bari 1998.
MACK SMITH D., Storia d’Italia dal
1861 al 1958, pp. 490 and
following pages.
8
21
The history of Sacmi
A cooperative of mechanics
is formed in Imola with its workshop
based in Via Manfredi.
22
A cooperative of mechanics...
I
n 1919 two new political bodies were born. In January the Catholicinspired Partito Popolare Italiano was created with Luigi Sturzo and
Alcide De Gasperi as its leaders. On 23 March the beginnings of the
Fascist party were established in Milan. At first the latter seemed a purely
Milanese movement which was based in Piazza San Sepolcro. The
sansepolcristi were a hotch-potch of individuals who were frustrated and
discontent with everything and everybody. They belonged to different
Fascist groups: arditi, dissident socialists, futurists, republicans, monar-
chists, trade unionists and conservatives. They represented a political
medley without clear ideas or aims. They were often violent and considered democracy a misfortune. Benito Mussolini, editor of Il Popolo d’Italia
was among these people - in fact he was their standard bearer.
At the political elections held on 16 November, Sturzo’s party
gained a hundred seats in parliament and the Fascists not one. In his
Storia d’Italia, co-written with Mario Cervi, Indro Montanelli argues that
the sansepolcrist Fascists did in fact have one seat. It was nevertheless a
complete failure, especially considering the fact that the Fascists originated
as a movement to compete with the Socialists (who gained 156 seats at the
same elections)1.
The force of nature also made itself felt - an earthquake hit Tuscany leaving 150 dead and around eight thousand homeless.
So what was happening in Imola at this time? In Imola the problems of unemployment and the high cost of living developed with increas-
Opposite.
First headquarters. The Cooperative
started business in the former town
gymnasium on the ground floor of an
old building in Via Manfredi. The
building was later knocked down to
make way for this block of flats on the
corner with the access road to the fire
station.
(Foto Gasparri).
MACK SMITH D., Storia d’Italia dal
1861 al 1958, pp. 501 and following pages; BASSANI A., Ca’ nostra,
pp. 24 and following pages.
1
23
The history of Sacmi
ing tension. It could not have been otherwise in the region where Andrea
Costa, one of the most charismatic fathers of Italian socialism, was born
and worked. Imola has always been a town of ideas and initiatives as well
as contradictions. It is a town which has always had a strong social conscience. Imola’s two bishops Gregorio Barnaba Chiaramonti and Giovanni
Maria Mastai Ferretti, who became popes Pius VII and Pius IX respectively, both occupy leading roles in the history of the Church.
In 1919 the population of the district of Imola was 37,200; 15,400
of whom lived in the town itself and 21,800 in the surrounding country
(approximate figures). There was no mayor but instead there was a prefect,
Nicola Falanga, and it is he who occupied the position of head of the
Imola. Top, Viale dei Cappuccini and,
above, Piazza Grande - two of the
favourite meeting places of Imola’s
workers. 1919-1920.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
town council when Sacmi was founded in December. In the same year
there had already been two others to occupy this position before him as,
in 1919, changes were taking place quickly, even in the field of public
administration. Most people in Imola were employed in the primary sector - agriculture. There was a modest level of activity in the industrial
sector. There were only 100 or so mechanics who mainly worked in small
workshops. The percentage of unemployed was pretty high and hit farmhands and other low-income labourers the hardest.
Inevitably, the over-heated climate of Italy invested Imola as well.
A general strike took place on 24 January in which three thousand workers participated. Another strike was declared on the evening of 16 April
with the aim of protesting against the fascist attacks in Milan where the
headquarters of the socialist journal Avanti! had been destroyed. The workers (amongst whom there were many women) showed remarkable unity.
They formed a long procession and held a meeting on the lawn in front of
the Carducci school (the former military hospital). Five speakers took the
stand: the socialists Antonio Graziadei, Silvio Alvisi, Romeo Galli and
24
A cooperative of mechanics...
Antonio Lorenzini and the secretary of the anarchist Fascio of Bologna.
No incidents took place.
Another protest was held on 1 May in which thousands of workers took part. The procession reached the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II
where the protesters filled the square. The speakers appeared on the balcony of the town hall.
By the end of June the situation in Romagna was out of control.
There was public disorder in the streets of Ravenna, Faenza and, above
all, in Forlì. Here several serious incidents took place on 30
June and, in particular, on 1 July. Groups of women overran
the market knocking over the stalls of vegetables, fruit, eggs
and fish. Some shops were looted. Shopkeepers closed the
shutters and put up signs such as “I have handed over the keys
to the representatives of the people”, “Goods offered to the
trade unions”, “I have handed over the keys to the mayor”. A workers’
committee was formed to lower prices and they decided to institute a
ceiling price. The committee took the name of Soviet Annonario (a Soviet-
The “Regina” spring - Imola’s answer
to Miami Beach on the banks of the
Santerno. 1920s.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
inspired committee set up to distribute food to people)2.
The news of what was happening in Forlì reached Imola. On 2
July the leaders of the local branch of the Socialist Party held an emergency meeting on the premises of the Trade Union headquarters. Everybody was concerned - things were happening fast and they wanted to take
control of the latent rising. The leaders of the Trade Union (inspired by
anarchists), who had decided upon a general strike, went round the town
and countryside until six in the morning to gather support. The people
gathered in Piazza delle Erbe and here similar disruptions to those in Forlì
took place. At this point, in order to prevent the demonstrations from
descending into chaos, the executive committee of the trade union and
2
Ibid., pp. 27 and following pages.
25
The history of Sacmi
the leaders of the local branch of the Socialist Party, together with the
representatives of the anarchist Fascio and other trade union representatives, banded together to make a joint announcement declaring a general
strike in protest against the high cost of living. The crowd, largely made
up of women, spread into Piazza Alberghetti next to Piazza delle Erbe.
The people railed against “those who starve society” and demanded goods
and food at half price, as established by the ceiling price hurriedly fixed by
the authorities.
Some shopkeepers, and the Magazzino Cooperativo, accepted the
imposition of this price. Now the town was in the hands of the rebels. A
large and threatening crowd had formed in front of the Ferrari grocer’s
shop in Via Emilia. Women were demanding oil for the midday meal.
Tired of waiting, they broke down the doors and entered the shop, storerooms and cellars and looted the entire place. The women jumped on the
shop furnishings, took food-stuffs and merchandise and even ripped out
Imola 1917. Santuario della Madonna
del Piratello.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
and carried away the shelves. A barricade was formed. Two policemen
and the captain of the Carabinieri called for calm and emplored the people to clear the streets. All in vain. One of the policemen, Noviello, wearing the three-coloured scarf, sounded the trumpet and ordered the gathering to disperse. But the crowd, rather than listening to him, became more
excited. A cavalry squadron arrived from Piazza Grande. A company of
infantry coming from Porta Romana joined them in Via Emilia. The demonstrators were trapped. But what was happening? When the order to
charge was given the cavalry did not move. The crowd cheered its approval
- “Long live the army!”, “Soldiers, you are our brothers!”. The cavalry retreated. On the other side the infantry did not move either and then they
too retreated on the orders of their commander. The crowd erupted - the
demonstrators had won. The union leaders called for the crowd to dis-
26
A cooperative of mechanics...
perse and make its way to the Trade Union Headquarters and a red flag
was hoisted on the bell tower of San Cassiano3.
Thursday, 3 July was a calm and sunny day. However the Socialist
Party and the Trade Union knew that they could no longer control the
situation. They could sense that new uprisings were in the air although
young Giulio Miceti, Vice-Secretary of the Trade Union, and others, tried
their best to reason with the most disruptive rebels. The protest committee voted unanimously to call a meeting to take place in the outer courtyard of the Carducci school that afternoon. They decided to announce
Imola, the railway station and square.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
that the strike would end at midnight that night. There must have been
about four thousand people gathered on the lawn in front of the school
that day. The group of adversaries (those belonging to the anarchist movement and the Trade Union which were both inspired by the same principles) placed themselves in front of the speakers’ table. Professor Alvisi
started to speak. He had barely announced the decision of the committee
when a scuffle broke out. There were shouts, insults and whistles from
the group gathered around the speakers stand. The speakers could barely
open their mouths for the hissing and booing. The meeting broke up in
disorder. The people turned back into Via Cavour and made their way to
Via Appia. Then a shot was fired, nobody knows by whom, and young
Irma Guadagnini was injured. The carabinieri and forces of public order
were lying in wait. At the so-called corner of the “four winds” - the intersection between Via Cavour and Via Appia - it would seem that some
carabinieri were attacked by hot-headed protesters and at this point serious violence broke out. In the part of town which stretches from Via
Cavour (cross-roads with Via Felice Orsini) to Via Appia and from Via
Appia (crossroads with Via Filatoio and Callegherie) up to the beginning
of Via Mazzini five people were killed: Livio Mongardi, a nurse; Sante
GALASSI N., Il fascismo a Imola
(1914-1929), University Press,
Bologna 1993, pp. 68 and 69;
BASSANI A., Ca’ nostra, pp. 32 and
following pages.
3
27
The history of Sacmi
Pirazzoli, a baker; Aldo Ferruccio Ungarelli, a travelling salesman from
Bologna; the seventeen year old Giulio Xella and the elderly Caterina
Landi. There were also several injured, in addition to Irma Guadagnini.
Cavalry and infantry squadrons patrolled the streets of the town and the
police made about fifteen arrests. Among those arrested was Giulio Miceti
who, in actual fact, had tried to calm down the situation. During the
night of that terrible day, the respected socialist Antonio Graziadei and
Giuseppe Bianchi, the General Secretary of CGL (a trade union) reached
Imola. Graziadei questioned Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior,
Francesco Saverio Nitti. The following day, 4 July, a large number of labourers did not turn up for work and many shops and businesses remained
closed to mourn the dead. The inspector general of the Ministry of the
Interior formally opened an inquiry. The funerals of the victims took place
on Saturday, 5 July4.
Another general strike took place on 20-21 July, but this time on
an “international” scale. It was declared by CGL and the PSI (Italian SoSnapshots of Imola.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
cialist Party) as a sign of protest against foreign military intervention in
the Russian civil war between the “Whites” and the Soviets. It turned out
to be a much discussed strike but only partially successful. In Imola, on
the other hand, the protests went well and public, as well as private services, came to a standstill5.
As I have previously said, 1919 was an extraordinary year. In light
of the train of events described we can add that it was also a year remembered for a series of anomalies (which were to be highlighted over the next
few years) and irrational behaviour. Our country felt like a ship which had
4
GALASSI N., Il fascismo a Imola
(1914-1929), pp. 70-71.
5
Ibid., pp. 72-73.
28
thrown its compass overboard.
Did anything good happen in that eventful year? Of course it did
A cooperative of mechanics...
- in Italy and in Imola. I am sure that, in Imola, the terrible shock of five
of its citizens dead made people reflect more than hate. The will to live
and overcome adversity of any kind was reinforced. Sacmi was founded
on 2 December having started business quietly the previous October6. A
few days later, on 12 December, the via Appia branch of the Credito
The legal deeds drawn up to establish
the Cooperative on 2 December 1919.
Romagnolo bank was inaugurated with Gino Toschi
as its manager. The local newspapers at the time were
advertising “Tamerisk Salts” for the relief of constipation. Each box cost 3.20 Lit. The price of a kilo of
bread was 0.80 Lit. Beef, veal and goose was sold at 5
Lit./Kilo. At the end of the year people were dancing
at the socialist club in the former Compadretti Palace7 as well as other places. As far as I know people
did not even give up the traditional dinner, although
they had to reduce their expenses in order to put it
on the table.
On 2 December 1919, nine mechanics and
smiths arrived at the Alvisi notary’s office in Via
Mazzini, Imola for an important appointment with
notary Arturo Filippini. They were accompanied by
two witnesses, Roberto Vespignani and Giulio
Miceti. The nine men were: Luigi Santandrea,
Filiberto Gamberini, Tiepolo Castaldi, Paolo Nonni,
Giovanni Bartoli, Guido Selvatici, Vincenzo
Franceschelli, Aldo Galassi and Armando Panari.
They were all from Imola, with the exception of Panari who was born
and lived in Mordano. They formed the Società Anonima Cooperativa
Imola Council Library (BCI), La
Lotta, 6 March 1921.
7
BCI, La Lotta, 28 December 1919.
6
29
The history of Sacmi
Meccanici Imola from which comes the acronym
SACMI.
The aim of the new company was “to run
one or more workshops for mechanical repairs, to
take on public and private work under the best
market conditions and to ensure that each worker’s salary would be directly proportional (as far as
possible) to his performance”. The company was set
up to operate for twenty years with the possibility
of an extension in the future. Registered headquarters: Trade Union of Imola.
The first Board of Directors was made up
of Luigi Santandrea, Filiberto Gamberini and
Tiepolo Castaldi. The corporate charter provided
for the election of a president although this was
not done at the time of drawing up the charter.
The regular auditors were Romeo Galli, Filippo
Balducci and Agostino Bedeschi and the substitute
auditors were Avanti Mancini and Gino Cerè.
It was also stated that it was possible to
become a shareholder in the Cooperative at eighteen years old. Each share had a nominal value of
1919. Two of the first company bodies
to be formed were the Board of
Directors and the Board of Auditors.
50 Lit. The total share capital was worth 4500 Lit. In addition it was
established that the standard period of apprenticeship could not be less
than one year. The strict principles with which the founder members
wanted to imbue the Cooperative are evidenced in Article 9 of the statute: “Any shareholder who does not conduct himself faultlessly at all times
both as a citizen and worker will be called upon by the manager to per-
30
A cooperative of mechanics...
form his duty. Then he will be suspended from his job and from exercising his rights as a shareholder in the company. If these measures do not
succeed, the shareholder will be dismissed. The decision to suspend a
member of the company is taken by the Board of Directors once they have
listened to the opinion of the auditors. The decision to dismiss someone
is taken at the Shareholders’ General Meeting. The member always has
the right of recourse to the Board of Arbitrators to appeal against this
decision”.
“All company profits” - states article 13 of the statute - “will be
distributed annually as follows: a) 25 per cent to the ‘mutual aid’ fund; b)
50 per cent to the Reserve fund; c) 20 per cent to the shareholders divided
Share certificate issued by Sacmi in
1925 to a member of the Cooperative.
proportionally according to the wages received; d) 5 per cent for promoting the cooperative ethos. If the share capital reaches 50,000 Lit., only
30% of the profits will be allocated to the Reserve fund and the remaining 20% will be assigned partly to the ‘mutual aid’ fund and partly shared
out among the shareholders”8.
Other sources
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, (1919-1994), publication for the 75th anniversary of its foundation,
text by Vinicio Dall’Ara. Statistics Department, Imola Town Council.
Library of the Nuovo Diario-Messaggero newspaper (ENDMI), Il Diario collection for the year
1919.
Registry office archives, Imola Town Council.
Imola branch of the Records Office (ASSI).
Sacmi’s historical archives (SACMIAR).
Imola Town Council Library Archives (ARBCI).
Archives of the Imola District
Notary’s Office (ANMI), corporate
charter and company statute of the
Soc. An. Cooperativa Meccanici
Imola, 2 December 1919; GALASSI
N. La Cooperazione imolese dalle
origini ai nostri giorni (1859-1967) con
aggiornamento fino al 1986,
Federazione delle Cooperative di
Imola, 1986, pp. 166-167; BCI, La
Lotta, 7 December 1919: “A new
Cooperative... We mark with great
pleasure this important initiative
which fills a much-lamented void
in our country - the creation of a
modest organisation to promote
more intensive use of agricultural
machines. We hope the new
Cooperative will soon prosper and
we are sure this will be the case as
the company shows all the signs of
having a reliable and disciplined
workforce who display maturity
and responsibility in their
actions...”.
8
31
The history of Sacmi
The years under the dictatorship
and lack of work.
The second headquarters
in Viale F. Crispi.
32
The dictatorship and lack of work...
I
n order to start up production, Sacmi obtained a loan in the form of a
subsidy of twenty thousand lire from the Banca Cooperativa Imolese.
Romeo Galli, a director of the bank at that time, took care of the loan.
Galli was the charismatic personality who was at the forefront of the cooperative initiatives in Imola. The idea to set up a cooperative of mechanics
came from him and Miceti - or, at least, in these two people the idea found
its principal supporters who could also turn it into a reality. The first small
workshop opened in Via Manfredi using the old gymnasium of the Carducci
school, which is in the present block of flats on the corner with the access
road to the fire station. The gymnasium was the property of the council
which rented it out for the modest sum of five hundred lire per year. Initially the Cooperative’s work consisted mostly of repairs and therefore its
income was fairly limited1. An advertisement which appeared in the local
socialist weekly paper informed readers “The Cooperative of Mechanics Via Manfredi, Imola - is able to carry out repairs to portable steam-engines,
Opposite.
The second headquarters of the
Cooperative located in n. 29/31,
Viale F. Domenico Guerrazzi which
became Viale F. Crispi in 1927.
threshing-machines, farm machinery, wine-making machinery and all types
of plants - thorough repairs - reasonable prices”2.
One of the main principles agreed upon by the members of the
Cooperative was to apply minimum salaries according to the union scale
and to do some unpaid overtime. This also applied to the managing director who received the same wage as an unskilled worker although he worked
in an administrative role. Moreover he was not a shareholder. The law at
that time did not allow those who worked in administration to be part of
1
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione
imolese, p. 167. Historical archive of
the Banca Cooperativa di Imola.
2
BCI, La Lotta, 13th June 1920.
33
The history of Sacmi
the group of salaried shareholders - the few exceptions did not break the
rule3. The first president of Sacmi was Luigi Santandrea and the first managing director Giulio Miceti. Miceti represents the very soul of
the Cooperative - with his intelligence and the great sacrifices
he made, it is he who gives us an insight into the human side of
the company. As we have seen, he was a militant socialist who
was on the secretarial staff of the Trade Union. He then started
up the Cooperative together with Romeo Galli. In the elections of 29 September 1920 he was elected town councillor of
Imola as well as councillor for the region of Bologna. On 1
October he was appointed Mayor of Imola. However he did
not take part in the regional council meetings where the Fascists had already started to take control over various public
bodies. Later the prefect dissolved the Regional Council and
Miceti was thus relieved of his duties. The Town Council in
Romeo Galli - leader of the Cooperation movement in Imola.
Imola was also subject to some of the first Fascist assaults. Mayor Miceti was
attacked on 16 May 1921 and received death threats, as did all the other
members of the council. The Miceti administration was forced to resign on
30 June 1921.
An event took place in those years which deserves to be mentioned
here as Sacmi was indirectly involved. In 1920 the lawyer Dino Grandi opened
his office in Via Luigi Sassi, on the corner with Via Emilia, in Imola. Grandi
was later to become the undersecretary at the Ministry of the Interior, undersecretary and subsequently minister at the Foreign office, ambassador in
London, Minister of Justice as well as President of the Camera dei Fasci and
the Corporazioni (but he was also to be one of those responsible for over-
Testimony of Riccardo, son of
Giulio Miceti.
3
34
throwing Mussolini and his regime). One day Grandi was shot at but fortunately was not hurt - in fact he was left without a scratch. A little while after
The dictatorship and lack of work...
the attempted shooting he went to Miceti (who was already Mayor of Imola
and editor of the socialist newspaper La Lotta) at the editorial office of his
paper in the Palazzo Compadretti. The Board of Directors of the Cooperative had also set up a temporary base here. Grandi claimed that he was not
a Fascist and in fact had sympathies for the socialist ideals of Andrea Costa.
He then went further and wrote a letter declaring the same and asked Miceti
to publish it in La Lotta. (Grandi also asked Miceti to pass a copy of the
letter on to the socialist weekly La Squilla in Bologna, edited by Silvio Alvisi
from Imola). Two days later, two individuals presented themselves in the
same office, threatened Miceti and demanded the letter back saying that
Grandi had reconsidered the matter and decided that he did not want anything published. Miceti did not give in to the threats and was adamant that
the letter would appear in the paper. That night a fascist squad forced its
way into the newspaper office and set fire to it having first found and taken
away Grandi’s letter. The fire destroyed almost everything including furniture and papers amongst which there were documents from Sacmi 4. The
minutes from the General Meeting held on 28 August 1921 recorded that:
“on behalf of the Board of Directors, the secretary gives a detailed annual
report for the year 1920, with great regret that neither the report nor the
balance sheet (which has been compiled by referring to the ledger presented
at the beginning of 1921) can be backed up with the standard documents as
these have been destroyed or burned during the forced entry of the Fascists
into the premises of the Board of Directors”5.
Giulio Miceti was the victim of further Fascist violence during the
second half of 1921, following which he retired for a while to the Republic
of San Marino where other opponents of the Fascist regime had also found
refuge. In 1926 special laws were approved to support the dictatorship. Having
been subjected to various arrests, beatings and harassment of all kinds, Miceti
ALBERTAZZI A., ARBIZZANI L.,
ONOFRI N.S., Gli antifascisti, i
partigiani e le vittime del fascismo nel
bolognese (1919-1945) vol. IV,
Comune di Bologna, Bologna
1995, pp. 276-277; GALASSI N., Il
fascismo a Imola, (1914-1929),
p. 179; CASADIO Q., Uomini insieme
- Storia delle cooperative imolesi, Ed.
La Mandragora, Imola 1996, pp.
352-354 under the heading
“Giulio Miceti”; AA. VV., Imola
Medaglia d’Oro, article by Giulio
Miceti Sindaco di Imola prima e dopo
il regime fascista, Comune di Imola,
Imola 1985, pp. 35 and following
pages.
5
SACMIAR, minutes from the
General Meeting, 1921.
4
35
The history of Sacmi
Two documents issued by the Imola
police allowing Giulio Miceti, who was
under surveillance, to leave his house
in order attend Board meetings at the
Cooperative. Miceti needed authorisation even if only to travel to Bologna
on company business.
was once again imprisoned on 4 December 1926. He was sentenced to three
years confinement6, “two years of which he spent on the islands of Tremiti,
Ustica and Ponza and in the prisons of Ucciardone in Palermo and
Poggioreale in Naples. Miceti was imprisoned on a pretext by the Special
Law Court but was later acquitted of the crime. During
his imprisonment, the management of the company was
taken over by his wife with the help of the company
auditor Elio Pagani”7. In 1926, two-hundred and seventy-six people were arrested and accused of having revived the Italian Communist Party. Eight of them worked
for Sacmi (including five founder members): Giovanni
Bartoli, Augusto Cassani, Tiepolo Castaldi, Vincenzo
Franceschelli, Aldo Galassi, Armando Panari, Giacomo
Ravanelli and Guido Selvatici. Armando Panari was
condemned to four years and nine months imprisonment on 23 July 1927 by the fascist Special Law Court.
He was pardoned and released on 24 February 1929.
The others were acquitted for lack of evidence. The cooperative member Giulio Vespignani moved to Turin
ALBERTAZZI A., ARBIZZANI L.,
ONOFRI N.S., Gli antifascisti, i
partigiani e le vittime del fascismo nel
bolognese (1919-1945) (see description beside each name).
7
SACMIAR, G. Miceti document.
8
SACMIAR, article by Benito
Benati in La Ruota, special edition,
75th anniversary of the foundation
of Sacmi, October 1994; ALBERTAZZI
A., ARBIZZANI L., ONOFRI N.S., Gli
antifascisti, i partigiani e le vittime del
fascismo nel bolognese (1919-1945),
vol. II, III, IV, (see description
beside each name); GAVALOTTI V.,
Dalla “bottega” all’industria - Origini e
sviluppi di una grande esperienza
cooperativa (manuscript).
6
36
to work for Fiat and soon after emigrated to France. He later went to Spain
to fight with the International Brigades against Franco’s army8.
Miceti was released on 28 August 1928. He returned to Imola and
went back to his job as the managing director of Sacmi. However, he was in
as difficult a position as ever because he continued to fall under suspicion
for his political beliefs. In fact he was viciously beaten up by the Fascists in
his office at Sacmi, which had by now moved to new headquarters at Viale
Francesco Crispi (which is Viale Domenico Rivalta today). On 11 February
1938, one of the founder members of Sacmi, Paolo Nonni, died. “The
The dictatorship and lack of work...
Cooperative issued a notice which included the sentence ‘we grieve for the
loss of our comrade’. Sacmi was condemned for using the word ‘comrade’
and Miceti took responsibility. As a result, he was again
beaten up while making his way to a restaurant with
the manager of the Sanatorio di Jesi. He was sentenced
to a further two years confinement on one of the Islands of Tremiti. The matter was, however, resolved
in about six months. Meanwhile, the management of
the company was handed over to Gianetto Santi (later
appointed director of the Banca Cooperativa) and
Miceti’s wife”9. At Nonni’s funeral, the Fascists were
displeased by the number of people who turned up
carrying red carnations and violence ensued. The day
after the funeral the Fascists arrested Andrea Gaddoni,
Romeo Galli, Flavio Grandi, Decio Marchesi and, of
course, Miceti - as previously mentioned. Decio
Marchesi, a smith who worked wrought iron, had already spent time in confinement on the islands of
Favignana and Lipari. He was now the victim of a violent attack when he was struck so hard on the mouth that his front teeth fell
out. He stayed in hospital for ten days and was subsequently arrested as a
result of his participation in the “funeral of the red flowers”. He remained
under suspicion for two years. Andrea Gaddoni, a mechanic, previously
sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment by the Special Law
Court for communist activities, also remained under suspicion for another
five years. Romeo Galli, a librarian and a leader of the cooperative movement, in addition to being beaten up in the square, was kept under surveillance for two years. Finally, Flavio Grandi, who had already served a sen-
SACMIAR, G. Miceti document;
Testimony of Riccardo, son of
Giulio Miceti: “I was bringing
lunch, in a small pan, to my uncle
Pietro Scheda, nicknamed Pirìta which was also the name of his
habidashery shop under the
Sersanti portico. I was about to
cross Piazza Grande when a man
said to me: E’t vest tu pè? (Have you
seen your father?) When I replied
in the negative he added: Va t’a cà,
purèn (Go home lad). At that
moment I understood that they
had beaten up my father”.
9
37
The history of Sacmi
tence of five years confinement in Pisticci, was watched for two years along
with Ventotene and Siderno. Five hundred people had come to Nonni’s
funeral. In his report to the Minister of the Interior, the prefect of Bologna
attempted to explain the presence of so many people and to justify the violence afflicted on certain respected and noteworthy citizens by writing that
the Fascists had “taught a lesson” to the “subversives” 10.
The oppression suffered by members of the Cooperative continued
into the next period of Italy’s history. Augusto Cassani, for example, was
actually deported to Germany for several months during the occupation by
Hitler’s army which had begun on 8 September 194311.
It was under this climate that the members of the Cooperative lived
until Imola was liberated by the allied army and partisans on 14 April 1945.
It was a climate of suspicion, persecution and violence. The surveillance
operations of the fascist state police had reached ludicrous proportions. For
example, every movement made by Miceti, even if he was merely travelling
in the Bologna area on business for Sacmi, had to be authorised with the
written consent of the police. Even when he had to leave the house in the
evening to attend a board meeting, Miceti needed authorisation from the
police12.
ALBERTAZZI A., ARBIZZANI L.,
ONOFRI N.S., Gli antifascisti, i
partigiani e le vittime del fascismo nel
bolognese (1919-1945) vol. IV, (see
description beside each name);
CASADIO Q., Uomini insieme - Storia
delle cooperative imolesi, p. 353.
11
SACMIAR, G. Miceti document.
12
Miceti family archives, documents.
13
GAVALOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria - Origini e sviluppi di una
grande esperienza cooperativa
(manuscript).
Three founder members of Sacmi - Luigi Santandrea, Tiepolo
10
38
Castaldi and Paolo Nonni - had qualified as repair mechanics at the Scuola
Industriale Francesco Alberghetti which was well-known even outside Imola.
The others had gained experience working in small local manufacturing
firms13.
As already mentioned, production was limited during the first years
of business. In a document signed by Miceti, are the words “at that time
there were no ambitious industrial projects even if, on occasion, people
The dictatorship and lack of work...
talked about such things with great enthusiasm. The prevailing economic
depression presented insurmountable obstacles. The local Cooperativa
Macchine Agrarie offered Sacmi its first jobs, entrusting it with the repair of
steam machines, threshing machines and other agricultural equipment.
Meanwhile, other members of the company, who held the licence to operate steam boilers, offered their services during the wheat harvest. The work
quickly developed, still within the field of repairs, to include kilns for local
tile factories in Lugo, Forlì and Russi as well as for other customers. At the
same time, hospitals in Imola and in the district entrusted the company
with the repair and maintenance of their equipment. Obviously other workers were also taken on as helpers and apprentices integrating with the rest of
the company. The equipment and organisation of the Cooperative were improved but there were difficulties of a political nature with the rise of Fascism.
In spite of this, the company continued to be managed in a well-organised
manner, to improve its technology and consolidate its finances”14.
The Cooperative extended its work to include the repair of machines in the milling industry. In addition, Sacmi’s mechanics collaborated
with the Cooperativa Laterizi to construct an air gas scrubber15. It was during
this period, as the small Cooperative started up production, that the Fascists came to power. They began by taking control gradually but then acquired absolute power through a coup which took place on 28th October,
1922. They were unexpectedly helped by the Savoy monarchy and, less surprisingly, by the Right-wing which, although not highly visible at the time,
The Alberghetti school in more recent
times.
(Photo by “Saluti da Imola”, “The
town photographed today”, Circolo
Fotografico Imolese - Grafiche Galeati
1985).
was nevertheless powerful. Mussolini went to the king and declared himself
to be “a loyal servant”. Mussolini then presented the monarch with a list of
ministers which the latter approved. The new government was made up of
the Fascists Benito Mussolini, who was Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary
and Minister of the Interior, Aldo Oviglio (Minister of Justice) and Alberto
14
15
SACMIAR, G. Miceti document.
BCI, La Lotta, 5 September 1920.
39
The history of Sacmi
De Stefani (Finance); the Nationalists Luigi Federzoni (Colonies) and
Giovanni Giurati (Free territories); the members of the Partito Popolare
Vincenzo Tangorra (Treasury) and Stefano Cavazzoni (Employment and
Welfare); the Social-Democrats Gabriello Carnazza (Public works) and
Giovanni Antonio Colonna di Cesarò (Post); Giuseppe De Capitani, a follower of the ideas of Salandra, (Agriculture), Giolotti-inspired Teofilo Rossi
(Trade and Industry), the philosopher Giovanni Gentile (Education) and
finally Armando Diaz (War) and Paolo Thaon di Revel (Navy)16.
It was a ministry created mostly for effect where the only person
with clear ideas and determination was, perhaps, Mussolini. The ministry
prepared the way for a dictatorship to be established in a country where
fascist violence had already taken hold.
However, let us return to the subject of our Cooperative. In spite of
everything Sacmi was working hard. After a few years of business the company realised that its premises in Via Manfredi were unsuitable and insufficient for their purposes. The Fascists were taking power in Imola’s town
The bridge on Viale Dante over the
Santerno River which was built during
the Fascist regime.
(“Libri Vecchi” Archive - Gollini).
council. On 5 January 1923 the council elected Count Annibale Ginnasi
from the Fascists’ list of candidates as mayor17.
The Cooperativa Meccanici, at its premises in the old school gymnasium, was like a thorn in the side of the Fascists. Sacmi realised that it would
be to the mutual benefit of both parties if they relocated. In 1925, with the
decision of the Board of Directors approved at the General Meeting, the
Cooperative transferred to new premises in Viale Francesco Domenico
Guerrazzi 29-31 (which was to be named Viale Francesco Crispi in 1927).
16
Storia d’Italia, cronologia 18151990, De Agostini, Novara 1991, p.
384.
17
Comune d’Imola, Venticinque
anni di statistica della popolazione
(1901-1925), Ed. Paolo Galeati,
Imola 1926.
40
The new premises were owned by the Cooperativa Ceramica di Imola which
had moved its factory from Via Quaini (on the corner with Viale Guerrazzi)
to Via Gambellara (now Via Vittorio Veneto). This had previously been the
site of the Cooperativa Vetroperaia which had become the Cooperativa Vetreria
The dictatorship and lack of work...
Imolese in 1912 but had closed down in 1914. In the rental agreement between the Cooperativa Ceramica and the Cooperativa Meccanici it was stated
that all restoration and refurbishment expenses were to be borne by Sacmi18.
Let us look at the first gradual steps of the Cooperative in some
more detail. The successors to Luigi Santandrea, the first president of the
company, were Tiepolo Castaldi, Aldo Galassi and Guido Selvatici who
alternated their terms in the position. The directors and company auditors
were re-elected every year. In accordance with Sacmi’s statute there was a
Board of only three members, including the president. In addition the
number of shareholders was limited for over two decades. I have thought a
great deal about the reasons why both the Board and the shareholders were
limited in number - a situation which came about through the express will
of the shareholders themselves. What is immediately evident is that this
situation allows everybody to share equal responsibility and commitment
when it comes to deciding company objectives.
No one person takes decisions but decisions are taken by everybody. By being so limited in its number the Board of Directors is able to be
flexible and efficient. The fact that the shareholders re-elect the Board every
single year at the General Meeting demonstrates their power, direct involvement in decision-making and ability to take prompt action and see immediate results. The reasons behind the restricted number of shareholders are
less evident and I do not feel it is my place to pass judgement. Relevant
factors may include: the aim of making management more efficient, the
general economic state of the country or the political situation.
The difficulties encountered and the cautious progress made by the
company can be seen from the figures in the annual balance sheets. Here I
will limit myself to quoting the most significant statistics: the share capital
(SC), turnover (TO), net profit (NP) and the number of shareholders and
SACMIAR, documents;
GAVALOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria - Origini e sviluppi di una
grande esperienza cooperativa
(manuscript), p. 31; BELTRANDI S.,
La Sacmi: analisi storica, problemi e
riflessioni critiche; Essay on Pagine di
vita e storia imolesi, Ed. Cars, Imola
1986, p. 238; GALASSI N., Il fascismo
a Imola, (1914-1929), p. 108.
18
41
The history of Sacmi
employees who are not shareholders. The balance sheet for 1920, which
also includes almost three months at the end of 1919, shows these figures:
SC 5,000 Lit., TO 73,026 Lit., NP 1,966 Lit., shareholders 10 and employees 4. In 1922: SC 17,500 Lit., TO 220,554 Lit., NP 1,670 Lit., shareholders
11. The following year, the company purchased a center lathe (although it
had to go into debt to do so). This required an outlay of 8000 Lit. which was
a rather large sum if one considers the size of the company and the value of
money at the time. This expense was felt strongly even though it had been
approved following heated discussions and there were few doubts that it
had been the right decision. A lathe such as this one, with a work table
which was more than four metres long, enabled the Cooperative to do work
that it could never have attempted before19.
In 1924 the “Cassa Mutua Malattie”, a health insurance fund, was
set up for the shareholders of the Cooperativa Meccanici. The fund guaranteed its cooperative shareholders that if they each made weekly payments
of five Lit. they would receive a daily grant of fifteen Lit. for a period of
ninety days a year in the event of their falling ill. The statute also provided
for other types of loans which could be granted if certain conditions were
satisfied20. This was an extremely important initiative because of its own
intrinsic value, because it was an example of the spirit of cooperation and
because there were so few other initiatives of its kind. The balance sheet
for 1924 showed the following: SC 19,500 Lit., TO 261,134 Lit., NP 775
Lit., shareholders 11, employees 24. The report by the Board of Directors
stated that the mechanical workshops were having to compete with each
SACMIAR, documents;
GAVALOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria - Origini e sviluppi di una
grande esperienza cooperativa
(manuscript) pp. 29 and 30.
20
SACMIAR, documents.
19
42
other. The income was therefore very modest. However the company was
doing well thanks to the technical superiority of its workers as well as the
fact that they offered reasonable prices compared to their competitors. As
previously mentioned, the Cooperative moved to Viale Guerrazzi 29-31
The dictatorship and lack of work...
in 1925. It was based in part of the premises of the Cooperativa Ceramica.
Reporting on the balance sheet for 1926, the president Guido
Selvatici informed the shareholders: “This year we are once again pleased to
present a report which provides evidence of the continuity, usefulness and
activity of the company... The most important bodies and largest factories
in the area prefer the services offered by our workshop...”. The balance sheet
figures were: SC 21,000 Lit., TO 379,303 Lit., NP 678 Lit., shareholders 1321.
On a national political level, 1926 was a “black year”. Fascist rule had developed into a dictatorship. The opposition members of parliament stepped
down. Newspapers who did not toe the fascist party line were closed down
or had their activity suspended. Non-fascist parties and associations were
dissolved and the Special Law Court was set up to defend the State. Fascism
21
Ibid.
became the master and judge over all. The constitutional agreement
(Albertine statute) was broken. The king kept quiet and gave silent approval
with his signatures. Giovanni Amendola (following a beating from the Fascists) and Piero Gobetti died. Antonio Gramsci was sent to prison and the
1924. The ‘Cassa Mutua Malattia’ (a
health insurance fund) set up by the
shareholders of the Imola Mechanics
Cooperative. Statute-Rules: 5th
Heading. Rights of the Shareholders.
43
The history of Sacmi
leaders of the opposition fled abroad. The mayors, following the reform of
local administration, were turned into podestà and appointed by the prefects
- i.e. the government. (In Imola Count Ginnasi was appointed podestà in
1927). One event in particular is remembered. On 10 June 1924 Giacomo
Matteotti, the leader of the largest opposition party, the Socialists, was assassinated by the Fascists22. Imola was also struck by a wave of 276 arrests of
anti-fascists, as has already been described.
The company statute of 2 December 1919 was amended on 29 May
1927. The modifications made reflect the changing times. Certain articles
were amended. Article 3: the Company is based in Imola, Viale Crispi 40
(and not the Trade Union headquarters - which in fact no longer existed,
author’s note). Article 4: on being admitted the shareholders must subscribe
to no less than 30 shares each (previously 10 shares). Article 5: new shareholders (only workers) must be 25 years of age (previously it was 18). Article
6: the period of apprenticeship must never be less than three years (previously it was one year). Article 13: the profits made by the Company will be
distributed as follows: a) 50 per cent to the Reserve Fund; b) 10 per cent in
favour of cultural and charitable institutions; c) 40 per cent shared out equally
among the shareholders [previously the subdivision was: a) 25 per cent to
the “mutual aid” fund; b) 50 per cent to the Reserve Fund; c) 20 per cent to
be divided among shareholders in proportion to their salaries earned during the same financial year; d) 5 per cent towards promoting cooperative
ideals. On reaching 50,000 Lit. of share capital only 30 per cent of the
profits would be distributed to the Reserve Fund with the remaining 20 per
cent being assigned partly to the “mutual aid” fund and partly to be shared
Storia d’Italia, cronologia 18151990, p. 408.
22
44
out amongst the shareholders]. Article 20: notice of when the General
Meeting is to be held will be announced in the newspaper Il Diario, which is
The dictatorship and lack of work...
published in Imola, as well as in Il Lavoro Cooperativo or other newspapers
which might replace these in the future ... [previously the announcements
had to be made in the newspaper La Lotta (suppressed by the regime - author’s note) or, if not, in the paper La Cooperazione Italiana...]23.
In 1927 the founder member Vincenzo Franceschelli died. Sacmi
bought his shares from his heirs for 1,750 Lit. plus 341,40 Lit. for accumulated profits in the reserve fund. The outcome of the balance sheet was not
much different from those of the previous years. The balance sheet for 1928
was, however, better. In that year Luigi Santandrea was president once more
and was working alongside Primo Ermanari and Tiepolo Castaldi as fellow
board members. The Board of Auditors was made up of Gioacchino
Zambrini, Antonio Tavanti and Nullo Gardelli. The substitute auditors were
Giuseppe Frascali and Renzo Masolini. The SC reached 19,250 Lit., TO
356,995 Lit. and NP 1,361 Lit.
King Victor Emanuel III came to Imola with Queen Elena and the
poet Luigi Orsini gave the official speech of greeting. There was much cheering and sounding of trumpets and drums but little changed on an economic and social level. The balance sheet of 1929 was also solid: SC 45,750
Lit., TO 491,233 Lit., NP 1,369 Lit. In that year Sacmi’s president was Guido
Selvatici, the Italian state made peace with the Catholic church24 and, in
New York, the stock exchange collapsed causing a difficult and long period
of economic depression in the United States.
Other sources
Testimony of Giorgio Bartoli, son of Giovanni.
SACMI Seventyfifth 75 (1919-1994).
ENDMI, Il Diario collection for the Twenties.
ASSI.
ARBCI.
SACMIAR, documents.
SACMIAR, documents; Storia
d’Italia, cronologia 1815-1990,
p. 426.
23
24
45
The history of Sacmi
The Cooperative
constructs the first machine
bearing the SACMI trademark.
Le bateau largue les voiles.
46
The Cooperative constructs the first...
A
t the beginning of the Thirties the dominating event was the
economic depression which had spread from America to Europe. America was daunted but nevertheless took action. In or-
der to try and stop further economic collapse and shore up unemployment,
construction work began in 1931 on the great sky-scraper, the Empire State
Building in New York (86 floors, 380m high). At Sacmi things did not look
too worrying. The balance sheet for 1930 gave these results: SC Lit. 47,500,
TO 411,687 Lit., NP 522 Lit., shareholders 13, employees 23.
For the first time in the balance sheet the item “Buildings” appeared under “Assets”. The item indicated was worth 102,820 Lit. This
was the value of the building (one part with an entrance on Viale Crispi
and two casupole* with an entrance on Via Framello) which was sold by
the Cooperativa Ceramica di Imola for 100,000 Lit. This sum was to be paid,
with the deposit of 14,000 Lit. already deducted, in sixteen yearly instalments of 5,375 Lit. each, in addition to interest of three per cent per year.
In other words this building on Viale Crispi (which became the second
headquarters in the history of the Cooperative) was acquired by Sacmi
Opposite.
Imola, 1930s. Beginning of production
of the machines for oranges. In the
photo one of the first of these machines
is exhibited in front of the company
headquarters in Viale Francesco Crispi.
with the aid of a mortgage and the agreement was a clear example of the
solidarity among the various cooperatives in Imola.
In his report, the president, Guido Selvatici, informed the company that the accounts for that year showed some decline compared to
previous years and that this was due to the general economic crisis which
* Casupole, meaning poor dwellings, is the word used in the text of
the notary’s deed.
47
The history of Sacmi
had badly affected the progress of the company. In fact, the president
remarked that production figures were down - 81,887.87 - although this
was clearly offset by lower figures for expenses: 30,363.84 Lit. for salaries paid out, 34,634.30 Lit. for materials used and 13,025 Lit. for general expenses.
In reality, the fact that the Cooperative was making only very
gradual progress was not necessarily a disadvantage but instead served as a
cushion to protect the company from the wider economic crisis. On the
other hand, the depression in Imola had started long before the collapse
of the New York stock exchange - it went back to the immediate post-war
period. Furthermore, Sacmi was certainly not in a position to build an
SACMIAR, documents; ANMI,
deed by notary G. Alvisi, 16th May
1930.
1
One of the three buildings of the
former sanatorium in Montecatone,
Imola. Sacmi played a large part in
the construction work. Today, thanks
to public and private investment, the
old hospital has been transformed into
an international centre for spinal
research and rehabilitation.
(Foto Gasparri).
Empire State Building1!
The face of Imola was changing in the centre of town, on the
outskirts and in the surrounding area. For a while people had been talking about the possibility of building a new hospital for patients with tuberculosis in the hills of Montecatone. The idea was supported by the
leaders of the local Fascio (by the political secretary in person, to be precise). The Cassa di Risparmio, for its part, had a similar project of its own
and “since 1925 had set aside the sum of 500,000 Lit. to build a quarantine hospital for consumptives, on the condition
that it was named after Luigi Paolini, the first director of the credit institute”. On 25 March 1930,
at the annual shareholders’ meeting, it was decided
to donate the sum of one million Lit. to CNAS
(Cassa Nazionale Assicurazioni Sociali), the forerunner of the current INPS (National Institute of Social Insurance) in order to contribute to the expenses of building the sanatorium in Montecatone.
48
The Cooperative constructs the first...
In the meantime the fund put aside in 1925 had reached 720,000 Lit.
The vice-president of the Cassa di Risparmio, Luigi Baroncini, took a particularly active role in this project2. At this point, CNAS - which would
become the Istituto Nazionale Fascista della Previdenza Sociale (Fascist National Institute of Social Security) - also carried out its initiative on behalf
of the people of Imola. Work began on 27 May 19303. The engineer Stefano
Padovani, later to become podestà of Imola, was put in charge.
Padovani assigned the job to the local Cooperative Consortium.
Several cooperatives in Imola won the contract for work. Sacmi was able
to sell its manufactured products in iron and offer its services for installing them. It was a great opportunity. INFPS was very pleased with the
Cooperative’s work at Montecatone and, as a result, Sacmi’s staff won
contracts for installations in several other sanatoriums built throughout
Imola, early 1930s.
The porticoes in the town centre in Via
Emilia (formerly Via Umberto I)
before demolition.
(Photo from the Ferlini Archive, Carlo
Parenti collection).
Italy4. By the mid-Thirties the sanatorium of Imola-Montecatone was up
and running. The member of parliament Bruno Biagi, President of the
Institute of Social Security, came to see how it was being managed and it
was actually inaugurated by the head of the government, Benito Mussolini, himself on 25 October 19365.
In 1931 the old Compadretti Palace was knocked down. This was
where the local branch of the Socialist Party, its social club and the editorial office of the weekly newspaper La Lotta had been based. In its place,
the Imola branch of the national workers’ clubs was constructed. The
following year it was inaugurated by the national secretary of the PNF
(Partito Nazionale Fascista), Achille Starace. Also in 1931, other buildings
were demolished in order to make way for the new complex housing the
Centro Cittadino and Casa del Fascio. A considerable tract of the porticoes
along the Via Emilia disappeared along with the apartments above and
the “delle Erbe” covered market. The latter “was a neo-gothic construc-
BASSANI, A., Via Quaini n. 13, Ed.
La Mandragora, Imola 1996, pp.
33-34.
3
GALAVOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria, p. 40.
4
Ibid.
5
BASSANI, A., Via Quaini n. 13, p.
34.
2
49
The history of Sacmi
tion which was not beautiful but had nevertheless captured the eye of the
people of Imola who by now regarded it with affection. Work on the new
building, designed by the architect Adriano Marabini, began in 1933 and
was completed in 1936. It included the actual Casa del Fascio with its tower,
the gallery of the Centro Cittadino and the town center branch of the Cassa
di Risparmio. It was all built, naturally, in the “Roman lictorian” style.
Mussolini inaugurated the complex on the same day that he cut the threecoloured ribbon at the sanatorium”6. Obviously Sacmi did not win any
contracts to carry out this particular job. Instead the company expanded
by doing other types of work: for the State Railways and for the Cooperativa
Ceramica di Imola. Ceramics was clearly part of Sacmi’s destiny. The
Cooperativa Ceramica, which had moved to its new headquarters, purchased
some new machines and, in particular, several clutch presses built by the
German company, Dorst, together with new intermittent and continuous
operation kilns. Sacmi’s mechanics performed maintenance work on the
machines and in this way came into direct contact with the equipment
used to manufacture ceramics products7.
Palazzo Vacchi next to the “delle Erbe”
covered market (later knocked down).
The Scarabelli Fountain is shown in
the little square.
(Photo from the Ferlini Archive,
Carlo Parenti collection).
We have already seen that the results of the balance sheet of 1930
were not particularly promising. The next two balance sheets were in no
way outstanding but cannot be judged negatively either. The Cooperative
had the misfortune to find itself burdened by customers who were involved in failed business activities and it had a run of real bad luck. The
shareholders’ meeting decided to take emergency measures. In order to
solve the financial problems “each shareholder agreed to work for an extra hour a day without payment until such time as the accounts were bal-
Ibid.
GALAVOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria, pp. 32-33.
6
7
50
anced”. All the shareholders kept to this agreement for the next two years.
In order to deal with the lack of work and to avoid laying off the appren-
The Cooperative constructs the first...
tices (ten people) it was also decided to work
in shifts (with a probable reduction of hours)
according to the requirements of the various
jobs. Clearly nobody was indifferent to the reduction in the working hours as their already
thin salary was further decreased. In fact, there
were several Saturdays when Sacmi’s workers
received no weekly pay packet at all. “Although
the social decisions taken allowed the Cooperative to limit damage and lessen financial problems over time for the
company, the same cannot be said for the workers, shareholders and nonshareholders, for whom the struggle to support their families remained
Imola, early 1930s. Demolition work
on the “delle Erbe” covered market.
(Photo from the Ferlini Archive,
Carlo Parenti collection).
the same as ever”. In these times great help was offered by the Magazzino
Cooperativo di Consumo di Imola (Consumer Coop). It was founded by
Romeo Galli in 1903 and was run by him for the next twenty years. Although led by a fascist prefect, the Cooperativa di Consumo provided all
working shareholders, if they could be vouched for by Sacmi, with coupons to buy foodstuffs in their shops with credit8.
At the shareholders’ meeting held on 31 March 1932, the president, Guido Selvatici, commenting on the results of the 1931 balance
sheet, said: “...The percentage share of general expenses has inevitably
risen in proportion to production figures despite our efforts to contain
it... This fact gives cause for concern and it will therefore be necessary to
look at expenses for the next financial year extremely carefully in order
to attempt to reduce them to a share which does not exceed 10-12 percent of production figures”. The president also pointed out the worrying fact that receivables due from clients whose businesses had closed
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 239.
8
51
The history of Sacmi
down were irrecoverable due to the economic depression still in progress.
The following year, at the shareholders’ meeting on 2 April 1933,
the acting president, Aldo Galassi, making his remarks on the balance
sheet for 1932, stated: “We are pleased to be able to present you, at the
end of another difficult year, with a balance which shows reasonably satisfying results... During the financial year of 1932 we have had no alternative but to start working in shifts with the consequent reduction in working hours. This has been a necessity which few other companies have been
able to escape under present circumstances...”. The president then gave
some news which offered some hope: “To compensate for the lack of work
in the area, the Board of Directors has had to look for new business openings. It has therefore worked hard to design and manufacture cleaning
and grading machines for oranges which, in their first year, have already
produced promising results.
Another area which the Cooperative should now start to concentrate on, and which it is already preparing for, is the repair of lorries.
This should ensure continuous work with the prospect of growth”. A
summary of the balance sheet for 1932 is as follows: SC 54,000 Lit., TO
313,438 Lit., NP 1,775 Lit., shareholders 13, employees 10. The auditor, Vico Mondini, who had joined the team of auditors in 1931, intervened to warn that “the voting (for the company positions, author’s note)
should be completely free from any political or union influences. The
Ente Nazionale Fascista della Cooperazione wants the elections inside the
cooperatives to take place in unrestricted conditions and wants the shareholders to choose whoever they feel is the best person to perform the
functions of manager”. It was the first time that the voice of the fascist
regime was heard inside the company. Naturally the shareholders voted
9
52
SACMIAR, documents.
according to their own criteria and good sense9.
The Cooperative constructs the first...
There is an interesting story behind the machines for oranges. In Imola
there was a top fruit and vegetable export company named Sassi & Tesei.
They also had a branch in Lentini
(Siracusa) where they bought and
dealed in large quantities of citrus fruit. The Imola branch had
been informed by its colleagues
in Sicily that the oranges had a
dark coating known as “la nera”
which was restricting sales. Cleaning the oranges by hand was too
lengthy and costly a process. In Sicily they
had a machine to clean the fruit which had been
manufactured in Spain but it did not work very well and the fruit growers
were not happy with it. The problem was discussed at Sacmi and they
Cleaning and brushing machine for
citrus fruits.
decided to send Luigi Santandrea to Lentini to help. Santandrea investigated, took notes, made sketches and came back to Imola. He had a good
eye for an opportunity. He could see that Sacmi could make a new machine which would be more modern, efficient and practical. He consulted
the Board and other shareholders and everybody agreed with his proposal.
They then set about making some prototypes. The project captured the
imagination of the young industrial engineer Carlo Nicoli, who got down
to work with intelligence and enthusiasm. Nicoli was later to become
manager of Cogne when the war ended and the arms factory was converted back into a peacetime manufacturing company.
In due course, the machine was manufactured and carried the
53
The history of Sacmi
Sacmi trademark. It cleaned and sorted fruit according to their grade.
The problem of “la nera” had been eliminated. However the market still
had to be won over as there was plenty of competition. The company
therefore decided to rent a warehouse in Sicily for over a year and to
install some Sacmi machines in it to see how they would run. Fortunately the machine was a success - Sacmi had achieved its goal and, as a
result, sales figures improved. Luigi Santandrea, who had gone back to
Sicily and Calabria during the fruit harvest to take
orders, receive the new machines being delivered and
help customers, was rewarded with the position of
President of Sacmi10.
Sacmi now had its own product and brand
name. At this point it had become a well-known name
in industry. This step forward was also evidenced in
the balance sheet. At the shareholders’ meeting held
on 21 March 1937, the president, Luigi Santandrea,
Citrus fruit handling plant in Sicily.
unable to hide his satisfaction, informed the company: “In presenting the
balance sheet for 1936 we can only describe ourselves as extremely pleased
with the results, especially if one considers the numerous difficulties of a
practical and economic nature which we have had to overcome. The practical difficulties have been those related to the restrictions and controls in
the metals market imposed by the State for a higher necessity (perhaps the
Ethiopian war or the beginning of the Spanish Civil War?, author’s note).
The economic difficulties, which are also a result of the previously men-
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 240; GALASSI N., Il fascismo a
Imola, (1914-1929), p. 188;
GALAVOTTI, Dalla “bottega”
all’industria, pp. 35 and following
pages; SACMI Seventyfifth 75.
10
54
tioned problems, have arisen due to the fact that we have had to make
various advance payments or payments with little credit allowed while
being unable to demand the same from our own customers...”. A summary of the balance showed these figures: SC 90,500 Lit., TO 852,119
The Cooperative constructs the first...
Lit., NP 4,069 Lit., shareholders 13, employees 16. These are still not
huge figures but Sacmi began to make real progress during this period
despite the fact that Italy was, at the time, under the control of a totalitarian state and war was looming in Europe. The Board of Directors was
maintained in its present form and the members were: Luigi Santandrea,
President; Tiepolo Castaldi and Rodolfo Galassi, Directors. The Board of
Auditors was made up of Professor Guglielmo Romiti (Auditor General),
Elio Pagani and Antonio Tavanti. The substitute auditors were Renzo
Masolini and Arturo Frascali. The managing director was Giulio Miceti,
general manager Giovanni Bartoli and factory manager Primo Ermanari.
In 1938 the cooperative shareholder Paolo Nonni died and a great
crowd attended his funeral. There were so many red carnations carried by
the people walking behind the coffin - too many for the fascists who were
greatly angered. The next day in Piazza Grande - as previously mentioned
- a team of blackshirts attacked and beat up Galli, Miceti and others. The
annual shareholders’ meeting was held on 30 March. Mario Tosarelli,
secretary of the regional fascist Federazione della Cooperazione was present.
Tosarelli listened to the proceedings and kept silent. Luigi Santandrea
addressed the shareholders: “At this stage in the development of our company we must take care to maintain a good relationship with those bodies
who can offer the highest probability of work and deliver the required
One of the first Sacmi trademarks.
ferrous materials, such as INFPS and FF.SS. We have given and must continue to give a push to the manufacture of cleaning machines for citrus
fruit, work which has developed satisfactorily this year, even if it has not
yielded the income we had hoped for...”. A new law established that the
auditors should remain in their position for three years and should receive remuneration. This was fixed at three hundred Lit. per year for each
regular auditor. The auditors Elio Pagani and Antonio Tavanti resigned
55
The history of Sacmi
and new ones were elected to take over: Giuglielmo
Romiti, Auditor General; Gaetano Gambetti and
Ettore Siboni as regular auditors. The substitutes
remained the same: Renzo Masolini and Arturo
Frascari.
Tosarelli once again attended the meeting
the following year (5 March 1939). Clearly Sacmi
was being kept under control. President Santandrea
presented the report: “The manufacture of cleanSorting machine with round rubber
belts and twelve exit lanes.
ing machines for citrus fruit has progressed satisfactorily this year too. The
customer base has expanded allowing the company to retain a good number
of workers”. The company voted for the new Board with the following outcome: Luigi Santandrea, President, Tiepolo Castaldi, Director, Aurelio
Mingotti, Vice-President. At this point Tosarelli interrupted. He addressed
the shareholders and started to speak. The room fell silent. Tosarelli praised
the Cooperative for its progress and the harmony among the members.
This shameless secretary of the fascist organisation strongly advised the shareholders that the Company should bring itself into line with the requirements of the regime. There was no mention of Paolo Nonni and hollow
words were spoken regarding the violence suffered by honest and respected
citizens. The results of the balance sheet for 1938 showed these figures: SC
97,500 Lit., TO 1,336,267 Lit., NP 6,734 Lit., shareholders 15 and the
number of employees remained the same11.
Meanwhile many important events were taking place in Italy and
Europe. Mussolini conquered Ethiopia and declared the Empire (3rd
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
11
56
October 1935 - 9th May 1936). Victor Emanuel III became Emperor of
Ethiopia (the Ethiopian monarch Hailé Selassié went into exile in Lon-
The Cooperative constructs the first...
don). Mussolini declared himself “founder of the empire” and Marshal
Badaglio, commander of the victorious troops, was appointed Viceroy of
Ethiopia and Governor. So much rhetoric, so many vainglorious boasts!
In Spain, on 17 July 1936, the falangist general Francisco Behamonde
Franco started the Spanish Civil War. In Spanish Morocco he overthrew
the legitimate republican government, conquered the colony and then
went on to Spain and started to fight against the army of the Republic,
which he defined as the most advanced example of “international communism”. Hitler and Mussolini, and therefore Germany and Italy, sent
troops to help the general. The USSR supported the Republican army of
Spain and were joined by other anti-fascists from Europe and America
thus creating the “International Brigades”. The war ended with the victory of General Franco and the falangists on 1 April 1939.
Hitler’s Germany re-armed itself heavily and started to “play the
bully”. Germany annexed Austria in this year and, in Hungary, Hitler
supported the actions of Admiral Horthy von Nagybania
who was declared “regent” by a constituent assembly.
Horthy remained on the side of Hitler and Mussolini.
Germany also wanted Czechoslovakia but at this France
and England dug their heels in. They arrived within a
millimeter of war. In order to avoid this (but maybe it
was just a tactical move) the English and French Prime
Ministers, Chamberlain and Daladier, met Mussolini
and Hitler at Munich, in Bavaria, on 29 September 1938. Mussolini took
the role of chairman at the discussions; they agreed on a compromise but
it was only an artifice to shuffle papers and gain time. In fact, only a short
Imola (1939 - 1940). Parades.
The “winds of war” begin to blow.
(Photo from the Ferlini Archive,
Carlo Parenti collection).
time after this meeting, Nazi Germany swallowed up Czechoslovakia. Next,
the Nazis installed themselves in the “free city” of Danzig. On the 23
57
The history of Sacmi
August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union signed a pact of non-aggression and a secret protocol for the partition of Poland. On 1 September
1939 Germany invaded Poland. On the 3rd Great Britain and France
declared war on Germany. On the 17th the armies of the Soviet Union
invaded Poland from the East. So began the tragedy of the Second World
War. Fascist Italy was allied with Hitler’s Germany. Our country did not
enter the war immediately - it hesitated and took its time and was not
ready militarily. Italy declared “neutrality” and, for a time, Mussolini passed
for a man of caution and prudence. His Spanish friend Franco behaved
in the same way but was not allied with Hitler. Italian neutrality lasted
nine months and ten days. New laws restricting the freedom of Jews were
passed12.
On 1 September 1939 (a truly fateful day) arms production began
at the Cogne factory in Imola. The new plant was located on the former premises of the sugar-refinery which
was later the site of the provisional military barracks.
Around fifty workers started production13.
In the last years before the war Sacmi continued its production. The machines for oranges were going well but the company also started to manufacture
mixing machines for food and chemical products14. At
Set of gauges for fruit - manufactured
by Sacmi.
the special meeting held on 29 October 1939 it was established that the
company statute was to run for a further twenty years and would expire on
2 December 1959 unless extended again.
12
Storia d’Italia, cronologia 18151990, pp. 471 and following pages.
13
GALAVOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria, p. 55.
14
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
pp. 241-242.
58
Twenty years had already passed. It seemed like the blink of an eye
- or an eternity. At the annual meeting of the shareholders (4 March 1940)
the president, Santandrea, gave his report of the balance for 1939 with
the announcement that production had decreased. The price of metals
The Cooperative constructs the first...
The 1930s.
Sorting table (roller conveyor).
had gone up. The company had started doing business with military bodies in order to gain work. However, such an initiative was to involve considerable sacrifice because, with its present range of equipment, the Cooperative workshop could do little - both from a technical point of view as
well as in terms of production costs. The shareholders voted to renew the
Board of Directors. They elected Aurelio Mingotti, President; Giovanni
Ferri, Director, Arrigo Casadio, Vice-President. In addition, two consultants were appointed as board members; Tiepolo Castaldi and Giovanni
Bartoli. The results of the balance were: SC 82,750 Lit., TO 921,741 Lit.,
NP 5,282 Lit., shareholders 15, employees 4015.
Other sources
ENDMI, Il Diario collection for the Thirties.
FOA V., Questo Novecento.
GALASSI N., Imola dal fascismo alla liberazione 1930-1945, University Press, Bologna 1995.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
15
59
The history of Sacmi
War, liberation and recovery.
60
War, liberation and recovery...
1
0 June 1940 was the sixteenth anniversary of the assassination of the
secretary of the Socialist Party, Giacomo Matteotti, who was kidnapped
and stabbed to death in Rome (the corpse was even concealed) by Fas-
cist assassins. Mussolini had no respect for adversaries and still less for the
anniversary of the physical removal of one of them. It was on this day that
the Italian populace was summoned to gather in all the squares throughout
the country and Mussolini announced that Italy had declared war on Great
Britain and France. How many people stupidly said “yes” to war! The war
immediately took the form of “blitzkrieg”. Almost all of continental Europe
came under the control of the Germans or governing regimes collaborating
with the Nazis. France was humiliated, perhaps more by us than by the
Germans. Part of the French army and what remained of the English troops
succeeded in crossing the Channel and landed in England. London and
other English cities were suffering intense bombing by the German airforces.
It seemed as though the war would shortly be over with Hitler victorious.
However, England fought tooth and nail to defend itself and put up strong
resistance. At this time Hitler’s army began to move against the Soviet Union, forgetting the disastrous experiences of Napoleon. Italian soldiers were
Opposite.
Panorama of the town of Imola after
the air raids of May 1944.
(Archive of Imola’s CIDRA organisation which holds documents relating to
modern history and, in particular, the
Resistance).
also swallowed up by the tumult of war. In general they fought with honour
but were short of arms, clothing and provisions. Above all they did not
know what they were fighting for. On 7 December 1941 Japan, allied with
Italy and Germany, attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. This
led to the United States entering the war against Japan, Italy and Germany.
61
The history of Sacmi
It can truly be said that the whole world was thrown into disorder by the
war. Millions of human lives were sacrificed in a war characterised by hate
and senselessness - the holocaust of the European Jews, the extermination
of peoples and soldiers in Russia. Then it was the turn of Germany to undergo heavy bombardment in allied air raids and Japan to suffer huge losses
caused by the atomic bomb1.
“At the beginning of 1940 Sacmi had to start up production of
various orders for the army. This decision was imposed on them by events
and by higher powers. In contrast to the experiences of large capitalist companies, production of this type had little economic advantage for the Cooperative and the orders yielded little profit. The only positive aspect was
that manufacturing weapons for the army meant working to designs within
strict limitations and complying with well-defined standards - methods
which, up to that time, had never been applied to traditional production.
Various problems arose; the machine operators at Sacmi would have to expand their
knowledge of mechanical design, a way
needed to be found to produce absolutely
identical pieces and, finally, more advanced
production methods (which would be useful
in the future) would have to be put into practice throughout the factory. Also during this
period... salaries were kept low - around 30
per cent lower than those earned at Cogne,
The 1940s. A group of young factory
workers.
Storia d’Italia, cronologia 18151990, pp. 477 and following pages.
1
62
which was the plant founded in 1939 in Imola for arms production. However, thanks to its weapons production orders, the Cooperative was able to
obtain metals from the War Department which were not otherwise available and could be used for other jobs. In this way they were able, albeit in a
War, liberation and recovery...
limited manner, to keep up with the market in other areas of business” 2.
In fact, the Board report regarding the balance sheet for 1940 tells
us that “the company has, as far as possible, been able to meet the high
demands determined by the situation in which the Nation currently finds
itself. Under the circumstances it has not been easy to adapt and we have
not yet fully adapted. However, we have succeeded in part and must continue to make changes, not only as far as technology and the factory’s equipment is concerned, but also to create a new mentality whereby the shareholders, as well as other staff, move away from conventional work methods.
These methods must be completely revised and re-organised. This needs to
be done not just to obtain better financial results, but also because each of
us has a duty to work and make sacrifices in order to contribute to the
Nation’s war effort (the capital letters are in the text of the minutes, author’s
note)”. Paris vaut bien une messe, “Paris could well do with a mass”, Henry IV
of France is said to have remarked when he converted from Protestantism
to Catholicism. For their part, the Cooperative’s auditors concluded the
meeting with even more emphatic words: “In closing this report we would
like to invite you to join us in sending our most heartfelt wishes to all our
Soldiers and, in particular our Comrades in Arms who, at this decisive
hour for the fortunes of our homeland, are fighting for a better place in the
world for our people”3. How pleased the shareholders must have been to
hear those words. The figures for the balance sheet were: SC 84.750 Lit.,
TO 1.585.373 Lit., NP 15.675 Lit., shareholders 13, employees 66. This was
the highest number of staff reached by the company since its foundation.
The Board of Directors was re-elected in the same form4.
These were difficult years, in all senses. “The new employees, all
extremely young and most recruited from the local industrial school, became indispensable in order to institute the double and triple work shifts
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 242.
3
SACMIAR, documents.
4
Ibid.
2
63
The history of Sacmi
and to operate the machine tools. The number of machine tools was increased and their quality improved at this time. Working overtime had become the norm. It was not unusual to work twelve hours a day, even for
shift-workers, in order to meet deadlines which were often brought forward
by the War Department. In 1942 the company chalked up a turnover of
2.703.709 Lit. which was the highest figure during that period. Share capital was brought up to 110.750 Lit. It was not always easy to maintain staffing
levels under the circumstances. Many young men were called up to fight in
the army and others, having acquired experience over a short period, moved
on to Cogne where they could earn higher wages. Some preferred to continue with their studies and were only able to do temporary or seasonal
work. The turnover of personnel was therefore high and certainly did not
help consolidate the staffing structure of the Cooperative5. The company
headquarters also represented a difficult problem. The workshop was small
and inadequate from a logistical point of view. All the shareholders knew it
and discussed it every day. A special meeting was held on 21 January 1942 at
which the shareholders decided to buy a piece of land to build new headquarters in Viale Marconi on the corner with Viale Pambera6. However, the
land was sold to somebody else the year after. This was partly because the
Cooperative had no money and the war was going badly but it was mainly
due to the fact that the ministers in question (the minister for Corporations
and the minister for Public Works) did not give the required authorisation.
The plans for new headquarters had already been drawn up by the architect
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche.
6
ANMI, notorial deeds, G. Alvisi,
2 January 1942; SACMIAR,
documents.
7
ANMI, notorial deeds, G. Alvisi,
28 July1943; SACMIAR, documents.
5
64
Romiti Peccato7.
Mussolini’s dictatorship fell due to a “palace plot”. It is written in
the Gospel that “all those who take up the sword, will die by the sword” (Mt
26, 52). Remember the lawyer Dino Grandi who went to Miceti at the
editorial office of the Lotta newspaper because he wanted to print a letter
War, liberation and recovery...
challenging fascism? Now president of the Camera dei Fasci and the
Corporazioni, this man, in agreement with other members of the fascist hierarchy, presented a motion to the Fascist Grand Council convoked in the
afternoon of 24 July 1943. They had lost all confidence in Mussolini and
asked for the king to take back all powers of decision, as stated in article 5 of
the statute of the kingdom. The motion obtained the majority of the votes.
It was 25 July when Mussolini had an audience with the king who told him
that he had been replaced by Marshal Pietro Badoglio. He was then arrested
as soon as he left the Villa Savoia. The whole of Italy rejoiced. The event was
celebrated in Imola where, during a mass demonstration on 27 July, Romeo
Galli, Silvio Alvisi, Egidio Lenci and others spoke to the large crowd from
the balcony of the Town Hall. The people also sang the praises of Badoglio
but he was to turn out to be a tough leader. He ordered a curfew to start at
nine in the evening and last until five in the morning. Only a small number
of political detainees were released - most came out of prison at the beginning of August - as the new government feared popular uprisings. The political parties who were against Fascism were not officially authorised to reform. The Anglo-American forces had already landed in Sicily and their
aircraft were dropping bombs on the larger Italian cities. Destruction and
death followed. Italy’s ordeal had just begun8.
At 7:45 on the evening of 8 September 1943, Badoglio announced
on national radio that Italy had asked General Eisenhower, the commanderin-chief of the allied Anglo-American forces, for an armistice and that the
request had been accepted. The Germans were incensed and stood their
ground. On the same day, 8 September, the allied forces landed at Salerno.
The government was panic-stricken and confusion, rather than the king,
reigned. The royal family, the prime minister, some other ministers and a
small group of generals fled Rome and sought refuge in Pescara. In Ortona
BASSANI A., Via Quaini n. 13, pp.
54 and 55.
8
65
The history of Sacmi
they boarded an army corvette and reached Brindisi, where there were neither Germans nor British or American forces, with the intention of continuing the royal dynasty and government. In Rome and in other parts of
the country military leaders found themselves without orders. One unit of
the army, helped by civilians, put up a heroic fight at the Porta San Paolo in
Rome but were overpowered by the Germans. Other detachments in the
area also fought desperately against the German soldiers. It was the beginning of the Resistance. The troops defending Rome capitulated and were disarmed and imprisoned by
the Germans. Senior officials no longer knew
what to do or who to follow. The soldiers, finding themselves without orders, deserted. When
and where they could, they tried to reach their
homes - others took the road to the mountains. They organised themselves into small
1944. Imola, the entrance to the
Cooperativa Ceramica plant. The
photograph shows craters formed by the
bombs which fell in Via V. Veneto.
(Cidra archive).
military bands and attempted to resist the Germans but it was an unequal
struggle - in fact a grossly unbalanced one. Mussolini was rescued by Hitler’s
parachutists at Campo Imperatore, Gran Sasso and taken to Hitler’s general quarters. On Radio Munich Mussolini announced to the Italians that
the Republican Fascist Party and a new Republic had been founded in the
northern regions of Italy still occupied by the Germans. Mussolini came
back to Italy and formed a government which convened for the first time in
the Rocca delle Caminate castle. On 13 October 1943 Badoglio’s government
declared war against Hitler’s Germany. There were now two Italian states:
the legal one based in Brindisi and controlled by the allies and Mussolini’s
rebel one in the North (the “Italian Social Republic”) which was to support
the Germans to the bitter end. Meanwhile, partisan groups were being formed
66
War, liberation and recovery...
in the north of Italy which were made up of diverse political elements. Over
time it was to be the men of the PCI (Italian Communist Party) who would
prevail at the heart of these partisan groups. The partisan bands were built
up with the support of young men who refused to respond to their call-up
orders from Marshal Graziani - the war minister of Mussolini’s Republic
(referred to disparagingly as “the little republic”). It was also in the North
that the Committees of National Liberation (CLN) were formed. These
had a clear structure with different administrative levels and were linked to
the government in the south. Their task was to coordinate the struggle for
liberation and represent the political authority of unoccupied Italy (they
were made up of different anti-fascist parties). The Allies slowly advanced
from the south towards the north but were stopped at the “Gothic Line”
which ran, more or less, from Rimini to La Spezia. The front line kept
moving and then stopped in a position of stalemate where it remained during a long war of attrition which lasted until the beginning of April, 1945 9.
At this time the Allies took up the advance again across the Apennines and
to the right-hand bank of the river Senio for the final offensive to liberate
Italy.
On 13 May 1944 Imola suffered its first air raid by the Anglo-American forces. Presumably the targets were military ones but unfortunately this
did not go according to plan. Cogne, where the grenades were made for
cannons, was not hit badly whereas the area north of the town suffered
serious damage. 53 people died and more than 100 were wounded. Several
civilian dwellings were hit by the bombs10. Sacmi, which had its factory in
the area to the south, fortunately escaped damage.
In cauda venenum, “the poison is in the tail” (of the scorpion, author’s note) according to a Latin proverb and it was true also for the events
which took place in Imola.
Storia d’Italia, cronologia 18151990, pp. 498 and following pages.
10
BASSANI A., Via Quaini n. 13, pp.
68 and 69.
9
67
The history of Sacmi
Let us hear what Miceti has to say: “The front had come closer and,
in addition to the danger from air raids and grenades exploding, a German
command had established itself in the town and was making raids taking
anything they considered useful for their own needs. The Cooperative therefore proceeded to strip down their factory and hide the various machines,
equipment (some were from Cogne, author’s note) materials etc. while the
entire staff, including the shareholders, remained virtually unemployed.
During this period of standstill, which continued up until the Liberation,
the shareholders received money, provisions and other aid from the Cooperative...”11. Miceti also tells us: “...In October, 1944 Arrigo Casadio, myself
and others took it upon ourselves to put into safekeeping the various machines from the Cogne plant. These were kept by the Cooperativa Meccanici
until the end of the war when they were handed back.
Inside the Cooperativa Meccanici, of which I was manager, the CLN had a secret base which was the central
meeting point for the messengers carrying orders and
distributing propaganda. At this base we had installed
a radio-receiver; the antenna was the high voltage power
line which the Germans had put out of service along
with the water and gas lines. At 2:00 pm every day we
1944. Imola after bombing raids: the
buildings belonging to AMI in Via
Mentana.
(Cidra archive).
were able to pick up the Allied command news bulletin and this information was then circulated by the messengers...”. One morning, however, (2
April 1945) they had a surprise visit. German soldiers and Fascist “blackshirts”
were kicking down the door of a house owned by Sacmi in Via Framello.
They were shouting, hurling insults and attempting to break in. There were
Germans and blackshirts all over the place; the entire block - Via Framello,
Via Quaini, Viale Crispi, Via Castelfidardo - was surrounded. Tisì, the war-
11
68
SACMIAR, documents.
den, immediately realised how dangerous the situation was and said that he
War, liberation and recovery...
would open up straight away. Meanwhile Mina, the wife of the patriot Gino
Cornetti (known as “Verdi” in the Resistance), together with Giovanni
Bartoli, who was standing in for Miceti as manager,
succeeded in warning Ezio Serantoni, president of
the CLN, Cornetti (alias Verdi) and Nello Nonni.
At that moment all three men were at the Cooperative for a meeting but they managed to make a daring escape. Mina quickly gathered up the CLN flag
and all the other little items, except for an electric
battery, which was to make the raiders suspicious.
Tisì opened the door and the Germans and Fascists
burst into the building. Bartoli failed to escape and was taken to the barracks and made to take the battery with him. He did, however, manage to
1945. The Becca family’s house and
fruit handling plant.
(Cidra archive).
hand his wallet to Tisì and ask him to tell his wife what had happened. The
raid did not produce the results hoped for by the Germans and blackshirts.
The men they had been looking for were no longer to be found but had
taken flight12. Bartoli was later released from the Rocca prison, just in time
to escape the killing which took place when prisoners were thrown down
the Becca well13. Miceti was arrested by the Germans on 14 March 1945, a
month before the Liberation, while writing his newspaper La Lotta. During
the weeks following his arrest Miceti lived a nightmare suffering from
“beatings and torture from the Fascists and Germans first in Imola at the
Rocca, then in Bologna in the prison of San Giovanni in Monte and
finally at the army artillery barracks”. In the end he was released14.
“With the fall of Fascism, after 8 September 1943, the anti-fascist
forces at the Cooperative were able to direct the young men at Sacmi towards armed struggle. Many chose partisan war in the mountains - three
were never to return as their young lives were sacrificed fighting against the
MORINI L., ... per essere libere, Ed.
Coop. Marabini, Imola 1981, pp.
71 and 72.
13
Testimony of Giorgio Bartoli,
son of Giovanni.
14
AA.VV., Imola Medaglia d’Oro,
pp. 35 and following pages.
12
69
The history of Sacmi
Nazis and Fascists”. A memorial tablet to them was placed in the workers’
social centre of the plant in Via Provinciale Selice. On this tablet the names
of Marino Dalmonte, gold medal for military valour, Cesare Masetti and
Doriano Carletti are inscribed and they are names which are never to be
forgotten15. The gold medal was also awarded to Domenico Rivalta, one of
the most important leaders of Imola’s partisan movement, who was killed
and tortured by the Fascists along with another fifteen patriots who were thrown into the “Becca well”. Viale Crispi,
where Sacmi had its second premises, was named after
Rivalta. Even Imola, many years later, was awarded the gold
medal for military valour for its partisan activity. The president of the Republic, Francesco Cossiga, pinned the gold
medal to the banner of the Town Hall on 12 April 1986.
The reason behind the granting of this award was explained:
“Imola is steeped in popular and democratic traditions and
it was here that, immediately after 8 September 1943, an
active resistance movement emerged which produced the first
Cogne, 1945. Recovering parts of
machine tools.
(Cidra archive).
partisan groups in the mountains. Despite initial losses and severe reprisals
by the Nazis and Fascists, the people of Imola proudly continued their struggle and, with blood shed even by their indomitable womenfolk, they reestablished peace and freedom and defended agriculture and industry in
their region. Units from the 36th Garibaldi brigade ‘A. Bianconcini’ were a
continuous threat to the enemy and, during the Anglo-American offensive
against the Gothic Line, they handed over important strategical positions to
the Allies. When the front line reached Imola itself, the town suffered five
months of air and land bombardments, enemy oppression, deportations
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 242.
15
70
and slaughter. On 14 April 1945 the Gap and Sap partisan brigades, having
garrisoned the town, handed it over to the Allies. Meanwhile, other young
War, liberation and recovery...
men of Imola, fighting in the combat groups of the
new Italian army, ‘Cremona’ and ‘Folgore’, continued the struggle right up until the liberation of northern Italy. Imola, 8 September 1943 - 14 April 1945”16.
Following the Liberation, the CLN of Imola,
with the consent of the allied military governor, appointed a new town council. Giulio Miceti, the last
mayor elected on a democratic basis before the Fascists took power, was
appointed Mayor of Imola. For the days immediately following the Libera-
Cogne in 1945 at the end of the war.
(Cidra archive).
tion, while Miceti was still prisoner in Bologna, Mario Tarlazzi stood in as
mayor17.
The shareholders’ meeting held on 30 August, 1945, in which the
Board gave a great deal of information about recent events and the running
of the company during the financial year of 1944, was the first meeting to
be held following the Liberation. Eight new shareholders were admitted,
one of whom was Miceti. At last the absurd rule which prevented those in
administrative positions from joining workers’ cooperatives was abolished.
The new Board of Directors was made up of: Arrigo Casadio, President;
Ciro Gasparri and Renato Zappi, Directors. The Board of Auditors consisted of: Gaetano Gambetti, Elio Pagani and Europe Cacciari (regular auditors) with Antonio Garbesi and Gino Marani as substitute auditors 18.
Other sources
MONTANELLI - CERVI M., Storia d’Italia.
GALASSI N., Imola dal fascismo alla liberazione 1930-1945.
GALASSI N., Partigiani nella linea Gotica, University Press, Bologna 1988.
FOA V., Questo Novecento.
GRANDI D., Il mio paese - Ricordi autobiografici, Il Mulino, Bologna 1985.
GINSBORG P., Storia d’Italia dal dopoguerra ad oggi, vol. I, Einaudi, Turin 1995.
AA.VV., Imola Medaglia d’Oro,
p. 5.
17
BASSANI A., Via Quaini n. 13, p.
73.
18
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
16
71
The history of Sacmi
Production of presses
for the ceramics industry starts up.
72
Production of presses starts up...
I
n Italy, at this time almost entirely liberated, the two governments led
by Ivanoe Bonomi were succeeded by that of Ferruccio Parri - one of
the leaders of the Resistance in the north of Italy and a member of
the Party of Action. This government, in a formation which reflected the
Committee of National Liberation, was made up of members of the Party
of Action (three), the Liberal party (three), the Christian Democrats (four),
the Italian Communist Party (three), the Partito Socialista Italiano di Unità
Proletaria (PSIUP) - socialists of the extreme left - (three), the Democratic
Labour party (three) and Admiral Raffaele De Courten. The capital and
the government were in Rome1.
As can well be imagined, resuming normal business after the war
was a difficult and slow process. This was pointed out in the Board’s annual report which was read by Miceti. He highlighted the need to re-install the machines, get them operative again, re-organise everything and
generally put the company back on its feet and recover money owed to
them. It was extremely difficult and required a great deal of patience but
Opposite.
Sacmi clutch presses installed at the
Cooperativa Ceramica in Imola.
the members of Sacmi, these latter-day “Pilgrim Fathers” (bearers of freedom and hope)2 on board their Mayflower were now able to steer towards
open seas, although a great deal of effort was required to do this. Imola
was in ruins - there were no light, water, gas or electricity services. How
were they able to get by without these basic facilities? Fortunately the members of Sacmi were sharp-witted and imaginative. Amongst other things,
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, p. 515.
MORRISON S.E., COMMAGER H.S.,
Storia degli Stati Uniti d’America, La
Nuova Italia, Firenze 1961, vol. 1,
pp. 59 and 60.
1
2
73
The history of Sacmi
they recovered an army power generator and ran it with a farm tractor and so the Mayflower sailed on3. “The Town Council, hospitals and many
private companies all turned to Sacmi when they needed work done as it
was the first company to start up operations. A great deal of work was
required to reconstruct the town due to the destruction caused by the war.
The workers of Sacmi were united in the huge efforts they made to satisfy
this need”4. Almost all those returning from the war, from prison or the
partisan struggle were taken on again. Even during the worst months of
German occupation, the workshop was never abandoned thanks to the
willing and courageous members of the company and above all to Arrigo
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General Meetings.
4
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 243.
5
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General Meetings.
6
BASSANI A., Caterina e altre storie,
Galeati Editrice, Imola, 1979, pp.
161 and 162.
3
Casadio and Giovanni Bartoli5. Daily life at the time was characterised by
love and hate, poverty and generosity, sadness and joy. The young sang (or
rather hummed and whistled since they couldn’t speak English!) Blue moon,
Stardust, Begin the beguine. In the evening they went to dance at the railway
after-work social club, at “Stella di Rio” in Viale Dante or at the “Casetta
fra gli abeti” on Strada Montanara - they danced the boogie-woogie brought
over to Italy by the Americans. It was, however, somewhat risky for the
1945. Entrance to the Cooperativa
Ceramica di Imola after the front line
had passed through Imola.
(Photo from the Ferlini Archive,
Carlo Parenti collection).
young to sneak off into the country for romantic trysts due to the danger
of mines exploding in the fields6.
The factories and public utilities in the north of
the city had been badly damaged during the last months
of the war. In particular, the Cooperativa Ceramica di Imola
had been entirely ruined by the Anglo-American bombs
and grenades. However, the workers of the ceramics cooperative did not lose their spirit. Instead they rolled up their
sleeves and started to clear away the debris, they put up
new buildings and tried to get their tile forming machines
74
Production of presses starts up...
up and running again. This was a huge job requiring elbow grease, backbreaking work and an iron will. It was extremely important to get the
machines and, in particular, the presses working again. This task was given
to a company in Forlì but they kept delaying.
The ceramics company had an urgent need to
restart production and so they turned to the
Cooperativa Meccanici. In this way Sacmi discovered the product that was to determine its future. One thing led to another - from repairing
machines damaged during the war Sacmi realised it could try to build a new machine bearing
the Sacmi trademark. The factory managers of
the Cooperativa Ceramica and Sacmi, Armando Savioli and Primo Ermanari
respectively (under the authorisation of each of their Boards of Directors)
met and reached an agreement. With Casadio and Ermanari leading the
The Cooperativa Ceramica di Imola
before the beginning of the Second
World War.
(Photo from the Ferlini Archive,
Carlo Parenti collection).
project, Sacmi designed a new machine and succeeded in making a prototype of a clutch press with manual controls7. The result was good; “The
quality and quantity of tiles produced per hour was equal to other machines or even slightly higher as there were fewer stoppages. In addition,
the final cost of the machine was much lower and therefore required a
smaller investment by the purchaser”8. The result of machine testing was
positive but the press still needed to be perfected as it had been made
without adequate equipment and resources. Therefore the company bought
“important basic machine tools which had previously been lacking and
without which an efficient and economical product could not be obtained”9. The problem of the company premises resurfaced - in order to
attempt their new business activity properly, more spacious and practical
buildings were an absolute necessity.
GALAVOTTI V., Dalla “bottega”
all’industria, pp. 67 and 68.
8
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 243.
9
Ibid., p. 244.
7
75
The history of Sacmi
1946 and the years immediately after were crucial years in the
history of Sacmi. On 24 April the people of Imola voted in the council
elections. For the first time in Italy’s history women were also allowed to
vote - universal suffrage had become a reality. On 9 May King Victor
Emanuel III abdicated in favour of his son and went into exile in Egypt.
Umberto II reigned only twenty-four days and so became known as the
“May king”. Following the elections for the constituent assembly, a referendum was held to decide whether to retain the monarchy or become a
republic - voting took place on 2 June. The republic won with 54.3 per
cent of the vote (45 per cent had voted in favour of the monarchy). There
was however an appeal against the result of the referendum and several
protests took place. On 13 June Umberto II left Rome and went into exile
in Portugal. The prime minister, Alcide De Gasperi, took over the role of
“acting Head of State”. The constituent assembly began work on 25 June
and was chaired by Giuseppe Saragat of the PSIUP10.
There were changes to Sacmi’s company statute too. On 10 March
1946, at a special shareholders’ meeting, certain modifications to the statute were approved with notary Gualtiero Alvisi present11. They started
with article 1 which was re-written to read “A cooperative company of
mechanics has been set up in Imola and named ‘Cooperativa Meccanici Imola - Cooperativa a Responsabilità Limitata’ (a limited liability cooperative company)”. Previously this article had read “A cooperative of mechanics, the Società Anonima Cooperativa di Lavoro has been set up in Imola
and will take the name of ‘Cooperativa Meccanici”. The article stating the
objectives of the company (art. 3, previously art. 2) was added to. In addiStoria d’Italia, cronologia, pp. 521
and 522.
11
ANMI, Notarial deeds, G. Alvisi
10 March 1946.
10
76
tion to running one or more factories for constructing and repairing machines, taking on public and private work and general mechanical jobs at
the best market conditions, the Cooperative now aimed to develop its
Production of presses starts up...
technology and equip itself with machinery which could ensure the most
efficient and economical production. Another objective was to contribute to the creation and development of organisations dedicated
to improving the health, quality of life and education of the working classes. It was proposed that all members of the Cooperative
would devote as much time and energy as possible to making a
significant contribution to the nation. The statute therefore reflected something of the new spirit and changes occurring in the
post-war period.
There was an innovation regarding the admission of new
shareholders. Article 4 stated: “Any person, man or woman, can
be admitted to the Cooperative, as long as he/she has the necessary legal requirements, works as a mechanic or in a related field,
is known to be of good character, is between twenty-one and thirtysix years old and has completed a period of training of at least
three years”. Here the struggle for equal rights between men and women
was anticipated by several decades. Another change was in article 5: “The
One of the first presses manufactured
by Sacmi for the Cooperativa
Ceramica di Imola.
number of shareholders is limited in relation to the technological and
productive capacity of the Cooperative. Notwithstanding that stated in
article 4, those in administrative positions can become shareholders in
the Cooperative for as long as they work for the company”. It was like
saying: if we want the boat to sail well, we must keep the number of people
on board in check. Each share had a nominal value of one thousand Lit.
(previously it had been fifty Lit.) or a multiple of this figure. No one member could possess shares worth more than 50,000 Lit.
As far as sharing out the profits was concerned, the old article 13
was replaced by the following (article 22): “The net earnings in the balance
sheet, that which remains after any cost, deductions, expenses, etc. will be
77
The history of Sacmi
divided as follows: a) 20% to the ordinary reserve fund; b) 50 % to the
extraordinary reserve fund; c) 30% for mutual aid purposes (houses for
members, training courses, study grants) and
other purposes according to the decisions taken
at the General Meetings”.
Article 33, regarding the Board of Directors was also changed: “The Board of Directors
consists of five members and, at its first meeting,
elects the president and vice-president. The members of the Board should pay their subscription
dues and should not be close relatives (to within
the fourth level of kinship). The members of the
Board remain in their position for a period of
three years and can be re-elected at the end of
this term. They receive no payment for their services except for an award in recognition of their
presence at the meetings and an allowance from
time to time for special tasks. The board members are exempt from paying caution money”. The
auditors’ mandate lasts three years and they receive annual remuneration. A Board of Arbitrators is set up (previously it was the auditors who
also performed the role of arbitrators). There were various other less important changes to the statute as well.
At the same meeting, during the routine part, the president,
Casadio, gave his report for the troubled financial year of 1945. He informed the meeting of the disasters of the last months of the war, how the
company had picked up since the Liberation and the prospects for the
78
Production of presses starts up...
immediate future. The new Board of Directors was elected which, at its
first sitting, appointed the following people to the various positions: Arrigo
Casadio, President; Ciro Gasparri, Vice-President, Renato Zappi, Giovanni
Ferri and Tiepolo Castaldi, Directors. The results shown by the balance
sheet were: SC 296,750 Lit., TO 1,816,016 Lit., NP 42,631 Lit., shareholders 21 and employees 3012.
The next year (approval of the balance sheet for 1946) the Directors’ report was a little more encouraging, but not much. The following
are extracts from the report: “Production is slow to pick up and the
management feels the effects of this strongly... The factory is efficient,
there is no lack of work... There has been no development... Production
has been shaky... The manufacture of cleaning machines for oranges has
been extremely limited because our customers have also found themselves in difficulty and unable to export their products (citrus fruits,
author’s note)... The factory has mainly concentrated on repair work which
has ensured continuous employment for our workers. It is, however,
clear that this market (cleaning machines, author’s note) is contracting
and we therefore need to focus on developing other types of machines
(obviously they were thinking of tile presses and machines producing
crown caps, author’s note) which will enable the company not just to
survive but also to prosper...”.
Commenting on the balance sheet for 1947, the Board of Direc-
The press assembly bay.
tors underlined the difficult economic situation in Italy which was hitting
the mechanical industry particularly hard. The price-wage spiral was making itself felt. Major industrial concerns were being supported by the State
but medium and small-sized businesses were left to fend for themselves.
The high cost of living was one in a long list of problems. The question of
finding new premises could not be put off any longer. The shareholders
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
12
79
The history of Sacmi
offered their time, energy and money to solve this problem. The results
for this year were: SC 746,750 Lit., TO 24,328,810 Lit., NP 171,197 Lit.,
shareholders 29, employees 4213.
The Second World War had finished but the Cold War had just
begun and was no less dangerous than actual war because its basis was the
nuclear deterrent. At Yalta (February 1945) the so-called “Big Three” leaders made arrangements to divide Germany and Eastern Europe up into
occupation zones. In time, Europe became divided into two “empires”
separated by a line dubbed “the Iron Curtain” by Churchill. On one side
there was the area under Soviet control, including its satellite states, and
on the other the sector under the influence of the Western Allies and in
particular the United States - later to unite as Nato allies. For Italy the
question was - which sphere of influence would we fall under? Geographically we were in the West but ideologically the left-wing (Communists and
some Socialists) were sympathetic to the other side. Following a trip to the
USA, Alcide De Gasperi and his government stepped down and another
was formed (third government) which lasted until May.
Meanwhile the constituent assembly elected Umberto Terracini
of the PCI (Italian Communist Party) as its president (8 February 1947)
and a peace treaty was signed with the allies in Paris (10 February). The
Constituent Assembly, which had elected Enrico De Nicola as acting head
of state (28 June 1946), voted to keep him in this position on 26 June
1947. Francesco Saverio Nitti attempted to form a new government but
failed. Vittorio Emanuele Orlando tried the same thing but his government lasted one day only. It was then the turn of De Gasperi who set up
his fourth government on 31 May 1947. This government was made up of
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings.
13
80
Christian Democrats, Liberals, the Republican (as he was later to declare
Production of presses starts up...
himself) Carlo Sforza and the independent Cesare
Merzagora. The Communists and Socialists were kept out.
Italy started to receive American economic help
by entering the European Recovery Program (ERP), better known as the Marshall Plan.
On 27 December 1947 the acting head of state
proclaimed the Constitution of the Italian Republic which
took effect on 1 January 1948. On 11 May the two Houses
of Parliament met and elected the first President of the
Republic: the economist and professor Luigi Einaudi of
the PLI (Italian Liberal Party)14.
When predicting disaster and ruin, nineteenth
century Italians coined the phrase “viene il quarantotto”
(“the forty-eight is coming”) in reference to1848 - a dramatic and turbulent year in their history. The expression passed into every-
Drawing of a ceramics press.
day language and, in particular, the terminology of military strategy. 1948
also turned out to be a critical point and moment of unrest in the social
history of Italy. On 14 July a right-wing madman, Antonio Pallante, from
Catania, shot Palmiro Togliatti several times at point-blank range. Togliatti
was the general secretary of the Communist Party and leader of the opposition. Further disturbances occurred when the trade unions (CGIL and
the Camere del Lavoro) declared an extended general strike. In some cities
and regions of Italy these protests took the form of rebellions against the
State. This was the case in Imola where the police where consigned to
barracks and people in the town were armed and forming road blocks.
On 15 July Giulio Cavulli, a young tailor, was killed in his workshop. He
had failed to keep to the strike as he needed to finish a suit for a customer
14
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, pp. 527
and following pages.
81
The history of Sacmi
who was getting married. A former Major of the carabinieri was also heavily beaten. Then the strike was called off. The aforementioned Togliatti
and Giuseppe Di Vittorio, the general secretary of CGIL, negotiated to
BASSANI A., Cinquant’anni di Acli Come nascono i Sindacati liberi a
Imola, at editing stage.
16
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings; ANMI,
Notarial deeds, G. Alvisi 5
October 1948.
15
reach a peaceful solution to the strike which, being tainted with revolutionary streaks, was not acceptable to either of them. However the unrest
had led to the deaths of sixteen people (some sources claim that fourteen
died) with two hundred and six injured. Trade union solidarity had been
split in two15.
Sacmi continued production. Acting
on the decisions made by the shareholders and
with the necessary documentation from the
notary Gualtiero Alvisi, the Cooperative completed the purchase of 4,400 sq. meters of new
land on 5 October 1948. The land, located in
Viale De Amicis, was to be used to build new
premises for the company headquarters and
factory designed by Europe Cacciari. Thus,
after a long struggle, an important goal had
finally been reached16.
On 18 November a special shareholders’ meeting was held in order to make further amendments to the company statute. The
meeting was attended by Gualtiero Alvisi. Particularly interesting is the change made to article 4 regarding the admission of shareholders. The new article read “Ex-servicemen, par-
82
Production of presses starts up...
Outings organised for shareholders and
workers strengthened and reflected
company unity.
tisans and other war veterans will have priority in being admitted to the
Cooperative, as long as they possess the necessary legal requirements, work
as a mechanic or in a related field, are known to be of good character and
are between twenty-one and forty years old”. Correspondingly, article 5
continues: “The number of shareholders is limited in relation to the technological and productive capacity of the Cooperative. Notwithstanding
that stated in article 4, technicians and those in administration can be
admitted to become shareholders of the Cooperative but they should never
exceed 4 per cent of the total shareholders in number”. And the women?
It would seem that they were left out this time and the statutory regulations do not consider them. In fact this is misleading. The women were
not being deliberately ignored but there were others with more pressing
needs at the time - the ex-servicemen, war veterans and partisans. The
attainment of equal rights between men and women - or equal opportunities as it is euphemistically called - was to be a long uphill struggle. Strangely
apprentices are no longer mentioned either - the position of apprentice
83
The history of Sacmi
was similar to a preliminary stage before being
admitted as a fully-fledged colleague and member of the company. Later on we will see how
this matter was resolved. It was further stated
that no single shareholder could possess more
than 250.000 Lit. worth of shares.
Article 33 was also amended: “The Board
of Directors consists of five members and at its
first meeting elects the president and vice-presi7 August 1948. Trip to Lake Garda.
dent... The Board members remain in their post for two years and can be
re-elected...”. The previous length of the mandate was therefore re-established. The fact that the mandate is short is clearly meant to reinforce the
democratic principle of alternating the holders of the various posts. The
other changes made are not particularly significant17.
At the General Meeting which approved the 1948 balance sheet
(held on 12 March 1949) an important decision was made regarding pensions. The decision was later upheld with a few modifications at the meeting on 11 September 1951. The company agreed to make a supplementary
payment of INPS - this was an affirmation of one of Sacmi’s basic principles which had its inspiration and origin in the company statute18. Giulio
Miceti wrote: “Immediately after the war the company statute was modified and certain important new regulations regarding social welfare were
added which placed Sacmi at the forefront of the cooperative movement
as far as its provisions for welfare were concerned. The Board went on to
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings; ANMI,
Notarial deeds, G. Alvisi 18
November 1948.
18
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings.
17
84
make various other provisions; accident and sickness indemnities were
increased, as were retirement pensions. In order to set up the funds necessary to finance this assistance, a small portion of the wage-packet was held
back and supplemented with contributions from the Company”. Later on
Production of presses starts up...
still “various pieces of land were bought to use for building housing for
the members of the Cooperative creating, in case of need, a cooperative
called ‘Il Focolare’ (The Home). This was a mutual aid initiative which
aimed to provide the members of the company with modern housing financed by means of the payment of a sum of rent to be set aside and used
(together with contributions from the Cooperative) to build other apartments...”19.
At the same meeting, which had met to approve the balance sheet
(SC 1,561,000 Lit., TO 35,790,470 Lit., NP 534,739 Lit.), the Board of
Directors was re-elected. The new formation of the Board was as follows:
Ciro Gasparri, President; Aurelio Mingotti, Vice-President; Arrigo Casadio,
Doriano Golinelli and Tiepolo Castaldi, Directors. The auditors were also
elected: Amedeo Tabanelli, Gaetano Gambetti and Elio Pagani. The substitute auditors remained unchanged20.
Other sources
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione imolese dalle origini ai nostri giorni (1859-1967) con aggiornamento fino
al 1986.
FOA V., Questo Novecento.
GINSBORG P., Storia d’Italia dal dopoguerra ad oggi.
TURONE S., Storia del sindacalismo in Italia dal 1943 al crollo del comunismo, Laterza, Bari 1992.
SACMIAR, G. Miceti document.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
19
20
85
The history of Sacmi
At Sacmi’s third headquarters,
in Viale De Amicis, production increases.
The machines for crown caps make
their first appearance.
86
At Sacmi’s third headquarters...
T
here was now a brand-new company headquarters. The machines
were started up at the beginning of January 1949. There was much
more room for the workers to move about in and to install larger
machines. Sergio Beltrandi explains that, once again, the members of the
Cooperative displayed their solidarity and commitment to the company.
Shareholders and apprentices alike worked for months in order to excavate
and level the ground on which the new factory was to be built - even working overtime. “The old headquarters was abandoned and later sold as an
area suitable for building. It held memories of twenty-four years of antifascist struggle and hard work for meagre wages but also of great satisfaction, both for the shareholders and employees, those still with the company
and those who had left. It was also a testament to the spirit of unity and
solidarity - principles embodied in the statute of the Cooperative. They had
won their battle”1.
The satisfaction of having achieved their goal shone through, in a
Opposite.
The headquarters in Viale De Amicis.
modest way, in the report of the Board of Directors which accompanied the
balance sheet of 1949. The report says that the company’s goal had been
achieved by following a strict economic policy along the lines of Quintino
Sella’s policies of the previous century. The increase in assets had led to a
reduction in the debt which could be further lightened and brought back to
normal levels only if the efforts to keep a tight check on expenses were
continued. All this, obviously, as long as the offers of work kept coming and
the members of the company remained as willing as ever. Turnover reached
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 244.
1
87
The history of Sacmi
62 million Lit. but the net profit was very small (just 31,850 Lit.). Share
capital was 1,681,000 Lit. There were 32 shareholders and 52 employees so
the staff of Sacmi had risen to 84. At this point it was possible to consider
putting into action a plan to trade overseas which would enable the Cooperative to compete, albeit on a modest scale, with rival companies.
The comment on the balance sheet for the next year remains subdued in tone. Profits, however, had risen to 1,092,858 Lit. The report was
read by Miceti who underlined the company’s most urgent needs. These
included the need to modernise the plants, to build up a complete stock of
equipment and tools (as this was still insufficient), to better integrate the
various workplaces in order to improve organisation and efficiency and,
finally, to increase production by actively seeking out new sources of work.
In 1950, however, production had actually increased notably despite the
fact that the price of metals had gone up. The Board of Directors was reelected. Ciro Gasparri, as president, and Aurelio Mingotti, as vice-president,
remained “at the helm of the Mayflower”2.
An ugly chapter in the history of Italy involved an incident which
took place on 9 January 1950: “In Modena six workers were killed by the
police during a trade union demonstration. This episode provoked much
outrage throughout the country and was seen as the culmination of the
repression brought about by the Minister of the Interior, Mario Scelba”3.
The widespread economic concerns of these times is evident in the
comment on the balance sheet of 1951. An extract from the report reads:
“Although not negative, the results should give us pause for thought and
lead us to consider taking the necessary steps to better organise the finances
of the company”. The fact that the overall economic situation of the counSACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
3
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, p. 542.
2
88
try at the time was unfavourable was also underlined. The Cooperative still
found itself ill-equipped to deal with the growing demands of modern tech-
At Sacmi’s third headquarters...
nology. They needed to overcome this problem in order to face
the future but their various financial commitments had reached
danger levels.
The Board of Auditors was re-elected. Amedeo Tabanelli,
the mayor of Imola and auditor of the Cooperative, had passed
away suddenly. The General Meeting remembered and
mourned his loss. The new auditors were: Elio Pagani (Auditor General), who replaced Tabanelli, as well as Gino Marani
and Gaetano Gambetti. Anselmo Minganti and Antonio Garbesi
were elected as substitute auditors. The Board of Arbitrators consisted of:
Count Ignazio Codronchi Torelli (head of the Board), Pietro Tarabusi and
Grinding wheel for internal use manufactured by Sacmi.
Renzo Masolini. The results were as follows: SC 1,731,000 Lit., TO
99,331,834 Lit., NP 1,149,859 Lit., shareholders 35, employees 584.
The new headquarters were much more convenient and had a more
practical layout. Thanks to this, plus the fact that new equipment was purchased, the company was able to build on and complete its research and
development of presses for ceramic tiles. Soon they were able to apply the
first mechanical systems to the presses which would eventually lead to full
automation.
Another important event occurred in 1949. Sergio Beltrandi tells
us: “A manufacturer of crown caps from Bologna came to one of Sacmi’s
technicians to propose a plan to design and manufacture a semi-automatic
multi-punch press which could make full use of the sheet metal currently
available on the market. At that time high production presses only existed
in the USA, where the crown cap had been invented. However, in America
they used sheet metal of a different size and with a prohibitive cost which
was not suitable for the Italian and European market... They began to gather
together all the various technical experts who could provide useful informa-
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings.
4
89
The history of Sacmi
tion: knowledge of the product, the die-sets used up until then and the
characteristics of the presses. They even extended their research into Germany. All the data collected led to the conclusion that the industry lacked a
specialised high-production machine and the designs would therefore have
to fulfil this requirement. The project began, partly theoretical and partly
practical, with the development of a prototype of
the 15-punch press capable of an hourly production rate of 85,000 caps. The subsequent tests and
modifications lasted more than two years until a reliable machine was obtained which gave Sacmi a product with which it could conquer the national and,
gradually, the overseas markets. By this time it was
becoming clear what were to be the two principal lines
of production (without abandoning the manufacture
of machines for citrus fruits, author’s note). However it
was also obvious that the paths chosen could not be left
Sacmi’s first crown cap press.
halfway - the market made it necessary to see the choices
made (regarding the direction manufacture should take) through to the
end. Otherwise the consequence would be a steep decline in business.
As regards the ceramics sector, in addition to continuing to perfect
the presses, Sacmi had to begin to think about making them automated.
They began to manufacture other machines which were needed for the production of tiles: drum mills, the first glazing machines, fettling belts and diesets. In the crown caps field, if Sacmi wanted to stay in the market, they
would have to complete the manufacturing cycle of caps and be able to
apply the cork and foil seal automatically. In order to reach a better understanding of the technology suitable for production, the engineering manager (Arrigo Casadio, author’s note) was sent to the USA. Here he was able to
90
At Sacmi’s third headquarters...
see for himself the methods employed by some American factories
so that they could be adapted for use
by Sacmi. Thanks to this information, as well as the acquisition of
some Italian patents, the Cooperative was able to design and manufacture successful glueing and foil
applicator machines. These were
automatic high production machines and were essential to completing the crown cap manufacturing process. The prospect of work was no
Tile glazing machine.
longer uncertain thanks to the decisions made during this period: turnover
gradually increased..., income was good, the straitened circumstances of the
past had at last been overcome. Profits were always re-invested in the company. In this way it was possible to self-finance the purchase of new machines and more practical equipment and to fund new research. The continuing expansion of the market, not just in terms of increasing demand
but also in extended trading area, posed new managerial problems and, in
particular, highlighted the shortage of specialized personnel. These machines,
which were being sent thousands of kilometres away, needed to be set up by
trained and expert staff with the independence and authority to make decisions. In addition to installing and inspecting the machines properly, Sacmi
needed to follow this up by providing technical support and service...”5.
“Meanwhile Italy was changing. Among these changes, even more
important than the creation of new production structures, the passage from
agriculture to manufacturing industry and services, mass production and
its effects on everyday life, was, in my opinion, the steady flow of migration
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
pp. 244 and 245.
5
91
The history of Sacmi
which involved millions of human beings in a very few years. The South was
transformed as the emigrants left and the North changed as the immigrants
arrived. They came, in particular, to the North-West which became the dominant triangle of activity in those years - Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy... The
economic “miracle” of Italy, measured by the economic concepts of productivity and employment, got under way. The situation can also be interpreted
differently though. Not everybody was caught up in this development - this
“culture of consumer durables”. There were temptations which would soon
prove to be completely unrealistic and premature. These were temptations
which arose even in the trade unions - realistic organisations almost by definition...”6.
The growth of per capita income exceeded the increase in consumption. This leap in development (especially during the second half of
the Fifties) was mainly due to Italy’s growing integration in the world
economy and originated both in the increase in investment and increase
in exports. The latter went from 6.1 percent of the gross national product
in 1952 to 9.9 percent in 1957. In 1963 the figure was to reach 15.2 percent. On an international level, Italian products - the famous Made in Italy
label - would become highly competitive due largely to technical moderniQuality control instrument for testing
cap tightness.
sation and to the cost of labour, which was considerably lower than the
European average7.
At the General Meeting held on 7 March 1953 (balance sheet for
1952) the Board of Directors was re-elected and consisted of Aurelio Mingotti,
Enea Cremi, Ciro Gasparri, Doriano Golinelli and Amleto Scomparcini.
The positions were assigned at the first Board meeting: Ciro Gasparri, Presi-
FOA V., Questo Novecento, pp. 261
and 262.
7
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, p. 546.
8
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
6
92
dent; Aurelio Mingotti, Vice-President8.
In Imola, however, the community and trade unions were perturbed
- which would seem at first glance a contradiction. There was a great deal of
At Sacmi’s third headquarters...
tension both in the agricultural sector and in industry. Permanent scars were left by the after-effects of
the events of 1948 and by the international political situation. The latter was still dominated by the
cold war which “heated up” in certain places and at
certain times - for example; in Korea in 1950. During the period from September 1949 - October 1953
more than one hundred and sixty staff, including
managers, engineers, clerks and factory workers,
were laid off at the state-owned company Cogne (some of these were later
taken on again). The reasons behind the job losses were political. Some of
ITC 18 glueing machine for crown
caps.
these workers were employed by Sacmi. Others began small businesses in
the mechanical field which, in general, gradually established themselves and
progressed9.
The Annual Reports and balance sheets themselves provide an accurate reflection of the situation year by year. In 1952 it was stated that
production had increased by 12 percent (which was no small amount, author’s note). It can also be seen that there was a considerable lack of interest
in the machines for fruit. The market displayed this clearly. The reasons for
this? The company had not set about researching the possibility of manufacturing new machines and adapting to the requirements of the exporters
adequately. The problem had to be resolved immediately. On the other
hand, the market for tiles had developed considerably and the Cooperative
picked up a good amount of business in this area. The results for 1953 were
also good. Production showed a leap forward of 53.65 percent compared to
the previous year. “We have reached one of our targets” - said Miceti, who
read the report, - “but we must maintain our current position and this will
not be easy... There is a lot of discussion on a national level about small and
9
CIDRA, newspaper and periodical library.
93
The history of Sacmi
medium scale industry. It is often pointed out that
these type of companies are the very nerve center of
the Italian industrial productive economy. However,
in reality, no efficient measures have been taken nor
support given to sustain these important businesses
while, in an illogical and disproportionate manner,
such provisions have been made for large industry.
Clearly this has put smaller companies at a disadvantage - they are forced to make sacrifices on a daily
basis in order to limit expenditure in their struggle
against the competition. These small companies have
to fight on two fronts; price and quality and very
often they have no choice but to give up. The cooperative companies should and could receive greater
support. They do not demand privileges or advantageous positions over other companies but simply ask
Close-up showing the glueing machine
for applying the cork discs.
for recognition and a thorough examination of their needs...”. The report
regarding the financial year of 1954 did not much differ from the general
patterns noted in 1953. The results which give some clear indications of the
situation were: SC 1,319,000 Lit. in 1953 and 1954, TO 175,429,542 Lit.
(1953) and 321,411,777 Lit. (1954), NP 3,348,787 Lit. (1953) and 4,297,338
Lit. (1954), shareholders 32 (1953) and 33 (1954), employees 76 in 1953
and 92 in 195410.
We shall leave Sacmi for a moment to mention a unique event
which took place at this time - the birth, on 3 January 1954, of Italian
television. It was incorporated into RAI (the name in full was Radiotelevisione
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings and
documents.
10
94
Italiana). The previous RAI, a state-controlled body called Radio Audizioni
Italia (1944) and daughter company of EIAR (Ente Italiano Audizioni
At Sacmi’s third headquarters...
Radiofoniche) had been established in 1928 as an off-shoot of URI (Unione
Radiofonica Italiana, 1924)11. Was television a true conquest of technology
and communication? Certainly it was. Without a doubt. However it could
also be dangerous if not regulated properly. People would realise over time
how this instrument is able to condition our ways of thinking and living
and how political powers can make use of public and commercial television
as they please. The necessity for regulation to keep a check on these powers
was to become essential.
Let us return to the Cooperative. Elections were held at the General Meeting on 27 March 1955 and the company positions were assigned
as follows at the first meeting of the Board: Amleto Scomparcini, President; Aurelio Mingotti, Vice-President; Ciro Gasparri, Nerino Gambetti
and Rino Marani, Directors. Auditors: Elio Pagani, Auditor General; Gino
Marani and Armando Sarti (who was to remain auditor for more than
forty years) were chosen as regular auditors with Anselmo Minganti and
Natale Pratella as substitutes. Arbitrators: Count Ignazio Codronchi Torelli,
Pietro Tarabusi and Aldo Pelliconi12. The thirty-fifth anniversary of the
establishment of the Cooperative was celebrated on 2 December, 1954.
The day was treated as a bank holiday and the staff paid accordingly. The
Board of Directors decided to reward all the shareholders and employees
with modest bonuses13.
The wind filled the sails and the ship went forth.
Enciclopedia Zanichelli (Edigeo),
Zanichelli, Bologna 1995, p. 1495,
under the heading ‘RAI’.
12
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
13
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the Board meetings.
11
Other sources
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione imolese.
GINSBORG P., Storia d’Italia dal dopoguerra ad oggi.
CASTRANOVO V. - PARIS R., Storia d’Italia.
95
The history of Sacmi
Miceti leaves the management.
Sacmi continues to grow.
96
Miceti leaves the management...
O
n 29 December 1954, Ezio Vanoni presented a plan to the Cabinet for the development of the economy over a ten-year period.
(Previously Vanoni had been the minister responsible for bring-
ing about the fiscal reform of 1951 to make an annual declaration of income). This was the first time in Italy that a long-term plan had been made.
In 1955 the Fiat 600 came out and this led to a general growth in consumer
durables. A year later Piaggio manufactured its millionth example of a Vespa
scooter. In 1955 Giovanni Gronchi of the Christian Democrats was elected
president of the Republic (succeeding Luigi Einaudi) and Italy was admitted
to the UNO (14 December 1955)1.
Sacmi, likened in this book to the “Mayflower” ship which set sail
from England for the American lands of Virginia with the “Pilgrim Fathers”
on board, was at this time sailing with a good wind.
The Fiat 600 - one of the signs of
economic development in the 1950s.
During the General Meeting on 6 April 1956 the balance for the
financial year of 1955 was discussed. The company president, Scomparcini,
announced with justified satisfaction that “our company has not only maintained its position as regards production, finances and assets but has achieved
further progress in each sector... The basic aims which the Board of Directors
proposes should be targeted for 1956 are the following: 1) better technical
and administrative organisation; 2) improvement of the equipment; 3) reduction in costs; 4) increase in exports...”. The figures given in the balance
sheet show a clear trend: SC 5,312,000 Lit., TO 314,862,696 Lit., NP
5,025,399 Lit.
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, pp. 568573.
1
97
The history of Sacmi
The year after, when the balance sheet for 1956 was approved, the
trend was confirmed. Turnover reached the sum of 331,652,209 Lit. and the
net profit was 5,163,605 Lit. The elections for the various positions were
held with the result that Aurelio Mingotti became president with Ciro Gasparri
as vice-president.
At the General Meeting held to discuss the balance sheet and approve the results of the financial year of 1957 the manager, Miceti, informed
the shareholders that in May 1958 he would reach sixty-five years of age and
therefore, in accordance with the company statute, his membership of the
Cooperative would come to an end, as would his responsibilities as company manager2. In fact, Giulio Miceti handed in his
resignation as a shareholder and employee of the company to
take effect from 16 May 1958. He continued to work during the
period of notice as laid down by the national workers’ contract.
In addition, he could still be called upon as a business consultant for an indeterminate amount of time. A great name left the
scene. He was a very charismatic person (this is an adjective which
is perhaps overused today but here I use it to express the true
value and charm of this man). Miceti certainly had the qualities
Giulio Miceti, on the right.
of a leader - he had great ability as a manager and was authoritative, persuasive and attractive to the clients. Later we will see another man who shared
the same qualities, although he was different in other ways - Aldo Villa. Miceti,
however, was the father of the Cooperative and would have given his lifeblood for the company.
Let us see what happened at the General Meeting of 8 April 1958 at
which the balance sheet for 1957 was the subject of discussion. The Direc-
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
2
98
tors’ report related, amongst other things, that: “...The vitality of the company is revealed not only by various economical and financial factors but can
Miceti leaves the management...
also be seen from the constant increase in its productive activity. Once again the productive indicators are
favourable this year. On the other hand, the economic
results have not improved in direct proportion... The
Cooperative’s main field of business is in the ceramics
industry. Currently it is this sector which, if not in crisis, is undergoing considerable changes”. The report
drew the attention of the shareholders to the need to
improve these machines (for the ceramics industry, author’s note) and, if possible, build new more efficient ones because this department urgently needed
The Sacmi stand at the 32nd Milan
Trade Fair.
to reduce production costs. The report continued that the installation of the
crown cap machines had to be kept under stricter control. The installation of
the machines for cleaning oranges was, however, going well. In the course of
the financial year fifty of these machines had been manufactured but these
too needed improvement. The results were: TO 390,535,035 Lit., NP
5,900,518 Lit. The Board of Auditors was elected with Elio Pagani as Auditor
General, Gino Marani and Armando Sarti as regular auditors and Rino
Minganti and Andrea Bandini as substitute auditors. The arbitrators remained
the same3.
On 15 March 1957 a special shareholder’s meeting was called. The
presence of the notary Appio Alvisi indicated immediately that the reason
for the meeting was to make changes to the company statute. Article 4 was
changed: the little mystery regarding apprentices, who were not mentioned
when the previous changes were made (18 November 1948), is uncovered.
Apprentices are considered in the text of the new regulation which reads:
“Any person can be admitted to the Cooperative who possesses the necessary
legal requirements, works as a mechanic, is known to be of good character
and is between twenty-four and forty years old. In addition they must have
3
Ibid.
99
The history of Sacmi
been employed by the Cooperative for no less than five years and have given
proof of their ability, reliability and cooperative spirit. Age must be calculated on the basis of the calendar year in which the General Meeting to
discuss the balance takes place”. The “homo sacmensis” was required to demonstrate particular skills during a fairly long period of training. Sacmi, quite
rightly, was cautious in this regard. If it hadn’t demanded these requirements
for admission right from the beginning the company would not be what it is
today. Article 7 also changed. It was on the basis of this article that the Board
of Directors proposed the admission of an applicant, once he had fulfilled
the requirements, as a shareholder who could attend the General Meetings.
The applicant became a full member of the Cooperative if he was accepted at
Cork disc glueing machine
(18,000 caps per hour).
the meeting by a vote of 50 percent + 1 and the decision could not be overturned. Article 22, regarding the division of profits, was also changed. The
approved regulation was as follows: “The net profit resulting from the balance, i.e. that which remains after all expenses and other financial obligations of the Cooperative have been deducted, will be distributed as follows:
20 percent to the ordinary reserve fund; 20 percent to the extraordinary
reserve fund; 60 percent for mutual aid (member housing, training schools,
study grants and other purposes according to the decisions made at the General Meeting). Throughout the company’s life the distribution of the reserve
funds among shareholders is forbidden”. Article 44 was re-written in these
terms “The task of the arbitrators is to settle any disputes which might arise
between the Company and shareholders or among the shareholders in a
conciliatory manner. A shareholder has the right of recourse, if not satisfied
with the decision, to the judicial authorities”. Various other small changes
were made to the statute4.
ANMI, Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi
dated 15 March 1957.
4
102
An extremely important national and European event deserves to be
remembered. On 25 March 1957 the treaty which gave rise to the European
Miceti leaves the management...
Common Market was signed in Rome. Known in its abbreviated form as the
E.C.M., this later became the European Economic Community, or E.E.C. It
marked the first move to bring together six of the most important nations of
Europe (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany). In 1973 Denmark, Britain and Ireland joined
the E.E.C., as did Greece in 1981, followed by Spain and Portugal in 1986
and Austria, Finland and Sweden in 1994. This makes the number of member nations today fifteen. “From 8 April 1965 the E.E.C. incorporated the
E.C.S.C. (European Coal and Steel Community) and EURATOM (European Atomic Energy Community). The initial objective of the E.E.C. was to
create a wide market throughout which people, raw materials, products, the
workforce and capital could circulate freely. The treaty which founded the
Community established the abolition of customs duties between the participating countries and lifted restrictions on imports and exports. Furthermore,
it set down principles for adopting customs duties for countries outside the
European Community and for following common economic policies. The
main institutions of the E.E.C. include: the Commission (the executive body),
which resides permanently in Brussels; the Council of Ministers, which convenes periodically; the European Parliament, which is elected every five years
with universal suffrage; the Court of Justice and the Auditor’s Department.
In 1986 the Single European Act was signed. This made alterations to the
founding treaty of the E.E.C. and provided for the complete integration of
the European markets by 1993 with the abolition of internal customs. On 10
December 1991 (Treaty of Maastricht) a plan for political unity was laid out.
This made provisions for the adoption of a common foreign and defence
policy as well as integration of the electoral and justice systems. Finally a plan
was set out for monetary union - for total economic integration with the
establishment of a central European bank and the adoption of a single cur-
103
The history of Sacmi
rency, the Euro. As a result the E.E.C. has assumed the name of European
Union”5. Perhaps, in the first decades of the next century we will see the birth
of a United States of Europe on a federal basis.
Sergio Beltrandi (who has been a little like my Virgil during my journey through the life of Sacmi) writes: “The expansion of the markets, however, caused a problem as the organisation of the company was not suitably
adapted to cope with it (for now the E.C.M. did not have much impact,
author’s note). Because of the manner in which the Cooperative had started
up and the way it had developed, a clear management structure had not been
put in place up to that time. Managerial responsibilities were assigned in a
fairly haphazard way (and this continued for some time, although to a lesser
extent). This was extremely limiting but can be explained by the fact that the
men who had determined the development of the company were mainly selftaught and were expected to have a wide range of practical skills. For this
reason, administration of the company and business management were one
and the same thing. The management of the engineering department, which
1950s. Glaze mixer.
consisted of several draftsmen, was mixed up with the management of sales
and the factory floor. The factory manager also dealt with purchasing, personnel management, customer relations, after-sales service etc... The entry
into the company of specialized workers coming from other more organised
companies and possessing wider experience in the manufacturing industry
made Sacmi’s staff aware of the changes that were taking place elsewhere.
They realised the need to take on outside personnel who would help improve the organisation of the company and increase know-how... In 1958 the
first fully qualified engineer (Aldo Villa, author’s note) came into the Coopera-
Enciclopedia Zanichelli (Edigeo),
pp. 363 and 364; BASSANI A., Cento
anni della Cooperativa Ortolani di
Imola, Grafiche Galeati, Imola
1993, pp. 84 and 103-105.
5
104
tive as an employee and was given the responsibility of building up a sales
office (he was later to become the top manager in the company). The engineering department was strengthened with the employment of an experi-
Miceti leaves the management...
enced designer and an electronics engineer was employed to research and develop a Sacmi brand control system...”6.
In the Directors’ report presented to the shareholders for the financial year of 1958 (General Meeting on 5 April
1959) concern was expressed about the American economic
recession which was beginning to show very worrying signs.
Nevertheless, data provided by ISTAT (Central Statistics Institute), whilst not concealing these first warning signs, gave some more
positive indications. Then there was the new European Common Market.
What changes would this bring in the near future? “In particular” - the report
says - “the abolishment of customs duties which will take place when the
E.C.M. comes into full force will lead to the breaking down of all other
1950s. “Bassina”: machine for
polishing sweets.
protective barriers. Industry will have to make preparations to fight the battle
for price and quality. In other words manufacturing companies will have to
organise themselves better in order to keep production costs down and, at
the same time, make a greater effort to provide their products with ever more
modern and efficient technical and technological features”. The effects of
market integration had not yet been felt at the Cooperative but exports accounted for 26 percent of the company’s annual production and this amount
needed to increase in order to obtain favourable results. At this time the
market for the construction industry had weakened with consequent negative effects on the ceramics sector. It should be remembered that, as far as the
ceramics division was concerned (note that the district of Sassuolo was heavily involved, author’s note) the manufacture of presses reached 68 percent of
total production. As for other types of production the percentages are as
follows: machines for handling fruit constituted 13 percent of total production, the crown cap machines 12 percent, repairs and other machines 7 percent. At this time the Cooperative acquired 1200 sq.m of land which would
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
pp. 248 and 249.
6
105
The history of Sacmi
enable the factory to be expanded. Work was also under way to raise the
building to include offices so that the engineering department and the offices of the factory managers could be better arranged. As previously mentioned, a qualified engineer had been employed in order to deal with sales
and the company was considering hiring another one to work in the engineering department. The Board of Directors was re-elected and the positions
assigned according to the usual procedures: Aurelio Mingotti, President; Rino
Marani, Vice-President; Pietro Gildeni, Sanzio Cavalli and Roberto Sgubbi,
Directors7.
In the report regarding the next financial year (1959 - General Meeting held on 29 April 1960) it can be seen that the uncertainties of the previous year had dissolved into an acceptable status quo, even if, during the second half of the financial year, certain factors had put the company’s business, technical and organisational capabilities to the test. “New competitors,
manufacturers of machines for the ceramics industry, forced us to revise our
plans and equip our presses with new automatic control devices - something
which required a great deal of work from our technicians. At the moment we
can say with justifiable pride that the work we have done has produced its
Machine for the production of tailor’s
chalk.
just rewards and we are now able to face the competition on an equal basis...
Due to the shrinkage of the home market it has been necessary to make
provisions to set up a new sales network. We have looked for premises in
Milan to set up an overseas sales office and have increased the number of our
representatives abroad...”. On the subject of increasing productivity, the report gave some details: the company had expanded the offices (a mention of
which had been made in the previous report), new technicians had been
employed, provisions had been made to expand the factory floor and new
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
7
106
machines had been purchased. In order to compensate for the decreased
demand in the ceramics field, production of the crown cap machines was
Miceti leaves the management...
stepped up. Production relating to “ceramics” had gone from 68 percent
(1958) of total production to 53 percent (1959). The production of crown
cap machines went up from 12 to 34 percent whereas that of the machines
for handling fruit decreased from 13 to 7 percent. The production of various
other machines and repairs remained stable (there was a slight decrease from
7 to 6 percent). Exports accounted for 35 percent of company production
against 26 percent for the previous year (more products were sold to overseas
markets than the Italian one, author’s note). In 1958 the net profit was 4,549,993
Lit. and in 1959 it was 3,490,784 Lit. Share capital went from 5,642,000 Lit.
to 6,282,000 Lit. Towards the end of the Fifties, after Miceti had left the
company, the managerial staff of Sacmi consisted of: Arrigo Casadio, Head
Engineer; Marino Remondini, Administrative Manager, (joined Sacmi in
1955) and Aldo Villa, Sales Manager (joined the company in 1958)8.
What can be said about these men of Sacmi? That they were truly
great men? That they could see into the future? That they were good managers? That they manufactured and sold machines with the maximum of
integrity? I believe that the answer to all these questions is yes. Sacmi
retained a sense of its origins and its ethical values and gave importance to
Mixer for use in the food industry
(heated).
keeping its word. “My word is worth ten signatures on a bill of exchange”
my grandfather Paolino used to say. The traditions of the nineteenth century were carried on - strong values, values which did not waver over time
or change with the fashion. Another twenty years had passed by. Sacmi
had been operating for forty years and had grown into a well-established
and mature company.
Other sources
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione imolese.
FOA V., Questo Novecento.
KOGAN N., Storia politica dell’Italia repubblicana, Laterza, Rome/Bari 1990.
8
Ibid.
107
The history of Sacmi
The “Economic Miracle”.
Land is purchased for new premises
- the present-day headquarters.
108
The “Economic Miracle”...
T
he Italian “Economic Miracle” was now fully under way and
would continue for at least another few years. The upward trend
in the economy reached a peak after which it took a downward
Opposite.
Tiles leaving a press.
turn. In the first years of the decade a substantial increase in income was
recorded but this was followed by price and wage fluctuation. “Between
1959 and 1962 workers, who now found themselves in a better position
in terms of their contracts and who were in almost full employment, obtained the first significant wage increases”. However the good times did
not last long. In 1962 inflationary trends began to be felt, the balance of
trade (imports versus exports) showed a worrying gap and we entered a
period of recession. Banks restricted credit and industry was hit hard.
Investments fell and unemployment rose. Between 1966 and 1968 there
was a slight upswing (in fact the word “ripresina”, meaning “upswing”,
was brought into usage at this time - an optimistic word that we use, perhaps, to placate our fears).
On a social and political level 1960 was a crucial year. In March,
Fernando Tambroni became prime minister thanks to the decisive support of the extreme right-wing Italian Social Movement. The members of
this movement decided to hold a national congress in Genoa but the antifascist city rebelled against the idea. The situation quickly became tense
and the congress did not take place. Protests and strikes broke out all over
the country. “In Reggio Emilia, on 7 July, a tragedy occurred when the
police shot straight... at demonstrators. Five men fell to the ground, they
Penetrometer: instrument to check the
degree of hardness of unfired tiles.
109
The history of Sacmi
were five factory workers”. There was also public disorder in Sicily and
police intervened - “a young boy, Salvatore Novembre, was killed in Catania
and there were three victims of violence in Palermo”. Tambroni resigned.
In 1968 students held demonstrations in town squares all over Italy protesting about the fact that the school system had remained unchanged
while the rest of society developed1. But I am going too fast. Let us look at
what happened in more detail and keep to events which had a direct influence on the history of Sacmi.
Good things were happening at the Cooperative. The premises
were adapted, wherever possible, to meet ever-changing requirements. New
machines were purchased and installations improved. Exports rose to 43
percent of production. At the General Meeting on 26 March 1961, which
was called to approve the balance sheet for 1960, the new management,
Board of Auditors and the Arbitrators were elected. The directors were:
Rino Marani, Aurelio Mingotti, Sanzio Cavalli, Pietro Gildeni and Roberto
Sgubbi. The Board of Directors appointed Aurelio Mingotti as president
and Rino Marani as vice-president2.
On 14 October 1960 the shareholders were called to a special
meeting to make some changes to the company statute with notary Appio
Alvisi present. Article 1 was changed to read: “A Cooperative Company of
mechanics has been established in Imola. It is called S.A.C.M.I. - Cooperativa
Meccanici Imola Società Cooperativa a Responsabilità Limitata”. The name
could also be used commercially in its abbreviated form “S.A.C.M.I.”.
Mixer screen.
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, pp. 60
and following pages; MAFAI M., Il
sorpasso, Mondadori, Milan 1997,
pp. 87 and following pages.
2
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
1
110
Article 2 was also changed. The text became: “The Cooperative has its
registered headquarters in Imola and has been set up to operate until 31
December 2000”. Article 4 was also subject to a substantial change. The
new text was as follows: “Any person can be admitted to the Cooperative,
who possesses the necessary legal requirements and the person: a) works
The “Economic Miracle”...
as a mechanic (in the Italian text reference is always made to practising the
“arte meccanica” to imply that the concept of work is an expression of
human creativity and not merely the means to a make a living, author’s
note); b) is known to be of good character; c) has reached at least 21 years
of age but is no more than forty in the calendar year in which he is admitted; d) has been employed by the Cooperative for no less than five years
and has proved to be able, reliable and to share the spirit of cooperation”.
Article 22, regarding division of profits, was formulated as follows: “The
net profit resulting from the balance, i.e. that which remains after all expenses and other financial obligations of the Cooperative have been deducted, will be distributed as follows: between 20 and 40 percent to the
ordinary reserve fund; between 20 and 40 percent to the extraordinary
Mixer for use in the chemical industry
(vacuum operated).
reserve fund; between 20 and 60 percent for mutual aid (member housing, training schools, study grants and other purposes according to the
decisions made at the General Meeting). The division of profits will be
decided at the Annual General Meetings. The distribution of the reserve
funds among shareholders is forbidden for the entire duration of the company”3.
“At the end of 1960” - writes Beltrandi - “Sacmi designed and
manufactured a new 220 ton press. It was presented at the Milan Trade
Exhibition in April 1961. This machine allowed four 15 × 15 tiles to be
pressed simultaneously. The design of this simple reliable machine owed
much to recent experience and new technology. It was electronically-controlled and made use of new semi-automatic mechanisms. It had immediate technical and commercial success - orders arrived almost straight away
and not just from Sassuolo (the area where Sacmi sold most of its machines, author’s note) but also from abroad. This machine was one of Sacmi’s
greatest successes. The company was to produce another two thousand of
ANMI, Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi,
dated 14 October 1960.
3
111
The history of Sacmi
them - maintaining their high standards of efficiency and adapting and
modifying them where necessary. The management, strengthened by new
engineers and divided according to business sectors, then took care of
launching the new machine onto the market... This encouraged the company to gradually extend its designs and production to include other machines in order to complete the ceramic production cycle - a prelude to
the decision to supply turnkey plants which would come a few years
later...”4. All this caused a bouleversement (I use the French word because
perhaps it best renders the idea of the extent of the changes). These changes,
which took place day by day, placed more and more pressure on the internal organisation of the factory to utilise every last square metre of space
available and to better organise the plants, the engineering department,
warehouses and so forth. In short, the company premises in Viale De
Amicis 81 were no longer sufficient.
The balance sheets for 1961 and 1962 indicated excellent results.
The report regarding 1961 noted that the financial year had shown steady success for the
machines both in the crown cap and ceramics
sectors. Sacmi became a shareholder in Fatmi
Española S.A. which manufactured machines
for ceramics companies and which would later
become a source of considerable problems. The
report regarding the balance sheet for 1962
highlighted the fact that “customers of both
Fatmi Española S.A.
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 249 and 250; SACMI Seventyfifth
75.
4
112
the cap and ceramics machines, as well as those from less important sectors... have shown that they consider our products to be good quality and
have high regard for our productive organisation... This achievement required a substantial investment of resources and capital. We therefore feel
The “Economic Miracle”...
it is our duty” - added the directors - “to extend our
warmest thanks to the banks which have provided
such solid support (in fact debts to banks amounted
to a total of 374,013,129 Lit. which, considering both
the potential and the assets of the company, was a
relatively modest sum, author’s note) for our business... The Board of Directors has indicated the urgency to set up a Design Department which is not
yet in full swing but has nevertheless started work on a number of designs
for new machines. Among these we should mention the hydraulic press
Fatmi Española machine operators at
work.
which has now been entirely constructed and is currently undergoing testing. The automatic sheet feeder for the crown cap presses is at design
stage. This unit should complete the machine and thus meet a requirement which we have known needed attention for several years now... Our
plans” - the managers informed the shareholders - “also include involving
Sacmi in the design of complete systems for handling fruit...”5.
The figures shown in the balance sheet gave further evidence of
the progress of the company. At the General Meeting on 24 March 1963
(regarding the balance sheet for 1962) the elections for the various company positions took place in the usual way. The Board of Directors: Aurelio
Mingotti, President; Rino Marani, Vice-President; Pietro Gildeni, Roberto
Sgubbi and Sanzio Cavalli, Directors6. Share capital, turnover and net
earnings each amounted to sums over six figures - another important goal
had been reached. Great figures thanks to great machines!
On 26 February 1963 the president of Sacmi, Aurelio Mingotti,
(authorized by the Board) bought a piece of land on behalf of the company. The land was bought from Vincenzo and Giovanni Vannini and
covered an area of 4 hectares. It had no buildings on it, was free from any
5
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
6
Ibid.
113
The history of Sacmi
binding arrangements and was located in Via Provinciale
Selice within the town of Imola. It was bought for the
sum of 15,000,000 Lit.7.
Business and, in particular, overseas trade
was flourishing in these years. The man behind this was Aldo Villa. Although he had
only recently joined Sacmi, Villa managed
the sales branch of the company with particular enthusiasm. He was not only a dynamic manager but also one who had an excellent way of dealing with clients, had good business
Centrifugal jaw crusher.
instincts and was decisive. Furthermore he was tireless in his work - he
travelled all over the world from one market area to another to install
Sacmi’s machines. He ushered in a new era at Sacmi. Like Giulio Miceti,
he also possessed great charisma. They were two very different characters
but they were two model homines sacmenses - the company always came first
for them.
At this time the Board of Directors realised that the expense of
contracting out certain jobs was becoming a financial burden. For this
reason, having weighed up all the pros and cons, it decided (22 July 1963)
to set up a new company with links to the Cooperative (although work is
still farmed out to others and represents a significant source of income for
Imola). So it was that Sacmi acquired a holding in A. Miglioli SpA with its
plant in Sassuolo.
The vice-president, Rino Marani, was entrusted with acting on
behalf of Sacmi to set up this company whose purpose was to manufac-
ANMI, Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi,
dated 26 February 1963.
7
116
ture electronic, hydraulic and mechanical equipment. Marani was authorized to take part in the establishment of the company, to acquire 51 per
The “Economic Miracle”...
cent of the entire share capital, to approve the company statute, to appoint the Board of Directors and Board of Auditors and to approve any
other action considered necessary.
The company later became Sacmi Sassuolo on 29 April 1985 and
the Cooperative’s holding was to reach 99 percent of the share capital.
The production rate of complete die-sets for ceramics is currently over
four hundred a year. The wide range of products offers plenty of scope for
choice: die-sets with standard punches, mirror-finished die-sets, those designed to produce special workpieces, with upper knockouts as well as
isostatic punches (patented by Sacmi) which reduce shape defects on the
fired tiles. Sacmi Sassuolo became an Italian leader in the ceramic tiles
market. The company also dealt with the distribution of spare parts throughout the country8.
It is usually said that markets are subject to periodic slumps. At
this time a crisis had appeared and this is evidenced in the Board’s report of 22 March 1964 when the balance sheet for 1963 was analysed
and approved. The effects of the recession are shown extremely clearly
at Sacmi. The increase in production was equal to 47 percent in 1961
and 66 percent in 1962. In 1963 it was only 16 percent. This was a
considerable step backwards. The decrease mainly concerned the manufacture of machines for ceramics. The national economic situation was
Die-set for ceramic mosaic pieces.
unsteady as the rise in the cost of living led to trade union demands for
higher wages. Certain decisions taken by the company between 10 May
and 20 July 1963 had cut into its income - for example, several new
engineers had been taken on to strengthen the technical and sales staff
of the Cooperative. The Board of Directors was nevertheless convinced
that it was making all the right decisions in order to overcome the crisis.
The situation did not improve over the next financial year (1964). Sales
8
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, p. 52;
SACMI, 1996 Annual Report.
117
The history of Sacmi
of Sacmi machines on the national market were patchy. The overseas
market accounted for 50 percent of production. The decision to
strengthen the technical and sales side of the business proved to be a
wise one and Sacmi was thus able to avoid worse damage to its income.
In the end the problems perhaps did more good than harm as everybody could now see more clearly that Sacmi needed to extend its hold
on overseas markets.
The members of Sacmi had an extraordinary way of operating.
When signs of a crisis were in the air (and demonstrated by the facts) what
does the Board of Directors do? It decides to make a large financial investment by buying new land for the “big” headquarters! Intuition, foresight
or good fortune? Perhaps all three.
The indicators for the two financial years were as follows: (1963)
SC 18,500,000 Lit., TO 2,206,575,155 Lit., NP 17,359,130 Lit. (1964)
SC 19,750,000 Lit., TO 2,025,750,627 Lit., NP 8,651,939 Lit., shareholders 79, workforce 237. The names of the new directors were: Aurelio
Mingotti, President; Rino Marani, Vice-President; Rino Morini, Enrico
Spisni and Sanzio Cavalli, Directors9.
In May 1964 the Board of Directors began making plans to build
the new headquarters and approved the design drawn up by Aldo
Dall’Osso. Aldo’s son Tullio continued his father’s work and took charge
of construction. Preparations were made to obtain planning permission
from the Council. The contract for the building work was given to the
Cooperativa Muratori (Builders’ Cooperative) of Imola (first and second lot
and additional building work). Obviously a great deal of money was needed
in order to complete a project of this size. The work was mainly financed
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
9
118
by the Banca Centrale di Credito Popolare - Centrobanca - di Milano and the
Special Credit Department at the Cooperazione della Banca Nazionale del
The “Economic Miracle”...
Lavoro. The lines of credit with local banks were also extended to meet
further needs.
On 23 December 1966, as a result of a resolution passed by the
Board of Directors, Mingotti (the president) pointed out that “the new
offices in via Provinciale Selice 17/A in Imola will be completed towards
the end of 1967” and this meant that from 31 January 1967 all the technical, administrative and sales departments would be moved to the new
premises. This relocation even included the company headquarters10. Most
of the machines had already been moved during the summer of 1966.
The new complex was situated in the industrial area of the town.
The via Selice was built by the Romans in the second century B.C. when
they divided up the land and laid out the road system in the area of Imola. The name Silex leads us
to suppose that the road was paved (selciata) even
in those times. On the left-hand side, as one travels north, there was a canal used by barges. The
road and the canal joined at “Caput Silicis” which
is now Conselice. This town was, for many centuries, Imola’s main port and an important local trading centre as, in those times, the venetian lagoon
extended as far as Caput Silicis11.
On 3rd April 1965, the Board of Directors took an important
Conveyor curve for handling tiles,
premises in Viale De Amicis.
decision - with the approval of the Board of Auditors, the Cooperative set
up Sacmi Impianti Società per Azioni. This new company had its registered
headquarters in Via Ugo Bassi, 21 in Bologna (with a branch office in
Milan) and was an engineering and trading company manufacturing systems for ceramics production. The purpose of the company was to “buy
and sell all types of machines and systems as well as their disassembled
Ibid.
REGINI R., Urbanistica e
toponomastica storica di Imola, Cassa
di Risparmio di Imola, Imola
1962, pp. 167 and 168.
10
11
119
The history of Sacmi
parts and, in particular, those for the ceramics industry, to act as business
agents and operate as importers and exporters. The company is set up to
operate until 30 June 2010”.
The vice-president, Rino Marani, was authorized “to buy up a
holding in this company equal to 55 percent of the entire shareholder’s
capital which is fixed at 45 million Lit., to appoint the Board of Directors
and Board of Auditors as well as agree upon and approve every other
covenant, clause and condition which might be required in order to set
up the company”12.
Sacmi’s holding increased over the next few years until it reached
a 99.13 percent share. Setting up Sacmi Impianti SpA (whose main office
was, as previously mentioned, in
Milan) proved to be a driving force
behind the rapid and vigorous
expansion of overseas trade. Sacmi
Impianti was the most important
trading company in the Group. It
strengthened its own sales network
by opening new offices in areas of
potential interest. One example was
Imola, 15 October 1967.
Inauguration of the plant in Via
Selice, with bishop Aldo Gobbi and the
Member of Parliament, Angelo
Salizzoni.
the new office in Fiorano Modenese which was established in order to
follow developments in the Sassuolo market more closely. This office was
also to take responsibility for providing customers with quotations and to
build up the divisions making systems for tableware, sanitary ware and
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
13
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
pp. 250 and following pages;
SACMI, 1996 Annual Report, pp. 13
and 14.
12
120
extrudates. In addition to the office in Fiorano Modenese, near Modena,
another branch was set up in 1996 - Sacmi Singapore Jakarta Branch which
offered after-sales service to customers in Indonesia13.
At the General Meeting in 1965 Illio Zani was elected as substi-
The “Economic Miracle”...
tute auditor taking over from Benito
Benati who had become an employee of
the Cooperative. Benati was appointed
segretario amministrativo starting from 30
June 196514. Benati later became direttore
amministrativo (Administrative Manager)
and remained in this position for thirty
years up until the end of 1995. At this
time he became Supervising Manager for
the Sacmi Group until he retired on 31
March 1998.
Meanwhile, the Cold War continued and reached a crisis point.
The day of the inauguration of the new
headquarters in Via Provinciale Selice.
In fact it developed into full-blown war marked by the shedding of blood,
slaughter and inhuman violence. On 7 August 1964 the USA intervened
in the Vietnam war by sending in its own forces. This war (characterised
mostly by guerrilla warfare) was a struggle between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, with its capital in Hanoi, which lay to the North of
the 17th parallel and was under Communist influence and, on the other
side, the Republic of Vietnam whose capital was Saigon and which was
under first French and then American influence. It was a long and bloody
war which only began to draw to an end on 27 January 1973 when the
Americans agreed to a gradual withdrawal of troops from the South of
the country15.
Let us go back to the story of Sacmi. The men and women of
Sacmi were always concerned that their Magna Carta should reflect society, which is obviously constantly changing. A special meeting was therefore held on 15 February 1966 in order to re-assess the company statute.
Article 3 was added to with a new paragraph reading: “(The company
14
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
15
Enciclopedia Zanichelli (Edigeo)
pp. 1988 and 1989.
121
The history of Sacmi
aims to) acquire holdings in other companies both in Italy and abroad
whose business may be useful to further the aims of the company, provided that they involve limited responsibility to the
subscribed share. In order to reach its objectives,
the Cooperative undertakes to fully equip its factories and to put in place an efficient technical, administrative and commercial organisational structure”. I shall quote Article 4 (which deals with admission of shareholders) in full as substantial
changes were made. The text reads: “Any person
can be admitted to be shareholder in the CooperaA pilot plant set up for spray-dried
product.
tive who possesses the necessary legal requirements and the person: a) is
known to be of good character; b) has reached at least 24 years of age
when the Board deliberates his admission but is no more than forty on
1st January of the year in which he requests admission; c) has been employed by the Cooperative for no less than five consecutive years and has
proved to be able, reliable and to share the spirit of cooperation; d) has
shown, according to his age, the technical and practical ability required
for the job. The skills may have been acquired at a specialized technical
school or through equivalent training or from a period of apprenticeship.
Otherwise he must have executed all tasks involved in the job perfectly”.
Even article 5 was modified: “The number of shareholders is limited according to the technical and productive capacity of the Cooperative. Notwithstanding that stated in article 4, shareholders, including technicians
and those in administration, can be admitted in accordance with current
laws”. The following articles were also updated. Article 6 - “Applicants
may present their request for admission in the calendar year in which they
reach 24 years of age or when they have completed five years as employees
122
The “Economic Miracle”...
of the Cooperative before 28th February during the period running from 30
April to 31 October (modification made on 28 November 1968, author’s
note). Requests for admission as a shareholder should be accompanied by
a police record”. Article 7 - “After examining whether the applicant matches
up to requirements, the Board of Directors will make a decision about
whether he/she should be admitted. A majority of the members of the
Board need to be in favour in order for a shareholder to be admitted. The
decision of the Board is irrevocable and no conditions can be laid down”.
A special cap with a tab for opening
by hand without the need for a bottle
opener.
The power to admit a new shareholder therefore passed from the General
Meeting to the Board of Directors in order to comply with a directive in
the Civil Code. The first paragraph of Article 32 (regarding the Board of
Directors) was changed in the following way: “The Board of Directors is
made up of five members and elects the president and vice-president at its
first meeting”. Previously the vice-president had been known as consigliere
delegato and this was now changed to vice presidente. The mandates of the
Board of Auditors and Board of Arbitrators were to last three years, as
before. The new text of the statute also carried other small changes which
I will not go into here16.
Another special meeting to discuss the statute was held on 28
November 1968. In fact the purpose of this meeting was to make a few
adjustments to the text approved on 15 February 1966. One particularly
interesting modification was that made to article 32 regarding the Board
of Directors. At the end of this article the following clause was added:
“Members of the Company who are heads of the engineering or sales
departments or who are administration or production managers may not
be elected as members of the Board of Directors. If they are elected as
such they must decline the position” 17.
The work to complete the construction of the new company head-
ANMI, Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi,
dated 15 February 1966.
17
Ibid. Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi,
dated 28 November 1968.
16
123
The history of Sacmi
quarters continued a while longer. Seven new prefabricated factory buildings were built - the cost financed with loans. The office building was
raised. More land was needed and therefore purchased in order to complete construction.
Meanwhile the national ceramics market began to pick up again
and the company’s income increased. This was extremely good for the
Cooperative as it had made huge investments and had to pay large amounts
of interest to the banks which had granted loans.
A look at the balance sheets for the last years of the decade gives
us a clear picture. Net profit showed this pattern: (1966) 11,357,978 Lit.,
(1967) 21,147,863 Lit., (1968) 47,263,337 Lit., (1969) 76,044,965 Lit. In
Clutch press: the first to be made
entirely at Sacmi
(with electronic controller and
hydraulic power unit).
1969 elections were held again for the various company positions: Aurelio
Mingotti, President (Board of Directors of 31 March 1969); Rino Marani,
Vice President (Board of Directors of 31 March 1969); Pietro Gildeni,
Rino Morini and Nerio Cavina, Directors. Cavina later resigned from the
job and was replaced by Giorgio Penazzi. Board of Auditors: Elio Pagani,
Auditor General; Armando Sarti and Mauro Billi, regular auditors; Bruno
Manaresi and Illio Zani, substitute auditors. Armando Sarti, Company
Auditor, was the president of Sacmi Impianti SpA. There were 108 shareholders in the Cooperative and a workforce of 302.
As a result of resolutions passed by the company bodies, Sacmi do
Brasil LTDA was set up on 24 June, 1969 with its main office in San Paolo,
Brazil. The share capital was later to be owned by Sacmi Imola (99%). The
company was formed in order to deal with after-sales service and to provide spare parts to customers in Brazil and some other countries in Latin
America18.
18
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings
and documents.
126
The student protests of the sixties were not yet over when unforeseen and disturbing incidents took place in Milan and Rome on 12 De-
The “Economic Miracle”...
cember 1969. A bomb exploded at a branch of the Banca
Nazionale dell’Agricoltura in Piazza Fontana in Milan during
opening hours. The attack left 17 dead and 88 injured.
Bombs also went off in Rome at the Banca Nazionale del
Lavoro in Via Veneto (16 injured) and at the tomb of the
Unknown Warrior19. It was the beginning of the “strategy
of tension” which was to lead to murder and terrorist activity for a further ten years. The various assaults against defenceless citizens culminated in the horror of the bomb attack in Bolo-
Weigher and filler-box for clay.
gna’s main station (2nd August 1980 - 85 dead and 200 injured) and, in
the same year, the mysterious incident when an Itavia passenger aeroplane
was shot down in the sky over Ustica (81 dead). This was just one of many
unsolved mysteries in our country. These terrorist acts certainly had a
political undercurrent and were probably right-wing inspired with the exception, perhaps, of the shot-down plane. At the time people spoke (and
still do) about the suspected involvement of deviant elements within the
intelligence services. Who corrupted them?
Nobody knows who was really responsible for these crimes. What
was the objective? - to have a right-wing government filled with “hard”
men. This black spot in Italian history, which has an evil and frightening
aspect about it, remains alive in our minds as a warning for the future.
Imola was undisturbed by these violent events.
Other sources
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione imolese.
FOA V., Questo Novecento.
KOGAN N., Storia politica dell’Italia repubblicana.
MAMMARELLA G., L’Italia contemporanea, 1943-1985, il Mulino, Bologna 1985.
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, pp. 665
and following pages.
19
127
The history of Sacmi
Every member of a cooperative
is an “entrepreneur”.
The ups and downs of the market.
Italy - a changed country.
128
Every member of a cooperative...
A
s a boy, my beloved Mechanics’ Cooperative in Viale Crispi represented my whole world and my dreams. In the evening, when
the dusk turned in a moment from red to grey and became a
colour which was entre chien et loup, as the French say, I used to hear the
silvery voice of signorina Gea drift over the courtyard to me from a window
in the factory of the Cooperative. She sang “Vento, vento, portami via con
te/raggiungeremo insieme il firmamento/...” (Wind, wind, carry me away
with you/ together we will reach the stars...). I would look for my cat and
call out for him. Where was the wretch? No doubt he had crossed the courtyard, scaled the wall and was looking for his mate in Sacmi’s grounds. He
had no fear of the white lights with their blue reflections which shone out
of the factory and struck the walls of our houses with bright flashes. But I
am talking about myself and must stop. A chronicler cannot talk about his
own personal experiences but should describe what he sees and feels about
others, revealing nothing of himself. You will forgive me for breaking this
rule. In those far-off years I had thousands of ideas in my head. I wanted to
travel and dreamt of flying in an aeroplane. I would never have imagined
that, one day, a company which is known throughout the world and is an
international leader in its market would rise out of that courtyard where my
lovestruck cat mooched about and from where the welders sent out their
flashes of blue and white light.
The Cooperativa Meccanici has never crumbled - it is made of iron. It
goes on and on and knows no boundaries nor distances. It is, today, a great
129
The history of Sacmi
company. But things were not always so rosy. The company was started
up almost as a bet and then, as time went on, and the game was seen
to be worth the candle, it joined in the race. In the beginning it was
little more than a small workshop. However it struggled on and, at
times, went against the trend as when, for example, it “planted itself
in the path of the fascist tank” so to speak. Sacmi won its fight and
went on to become a true industrial cooperative. Today it is a large
international concern run along cooperative lines. The cooperative
philosophy is embodied in the various clauses of the company statute. There were lean times and then there were richer times. Rain
and shine. Windy and calm seas. The ups and downs of life. There
were many storms but those at the helm of the Mayflower-Sacmi alA ceramics press exhibited with great
success at the Milan Trade Fair in
1967.
ways had a firm wrist and a sharp eye. Running a cooperative is not easy.
The entrepreneurial spirit is to be found in any individual or group of people who are prepared to risk their capital. In a cooperative there are many
“entrepreneurs” - each shareholder is one. But at the same time he is also a
worker in the company so it is as if he has a double identity. It is not always
simple to be two people in one. Sacmi’s company structure and organisation has always been based on a dialetical philosophy i.e. ideas are proposed, compared and debated and it is this very method that is behind its
success. When dialectic is accompanied by the delegation of power to statutory bodies and by discipline and respect for the hierarchy it is a principle
which, if used correctly, is essential in order to run a company properly.
1970 began well. On 20 May, following approval by the Chamber
of Deputies, the Senate of the Republic passed the workers’ statute which
laid down standards for protecting the constitutional rights of factory workers. Contrary to the Italian proverb, it is not always the case that in the
morning we can tell whether the day will be turn out to be fine. However,
130
Every member of a cooperative...
the old saying that “violence breeds violence” is quite true. The period of
the “strategy of tension” had just begun with the attack in Milan’s Piazza
Fontana and now extreme left-wing groups, utopians and revolutionaries in particular the Red Brigades - began their ill-fated policy against the State1.
These were clandestine groups whose aim was to disrupt and undermine
the institutions of the Republic. They included violent utopians who were
against parliament and all political parties, constitutional law and legitimate authority. They attacked judges, journalists, university lecturers, generals, trade union leaders, company directors and politicians. In the end
they were defeated because the State and the political parties (including the
Communist party in opposition) closed in on them and stopped them.
However, during almost twenty years of Red Brigade activity, great men such as Aldo Moro, president of the Christian Democrats and five times
prime minister - were assassinated.
On an economic front, the decade was characterised by muted
progress. The economic trend was marked by a series of fits and starts, ups
and downs. One year would go quite well and then the next badly. The
overall theme was one of discontinuity. The international monetary system
collapsed when the American president decided upon the inconvertibility
of the dollar and all industrialised countries began to feel strong inflationary trends due to the petroleum crisis. However, a new period began for the
regulation of international exchange rates with the Bretton Woods agreement. In Italy, on the one hand, wages went up but, on the other hand, so
did prices. The demand for consumer goods also grew and the logical result
Hydraulic press for the laboratory.
was inflation. This led to a drop in investments and productivity and, in
turn, an increase in unemployment. In brief, it was a decade which saw one
surprising turn of events after another2.
Sacmi’s balance sheets for these years reflect the general economic
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, pp. 666
and 668.
2
Ibid. p. 670.
1
131
The history of Sacmi
situation, albeit in a slightly toned down way. The balance sheet for 1970
was boosted by contingent assets due to capital gains relating to the sale of
the company premises in Viale De Amicis (25,362,431 Lit.). This windfall
was of considerable help. The overall result, measured in terms of net profit
(42,188,512 Lit.) - which is not always a certain indicator - decreased in
comparison with the previous year. On a national level the building industry was in a slump period. The French are exactly right when they say quand
le bâtiment va, tout va (when building goes well, everything goes well). In this
case, the building industry was suffering and this had considerable effect on
many other sectors. Without doubt the ceramics sector was one of the first
hit. In 1970 the ceramics sector was virtually inert and the sale of Sacmi’s
ceramics machines could not escape the same fate. So much so that, in its
report presented at the General Meeting, the Board of Directors proposed
increasing manufacture of the machines for handling citrus fruits and those
for crown caps. As for overseas trade; this was something to be keenly pursued as, if the company could expand export of its machines even further,
future balances ought to be protected against any surprises. The Board of
Directors began to explore the possibility of a joint management in order to
strengthen the way in which the company was run and make it more efficient. The balance sheet for 1971 was even more disappointing than that for
1970. Net profit amounted to 34,968,412 Lit. The reason was the same: the
building industry was at a virtual standstill and, consequently, so too was
the ceramics sector. If you consider that approximately 80 percent of Sacmi’s
customer base was made up of those in the ceramics industry you can get
the full picture of the situation. Two client companies had actually closed
down and this obviously did not improve matters. The Board had made
arrangements to set up a reserve fund for bad debts with an initial sum of
40 million Lit. to be increased over the years. The Board was satisfied that
134
Every member of a cooperative...
the Cooperative was being run properly pointing out, for example, that in
the current financial year sales figures were sound. Meanwhile the machines
were being improved and perfected. All the company personnel were prepared to give their utmost and make full use of their energy and creativeness in order to cope with the failure of the Italian economy3.
In 1972 the national economy still showed signs of instability. Sacmi’s balance sheet was not too bad but neither was
it entirely satisfactory (net profit 32,512,202 Lit.). Turnover increased by 2.3 percent compared to 1971 but a more impressive
growth rate had been expected. There were many reasons why
expectations had not been fulfilled but the company had done
everything within its power.
We know that the Cooperative made use of small workshops in Imola and its hinterland particularly when there was too
much work to be handled internally. The Board of Directors felt it
was necessary to change the occasional basis of this arrangement. It believed
Early 1970s. Punching machine.
that the small and medium-sized businesses should become permanent collaborators. Work could be contracted out to them on a medium-term basis
to manufacture machines, complete assemblies or even individual parts but
in a much better planned and organised manner than previously. This was
one way in which to resolve the company’s problems but there were also
other courses of action to be taken. Productivity needed to be improved by
investing in resources, personnel and methods. The primary objective remained that of increasing sales, in particular in overseas markets, and the
business strategy of the Cooperative was directed towards reaching this target.
1973 was a good year. With the various sums to be put aside subtracted and foreseeable depreciations deducted, net profit amounted to
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
3
135
The history of Sacmi
214,266,644 Lit. which was an excellent result. The increase in turnover in
relation to the previous year was 50.3 percent. The changes in the monetary
system (Bretton Woods) produced conflicting but, in all cases, extraordinary effects. A strong initial push had been given to exports due to the fact
that our goods cost less for foreigners to buy. Marked inflation further drove
those who wished to save money to invest in shelter goods (the most common of which is construction). Le bâtiment - the building industry - was back
on its feet and the related sectors followed suit. The ceramics market got
moving again and sales of Sacmi’s machines rose. In fact, overall production seemed to benefit from this trend. Sacmi consolidated its assets and
became better-established on Italian and international markets, quod erat in
votis, as it was hoped it would do. The Cooperative was now manufacturing
complete ceramics systems or “turnkey plants” (the entire range of machines
required to manufacture ceramic products) as well as hundreds of new ceramics and crown cap machines. The number of staff grew. Amongst others, six engineers and sixteen specialised technicians joined the business.
According to the Annual Report, nine factory buildings on the southern
side of the plant were nearing completion. The Board of Directors had
passed a resolution to spend approximately 50 million Lit. to equip the
research department. It was decided to make a further investment in order
to develop the ceramics laboratory at an estimated cost of 35 million Lit.
Prospects seemed good. Obviously there were a few downsides as well, such
as the increasing cost of money. The company began to feel the effects of
their lack of liquid assets and the Board of Directors therefore appealed to
all members to increase their share holdings in the company to the maximum allowed - 4 million Lit. The Cooperative was able to accept shareholders’ savings up to a maximum of 8 million Lit. per head with an annual
interest rate of 5 percent. In addition shareholders and employees alike
136
Every member of a cooperative...
were asked to work more overtime when necessary. The Board was hoping
to reach a production target of 40 presses per month in the next financial
year.
The Board of Directors was re-elected at the next General Meeting
on 15 April 1973. At the first meeting of the Board on 16 April the following positions were appointed: Rino Morini, President; Pietro Gildeni, VicePresident; Nerio Cavina, Rino Marani and Giorgio Penazzi,
Directors. After sixteen consecutive years (plus four years from
1940-1944) Aurelio Mingotti left the helm of the MayflowerSacmi. The Board of Auditors was made up of Elio Pagani,
Auditor General; Armando Sarti and Mauro Billi, regular
auditors; Bruno Manaresi and Illio Zani, substitute auditors4.
Other important decisions were taken during the
early Seventies. At the General Meeting held on 15 December 1971, an idea was approved to set up a scheme to award bonuses to all
shareholders based on the number of years they had served the company.
Automatic boxing machine:
one of the last machines made by
Sacmi for handling citrus fruits.
This scheme was to be put in place starting from the financial year of 1972
and the bonus would normally be paid in the second half of the year. It
would amount to 70.000 Lit. after tax and social security contributions had
been deducted. The bonus would continue to be granted for as long as the
person in question remained a shareholder but would terminate after such
time.
Any shareholder or employee reaching 25 years of service with the
Cooperative would be awarded a gold medal and a diploma in recognition
of loyalty to the company (resolution passed on 24 April 1972).
Do you remember the first internal system of mutual aid set up in
1924? Well now the shareholders (at a meeting on 22 December 1972) approved a new system more in tune with the current times and which could
4
Ibid.
137
The history of Sacmi
be considered one of the most advanced set-ups in the Italian cooperative
companies5.
Things continued to go well for the Cooperative. Despite the shaky
state of the world economy (inflationary and recessionary trends were noted
simultaneously) Sacmi’s 1974 results were satisfactory: SC 723,750,000 Lit.,
TO 18,746,657,209 Lit., NP 268,251,381 Lit., shareholders 181 and
workforce 353.
Turnover, which amounted to 18.7 billion Lit., had reached its highest figure in the company’s history but we should take into account the
effects of inflation which was a direct cause of the increase. Clearly, however, it was not just inflation which had produced the good results. Day by
day the company had kept a careful eye on rising costs (of raw materials,
personnel and money) and updated their price lists accordingly. It was not
an easy ride - the cost of money increased at a rate of 20 percent per year
and, at the same time, there was an upsurge in market demand (above all in
the ceramics sector). With the agreement of the shareholders, the Board of
Directors decided upon a two-year investment plan. As a result, for the single financial year of 1974, fixed investments amounted to more than half a
billion Lit. Arrangements were also made to increase the risk funds. To sum
up, the Board avoided being taken by surprise by adopting the necessary
precautions and faced the changing market fully aware of the economic
situation6.
From 1975-1976 “the first data processing center was set up within
the company. The center started by installing computer systems in the personnel department and proceeded gradually, making all the necessary adapIbid.
Ibid.
7
BELTRANDI S., La Sacmi: analisi
storica, problemi e riflessioni critiche,
p. 254.
5
6
138
tations and modifications. It now covers the entire management of the company in all areas”7.
The aft wind continued to fill the sails and the prow of the ship cut
Every member of a cooperative...
through the sea ahead. The balance sheets for the Mayflower-Sacmi between
1975 and 1980 gave clear indications of excellent profits. The strategy of
expanding business overseas appeared to be a winning one. The annual
reports and balance sheets for these years showed that more often than not
the economic progress of the company ran counter to the trends evident in
the national economy. This was further proof of the managerial ability of
the leaders of Sacmi. There are some points worth noting about the period:
for the financial year of 1977 the Cooperative had established itself on the
market in approximately eighty countries all over the world. In 1979 Italy’s
GDP had reached a level which was worthy of respect among the most
industrialised countries in the world. Again in 1979, Sacmi’s production of
crown cap machines exceeded a turnover of three billion Lit. Finally - a
distinct downside - inflation in Italy in 1980 increased at a rate of almost
two points per month.
Hydraulic press.
As already mentioned, Sacmi’s balance sheets showed good earnings. This can be seen from the net profit: (1975) 248 million 972 thousand
Lit., (1976) 292 million 928 thousand Lit., (1977) 1 billion 207 million Lit.,
(1978) 2 billion 977 million Lit., (1979) 4 billion 465 million Lit., (1980) 9
billion 255 million Lit.
At the General Meeting on 24 May 1975 the various company positions were re-elected: Rino Morini, President (Board meeting on 26 May
1975); Nerio Cavina, Vice-President (same meeting); Giorgio Penazzi, Liliano
Bertozzi and Rino Marani, Directors.
The following changes were made at the General Meeting held on
30 April 1977: Nerio Cavina, President (Board meeting of 3 May 1977);
Liliano Bertozzi, Vice-President (same meeting); Giorgio Penazzi, Francesco
Bendanti and Antonio Foschi, Directors.
Further changes took place at the General Meeting on 28 April 1979.
139
The history of Sacmi
The Board of Directors was as follows: Rodiero Alieri, President (Board meeting, 3 May 1979); Francesco Bendanti, Vice-President (same meeting); Romano
Drei, Antonio Foschi and Luciano Mingotti, Directors. Board of Auditors:
Mauro Billi, Auditor General; Armando Sarti and Illio Zani as regular auditors; Gianfranco Santilli and Giorgio Naldi as substitute auditors.
On 29 December 1979 the former company president, Nerio Cavina,
died. His term as president and his work as a director are remembered for
the period in which they took place and the fact that he did a great deal to
strengthen management. I would also like to point out that Rodiero Alieri,
who took over at the helm of Sacmi, continued to run the company wonderfully well for a further sixteen years.
At the end of 1979 Sacmi Impianti SA Argentina was formed with its
main office in Buenos Aires. This company was set up with the aim of
providing after-sales service to Argentinean customers. The Sacmi Group
held 70 percent of the share capital8.
At two special meetings, held on 10 February 19789 and 28 September 197910, some changes were made to the company statute. At the first
meeting articles 16 (regarding the reserve funds), 19 (regarding the drawing
up of the balance sheet) and 21 (regarding the division of net profits) were
modified. At the second meeting the following articles were changed: article 1 (the full-stops between the letters in the acronym SACMI were removed) and article 5 (the new text reads “The contribution of each shareholder consists of a share amounting to four million Lit which must be
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, list of the
controlled companies; SACMIAR,
Minutes books from the General
and Board meetings, documents.
9
ANMI, Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi,
dated 10 February 1978.
10
ANMI, Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi,
dated 28 September 1979.
8
140
subscribed to in full upon admission as a shareholder. The share must be
paid for in accordance with the terms and in the manner established by the
Board of Directors. Otherwise the shareholder forfeits his/her rights. The
shares are registered and are not transferable. They can only be reimbursed
in the event of resignation, expiry, dismissal or death of the shareholder in
Every member of a cooperative...
accordance with article 2529 of the Civil Code. The distribution of dividends amounting to more than the legal interest gained on paid-in capital is
forbidden”.
At the Board meeting held on 28 April 1980 the president, Alieri,
informed the other directors that the Spanish ceramics industry was, at the
time, undergoing major restructuring of their production plants and Sacmi
was obviously interested in this development. In order to gain ground in
this market (following the closure of Fatmi Española) it was essential for
Sacmi to set up a trading company in Spain. It did this by starting up Sacmi
Ibérica S.A. in Castellon de la Plana which was the centre of the Spanish
ceramics district. Sacmi had a 50 percent stake in the company and the
remaining share of the capital was allotted to a trustworthy Spanish shareholder. The Board voted unanimously in favour of this proposal and gave
Bottle cap punching machine.
the president wide powers in order to carry it out. The plan was executed in
March the following year. Later (in 1988) the Board decided to purchase
another piece of land in the same region of Spain. The land covered an area
of 8000 sq.m. and here they built a complex to house offices, a warehouse,
factory floor and an after-sales service department. Share capital therefore
rose and Sacmi acquired a 99 percent holding.
By the end of the financial year of 1980 Sacmi’s workforce had
increased to 411 of whom 213 were shareholders11.
Other sources
MONTANELLI I., CERVI M., L’Italia degli anni di piombo, Fabbri, Milan 1995.
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione imolese.
BIAGI E., Italia, Rizzoli, Milan 1975.
FOA V., Questo Novecento.
MAMMARELLA G., L’Italia contemporanea, 1943-1985.
SACMI soixante ans de travail, publication for the 60th anniversary of Sacmi’s foundation, text
by Tino Della Valle.
FLAMIGNI S., Convergenze parallele, Kaos, Milan 1998.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings,
documents; SACMI Seventyfifth 75,
list of the controlled companies.
11
141
The history of Sacmi
The Italian economy improves.
Aldo Villa is Managing Director:
the right man at the right time.
144
The Italian economy improves...
T
he national economy at the beginning of the Eighties continued to fluctuate, as it had done for most of the previous decade. Then, in 1983, things took a turn for the better. The
decrease in the price of petroleum and raw materials on the international market prepared the way for economic recovery. Inflation fell to
10 percent and then further to 7 percent where it stabilised (it had
been as high as 21.7 percent in 1980). The Italian lira entered the
European Monetary System (in the “wide band” where devaluation
hovered around 6 percent, while the “narrow band” fixed the limit at
3 percent). This meant that a less flexible line needed to be taken by
the Italian monetary organisations. Interest rates were raised. “In the
larger companies recovery was indicated by the restructuring which
took place. New computer and robotic technology was introduced which
allowed companies to cut down drastically on numbers of staff. In
addition, the use of versatile automated systems allowed production
to be rapidly adapted to suit the changing needs of the market. The
reduction in personnel obviously meant that more people relied on
welfare benefits and this placed a heavy burden on the State”. The
number of strike hours fell. During the Seventies they had reached an
average of 130 million per year but they now fell to 50 million. People
began investing their money again. In the second half of the decade
GDP grew until Italy vied with Britain for fifth position among the
economic powers in the West. However, the public debt increased day
145
The history of Sacmi
by day and public administration continued to show its backwardness,
inefficiency and disorganisation 1.
At Sacmi, the economic trend was basically good and followed the
lines of the national pattern although in a calmer more rational fashion.
Often Sacmi anticipated new initiatives in the field of methods of production compared to the wider Italian scene. The course that Sacmi took was
independent and different. By now, as mentioned previously, the company
was producing complete systems known as “turnkey plants” to underline
the fact that Sacmi’s work encompassed the whole ceramics field and that
its machines could control the entire production cycle from the selection of
raw materials to quality control of the final product. The manufacture of these systems was maintained at satisfactory levels although, on a national level, the ceramics field went through periods of highs and lows. Most of the company’s production - between 65 and 75 percent - was accounted for by overseas markets.
The remainder, 10-15 percent, by the crown cap machines. The
manufacture of the machines for citrus fruits was, on the other
Press assembly bay.
hand, of less importance and was being gradually phased out2.
On 18 October 1983, the president of the Republic came to Imola
to inaugurate the new headquarters of AMI (Azienda Municipalizzata Imola)
- the public utility company - in Via Casalegno, 1. Pertini, of the Italian
Socialist Party, became president on 8 July, 19783.
Storia d’Italia, cronologia, p. 712.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings,
documents.
3
CIDRA, newspaper and periodical library, Sabato Sera, 22 October
1983.
1
2
146
Sacmi’s company statute underwent more changes. At a special
meeting held on 28 October 1983 the following articles were modified:
articles 3 (Company objectives), 15 (Shareholders’ contribution), 21 (Division of net profits), 23 (Shareholders’ meeting), 32 (Board members’
The Italian economy improves...
indemnity) and 35 (Delegation of the Board’s powers). Of particular interest is the alteration made to article 15. The old text was replaced by the
following: “The nominal value of each share can be no less than 4 million
Lit. but no more than 19 million Lit. Nevertheless the value of each share
can go up to thirty million by means of allocating profits free from taxes
as long as the limits established by article 14 of law no. 72 (19 March
1983) are respected. Newly admitted shareholders should subscribe to a
share worth 19 million Lit. which is to be paid as follows: a) 2 million Lit.
within 30 days of the date of being admitted; b) a further sum of 500
thousand lire for each year of service to the company already completed
by the end of year of admission; c) 2,500,000 Lit. to be paid by the end of
the year following the year of admission; d) the remainder should be paid
at an annual rate of 500 thousand Lit. by the end of each year. The shares
are non-transferable. If the shareholder leaves the company, is banned
from holding shares, dies or if the expiry date of the shares is exceeded,
Automatic quality control system for
crown caps.
his/her share of the capital will be liquidated in compliance with article
2529 in the Civil Code. It is forbidden to distribute dividends above the
maximum amount of interest due to holders of postal savings certificates
plus 2.5 points and equal to paid-in capital”. There followed a temporary
provision regarding the same article4.
Sacmi’s policy has always been focused on the aim of winning
overseas markets. We have already seen this from examining the company
balance sheets over the years. However the Cooperative’s sales offices outside Italy, fairly often in other continents, involve expense and other burdens. Sacmi’s machines need to be presented properly, the purchasers
need to be shown how they work, new operators need assistance during
the first stages of production, and spare parts have to be procured when
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings; ANMI,
Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi, dated 28
October 1983.
4
147
The history of Sacmi
necessary. It was never the wish of Sacmi to simply sell, collect the proceeds and stop there. Sacmi sets store by its machines even after they have
been sold - it does not like to “cut the umbilical cord” with its creations!
This policy has been conceived both to provide service and promote the
company at the same time with the main purpose of providing support in
market areas where the Cooperative has established a foothold.
The atmosphere at Sacmi was conducive to the creation of company structures which fulfilled these plans and ideas. At the General Meeting which took place on 2 July 1984 it was decided that the Cooperative
should contribute to the establishment of the company Deutsche Sacmi
Gmbh (later Sacmi Deutschland) with its base in Minden, Germany. The
company had a share capital of 75,000 DM. The aims of the company
included: “to act as agents for industrial equipment and systems, to import and sell machinery, spare parts and accessories for
the manufacture of ceramics and refractories, to provide after-sales service in the relevant sector and to pursue any other activity useful for the achievement of these
aims”. Sacmi subscribed to share capital worth 52,500
DM in Deutsche Sacmi. Following an increase in the
German company’s capital, Sacmi’s share rose to 60 percent. The remaining 40 percent was held by two GerRimini, ‘Tecnargilla’ exhibition, 1985.
man partners.
At their meeting, Sacmi’s shareholders next decided to set up the
company Sacmi Portuguesa Lda with its main office in Oeiras, Portugal.
The company was formed with a share capital amounting to 15,000,000
Escudos. The company objectives were the same as those for the German
company. The Cooperative subscribed to a share in the capital of Sacmi
Portuguesa worth 6,750,000 Escudos or equal to 45 percent of the total.
148
The Italian economy improves...
It was further decided at the General Meeting to subscribe to a
share worth 50 million Lit. in Fincooper as the latter wished to increase
its total share capital from 5 billion to 10 billion Lit. Fincooper was the
national financial consortium of the cooperative movement and was linked
to the National League of Cooperatives whose aim was to conduct financial business to benefit the cooperative companies belonging to it.
The following year (on 8 January 1985) the General Meeting passed
a further resolution in line with the same economic policy and business
strategy that they had been following up until then. The president of the
company, Rodiero Alieri, was authorized on behalf of Sacmi to set up and
put into operation a limited company in Singapore to be named Sacmi
Singapore Pte Ltd. The main purpose of establishing this business would be
to import and sell machines and equipment, spare parts and accessories
for the manufacture of ceramics and refractories in Singapore and that
part of the world. Furthermore the aims of the new company could include those of providing after-sales service in the ceramics and refractories
field and pursuing any other activity which might be useful to achieve
these objectives including taking on work as agents. Sacmi Singapore was to
be formed with an initial share capital of 100,000 Singapore dollars and
the Cooperative would hold 99 percent of the shares. Alieri was also authorized, if in his judgement it would be more suitable, to acquire 99
percent of the share capital of a pre-existing Singapore company. The name
of such a company would then be changed to become Sacmi Singapore Pte
Ltd, the corporate aims adapted to match those of Sacmi and the share
capital raised to a value of 100,000 Singapore dollars, a 99 percent share
of which would be held by the Cooperative. The president, Rodiero Alieri,
was granted all the necessary powers to ensure that the decision was carried out. After a time (in 1995) Sacmi Singapore (Jakarta Branch) was
149
The history of Sacmi
opened with the purpose of providing a better overall service to Indonesian customers5.
At the General Meeting held to approve the balance sheet for
1984 (held on 19 April 1985) the company positions were re-appointed.
The directors did not change - the president, Rodiero Alieri and the vicepresident, Luciano Mingotti remained in their positions (Board meeting
of 22 April 1985). The Board of Auditors
and Board of Arbitrators were also reelected in the same formation. As we
know, elections for the Board of Directors took place every two years and those
for the auditors and arbitrators every
three6.
Sacmi continued to expand. At
the General Meeting on 15 March 1985
a resolution was passed to set up a new
Single-deck roller conveyor kilns for
tiles.
company Sacmi Forni SpA with capital amounting to two billion Lit. in
which the Cooperative had an initial holding of 70 percent. The reason
behind this decision was Sacmi’s wish to become the direct supplier not
only of presses, but also the other fundamental piece of equipment required for ceramics production - the kiln. This new company took over
the old Hf-Heimsoth Forni SpA. Its headquarters are in Casalgrande
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, list of the
controlled companies.
6
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
5
152
(Reggio Emilia) and it manufactures kilns and driers for the ceramics industry and, in particular, for the production of tiles. Over the next few
years Sacmi Forni was to become world leader in its field. Sacmi’s holding
in the company grew to 99.36 percent. In 1994 a very substantial invest-
The Italian economy improves...
ment amounting to around 25 billion Lit. was made to develop the premises of this company. The production area
which was constructed covered 21,500 sq.m and the offices
and laboratories 4000 sq.m. Over the course of 1996 a new
kiln was designed and manufactured; the “Pulsar”. It was
provided with many high-quality technical and aesthetic features. It proved to be extremely popular with the customers.
Sacmi succeeded in introducing modern industrial design
concepts for the first time onto the mechanical-ceramics
market with a kiln which, in addition to having a higher
production capacity and performing more efficiently than
previous kilns, also had a truly innovative appearance. The aim of improving the look of the machine, a task which had been undertaken by Isao
The headquarters of Sacmi Forni in
Salvaterra di Casalgrande
(Reggio Emilia).
Hosoe, was to make the man-machine relationship a more friendly and
reassuring one. In fact a series of design features were adopted which represented a big step forward compared to the most developed standards in
safety and ergonomics.
At the same General Meeting, on 15 March 1985, the mandate
was given to the Board of Directors to proceed with negotiations for the
purchase of assets which formed part of the bankruptcy proceedings of
Giavelli SpA. These assets included: patents, designs, technology, warehouse stock, manufacturing equipment, plant and machinery and holdings in the company Tecnopress. As soon as these negotiations were concluded they were discussed at the shareholders’ meeting (20 September
1985) and approved7.
It should be noted that, once the statutory obligations had been
7
Ibid.
153
The history of Sacmi
fulfilled, the considerable income that Sacmi was earning each year was
constantly re-invested in the company. This is the pure and simple explanation for the growth of Sacmi. On 13 December 1985 the General Meeting was called to discuss both special and routine questions. During the
part of the meeting dealing with special motions, modifications were made
to article 3 - clause a) of the company statute regarding “Corporate purpose and objectives”. The new text was as follows: “a) to manufacture,
through one or more companies, machines and systems and sell - both in
Italy and abroad - products manufactured by the company or by third
parties (if necessary to complete customer orders)...”. During the routine
Headquarters of Sacmi de Mexico
in Monterrey.
part of the meeting the shareholders agreed to purchase a 25 percent holding in Sacmexico SA in Mexico City. The Board of Directors was fully authorized to execute this decision in the manner and according to the timescale they judged fit. However, for various reasons, this particular project
was never carried out8.
At the General Meeting held on 23 May 1986 it was decided to
incorporate another company into the Sacmi Group - Poppi SpA. The main
office of this company was in Sassuolo (Modena) but the production plant
was located in Castellarano (Reggio Emilia). The Cooperative acquired an
80 percent holding which later rose to 88.75 percent with a further purchase of shares on 17 February 1987. Poppi SpA manufactured kilns and
driers for the ceramics industry in general - as much for the tiles sector as
that for sanitary ware, tableware and also for glass. With this acquisition
Sacmi was able to cover the full range of products and optimize the design
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings, ANMI,
Notarial deeds, A. Alvisi, dated 13
December 1985.
8
154
and development of turnkey plants for the manufacture of sanitaryware
and tableware. When Poppi himself left the company it changed its trade
name (9 September 1996) becoming Poppi Eurotech and, a little later, sim-
The Italian economy improves...
ply Eurotech. The plant and offices were moved to Fiorano Modenese.
Today, Sacmi’s holding in the company is 95 percent and the production
plants have been sold to Sacmi Forni9.
At the same General Meeting the shareholders made a firm decision to authorise the Board of Directors to extend the Cooperative’s holdings in Inpak Imola SpA which was based in Via Togliatti, 19/A in Imola.
This company was specialized in the manufacture of machines which make
cardboard trays for the agricultural sector and end-of-line machines for
the food and chemical industries. The share capital was 1.5 billion Lit.
Headquarters of Inpak, Imola.
and Sacmi’s holding at the time equalled 80 percent. In time the share
capital would rise to 2.9 billion Lit., the company would become a limited
company (Srl) and the Sacmi Group’s holding would increase to 99 percent.
Inpak Imola Srl developed into an engineering company which
had the means to design, manufacture and market its own machines as
well as providing after-sales service on a worldwide basis. In addition, Inpak
Imola produced machines for conventional type packaging containers.
Today, over 60 percent of the company’s products are exported. Since
1994 the business has also been producing end-of-line boxing machines
to package ceramic tiles10.
On 3 November 1983 the Cooperative’s Board of Directors decided to appoint Aldo Villa as managing director. The shareholders ratified this proposal at the General Meeting on 19 October 1984. When, in
1986, he reached sixty years of age and therefore lost his right to remain a
shareholder in the Cooperative, according to the statute, the shareholders voted (at the meeting held on 5 September 1986) to allow him to carry
9
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings; SACMI
Seventyfifth 75, p. 50; SACMI, 1996
Annual Report; SACMI, 1997
Annual Report.
10
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings; SACMI
Seventyfifth 75, pp. 62 and 63.
155
The history of Sacmi
on as Managing Director for a further five years and to participate in the
shareholders’ meetings.
Aldo Villa died prematurely on 22 January 1987. A funeral chamber was prepared at Sacmi’s plant in Via Selice. The funeral itself took
place at the Basilica-Santuario del Piratello and was attended by large numbers of people. His loss was felt in Imola and in many other countries all
over the world where his initiatives had given rise to so many productive
enterprises. The shareholders of Sacmi remembered Villa at a meeting on
17 February 1987 with speeches given by Rodiero Alieri and several others. One shareholder who spoke at the meeting was Leonella Gollini (yes,
women could also become shareholders in the Cooperative; this right did
not depend on gender and women were not discriminated against)11.
In memory of Aldo Villa various study grants were created to be
awarded to newly graduated engineers and deserving pupils at the state
Institute for Ceramic Art G. Ballardini in Faenza. In 1989 the Società
Ceramica Italiana (Italian Ceramics Society), of which Villa was a keen
promoter and the first president, instituted the “Aldo
Villa International Prize”. This is a price which was
awarded every two years to “a person, Italian or foreign,
entrepreneur, director, technician or researcher who has
contributed to the development of the ceramics industry” and consisted of a gold medal made by the ceramics sculptor Carlo Zauli. Amongst those who have been
awarded this prize are two Nobel prize winners for physAlex Müller and George Bednorz
receiving the Aldo Villa Prize at the
University of Bologna.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
11
158
ics: Alex Müller and George Bednorz. Others include Adriano Bossetti,
president of Società Siti in Marano Ticino (Novara) for his contribution to
the development of technology and ceramics systems; Romano Minozzi,
the president of Società Iris Ceramiche di Sassuolo (Modena) for his contri-
The Italian economy improves...
bution to the growth of the ceramics industry and the success of Italian
tiles in the rest of the world; Philip Rosenthal, president of the German
company Rosenthal AG, for his important contribution to the development of research and European industry and finally Leopoldo Cini, an
eminent figure behind the cultural development of ceramics all over the
world12.
On 20 November 1987 the Board of Directors appointed
Alessandro Galletti as temporary Managing Director and he held this
mandate from 1 January 1988 to 31 December 1989. At this time the
position was handed to Giulio Cicognani for a term which was to expire
on 1 January 1990. The shareholders ratified this appointment at the
Annual General Meeting held on 2 March 1990 in accordance with the
company statute regulation13.
At their shareholders meeting on 26 March 1985 the Cassa di
Risparmio di Imola decided to invite Sacmi to become a shareholder in
the bank. The Cooperative shareholders (at a meeting from 19-20 April
1985) decided to accept the proposal and accordingly authorized the acting president to conclude all the necessary formalities. The shareholders
expressed their appreciation for the decision taken by the Cassa di
Risparmio14.
In 1989 Sacmi decided to set up the “Research and Development
Centre” in the complex at the parent company headquarters. An investment of 16 billion Lit. was made. The centre, which supports all areas of
activity of the Sacmi Group, is divided into different sections: physics and
chemistry laboratories, the packaging technology lab, prototype testing
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, p. 74.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
14
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings.
12
13
159
The history of Sacmi
departments and an entire ceramics production system
created for testing and experimentation purposes. “The
Research and Development Centre is entered in the
National Register of Research Laboratories created by
the Ministry of Scientific Research and it has initiated
several working relationships with important universiMinister Antonio Ruberti at the
opening of the Research Centre at
Sacmi.
ties and research centres in Italy and abroad both for applied and technological research. It was inaugurated by Antonio Ruberti, several times minister at the Department of Scientific Research. In collaboration with an
important American university, the Research and Development Centre
set up some calculation software called CMS (Compression Molder Solver).
With this software it is possible to simulate compression moulding of
polymer plastics”. These studies were to lead, from 1995-1996 onwards, to
the design, manufacture and marketing of an extremely innovative machine for moulding plastic items which, up until that time, had been obtained exclusively by means of injection moulding. The machine was called
the CCM and is today a cause of much pride for Sacmi’s packaging division. Furthermore the R & D centre has also become an important partner in the European Economic Community - Sacmi is in fact leading the
“Brite Euram” project. The centre is equipped with a chemical laboratory
which specialises in researching porous resins for a variety of applications
and mixes15.
The shareholders at the General Meeting held on 18 September
1987 agreed to buy a share in Bologna’s “Banca dell’Economia
Cooperativa” whose share capital stood at 40 billion Lit. Sacmi’s holding
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, pp. 36, 38
and 46.
15
160
could not exceed 1 billion Lit. However, the resolution was not acted
upon for various practical reasons. At the meeting on 15 July 1988 it was
The Italian economy improves...
decided to buy up other holdings. These were in Banca Cooperativa di
Imola (to increase the share capital), Unipol and Unipol Finanziaria16.
Sacmi had looked into the possibility of entering the North and
South American markets a few times in the past but it now established a
definite foothold on the continent. On 30
June 1989 the shareholders authorized the
Board of Directors to go ahead with the formation of the company Sacmi de Mexico with
its base in Monterrey. It would be set up with
a starting share capital equivalent to 500
million Lit. and Sacmi’s holding would be
equal to 80 percent - this later grew to over
99 percent in 1999. In 1994 the new headquarters were inaugurated - their construction had required a large investment. In
1996 Sacmi de Mexico acquired a holding of 60 percent in Moldes Ceramicos
which manufactured and reconditioned die-sets for ceramics destined for
The Research and Development
Laboratory of the packaging division.
Mexico, North and Central America. The quality of the product and technology is the same as that at Sacmi Sassuolo17.
The results shown in the balance sheets during the late Eighties
continued to increase. This trend can be seen clearly by looking at the
figures for net earnings.
At the annual meeting held on 15 April 1989, the Board of Directors was elected for the two-year term 1989-1990. The elected members of
the Board were: Demos Baldisserri, Rodiero Alieri, Arturo Figna, Luciano
Mingotti and Francesco Verlicchi. Rodiero Alieri was elected as president
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
17
Ibid. and documents.
16
161
The history of Sacmi
and Demos Baldisserri as vice-president at the Board meeting held on 17
April18.
On the night of 9 November 1989 the Berlin Wall - the highly
symbolic but also tangible sign of the “Iron Curtain” - came down. It was
a moment that made history. Michail S. Gorbaciov was the secretary of
the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (from 1985). He had tried to
begin the process of democratisation in the Soviet Union with
brave new reforms (perestrojka) and a new policy of ‘openness’
(glasnost). In the end the result was that the union crumbled
just as the Berlin Wall had done. The story did not unfold as
people had hoped. The great victory of democracy led to the
disintegration of the governments and states where “real socialism” had dominated. The renewal of the East European states
did not materialise as expected. Instead, consumerism spread
out of all control but it was no more than a dream and a thin
veil over the poverty of the regions. It is true that initially there
was no violence - the sweeping changes took place without bloodshed. However, the break-up of Yugoslavia soon led to terrible
local wars and vicious fighting as it rekindled racial and religious rancour that was thought to have been buried in the ashes of time.
Small ethnic groups revived claims for independence and the racial hate
that people hoped had been laid to rest, along with those killed during
the last World War, resurfaced.
As far as we, at Sacmi, were concerned, God was good to us. Sacmi
Ibid. and final balance sheets for
the relevant years.
18
162
has always strongly believed in principles of peace and harmony between
different races and peoples. Sacmi has always stayed true to its beliefs
The Italian economy improves...
come rain or shine. It has always maintained the ethos of cooperation
and social commitment as well as its sense of continuity and competition.
It has never lost its taste for exploration and discovery - the springboard of
scientific research, the idea of integrity in business, respect for fellow man,
technical perfectionism, the spirit of adapting to technological progress
and it has often found itself ahead of the times.
Everything changes but nothing changes - that is the essence
of Sacmi and a main element of its philosophy.
Other sources
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione imolese.
CIDRA, newspaper and periodical library.
163
The history of Sacmi
The political and social climate of a profoundly
changed Italy.
In 1999 Sacmi remains at the helm.
164
The political and social climate...
T
he era of the computer, “real time”, the Internet and satellites
have accelerated our pace of life and daily routines. Everything
is done in a rush. We communicate, work, produce, eat, have
fun, make love, pray and maybe even die more quickly. At least we are not
born in a hurry - the human gestation period is still nine months! Perhaps
this is why, in this region of Italy at least, so few couples are keen to
experience the joys of having a large family. Business has also accelerated
and Sacmi has stepped up its pace accordingly. The Nineties are careering
towards the year two thousand. The Cooperative has achieved more in
the last few years than over several decades in the past.
Sacmi has given birth to a number of important companies linked
to and controlled by the parent company. On 19 March 1990 the decision was taken to set up S.M.I. Srl with its headquarters in Sassuolo. This
company was established with the express purpose of assembling and installing Sacmi’s machines and systems for the ceramics industry. S.M.I. Srl
was integrated with the existing company structure. Sacmi Sassuolo took a
30 percent stake in its share capital, as did Sacmi Impianti. In 1997 Sacmi
Sassuolo bought up all of S.M.I.’s stock and took over the company1.
Headquarters of Sacmi Sassuolo.
In July 1990 Sacmi Bombay opened in India. This was originally
set up as a sales office and Sacmi Group branch for the Indian area but in
1999 it became a full-blown company, Sacmi India.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings,
documents.
1
165
The history of Sacmi
On 14 October 1991 Inpak Imola, a company belonging to the
Sacmi Group, acquired 70 percent of the share capital of Benco Pack SpA
whose company headquarters is in Piacenza. Benco Pack specialises in the
design, manufacture and marketing of machines for packaging food products. The food products are dispensed under sterile conditions using conventional methods and are wrapped in heat-sealed packages. The company works exclusively in this sector2.
At the shareholder’s meeting on 12 July 1991 the managing director, Cicognani, presented a report in which he pointed out the opportuHeadquarters of Benco Pack,
Piacenza.
nities for expanding activity into the growing market of the Far East where
there was particular interest in the ceramics sector. Having heard this report the shareholders voted to found a new company, Sacmi Hong Kong
Ltd. The company was established in Hong Kong in January 1992 with
the aim of marketing Sacmi products and systems in the Peoples Republic
of China. The Cooperative holds a 99 percent stake in the company. Shortly
after, Sacmi Hong Kong (Foshan Branch) was set up as a branch office covering the region of Foshan and Sacmi Hong Kong (Beijing Branch), its sister
company, was established to operate in Beijing and its hinterland3.
At the general meeting held on 10 February 1992, the Board of
Directors was authorised to develop a joint venture in Shanghai (China)
between Sacmi and two Chinese partners. The aim of the venture was to
start up the manufacture of ceramics machines and, in particular, PH 980
presses. Sacmi joined with 40 percent of the capital. The company that
was formed was called Shanghai Sacmi Ceramics Machinery Co. Ltd4.
Ibid.
Ibid.; SACMI Seventyfifth 75, list
of the controlled companies.
4
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, list of the
controlled companies.
2
3
166
On 18 May 1993 Sacmi Impianti SpA acquired 30 percent of
Italiansped Srl which is based in Imola. Their holding in this company
later increased to 60 percent. Italiansped is a dispatch company (overland
forwarding, shipment by air or by sea) which was extremely useful to Sacmi’s
The political and social climate...
marketing strategy. In October 1996 Sacmi Impianti SpA sold Italiansped to
Sacmi Imola. Offices were opened in Moscow (Italiansped Moscow Office
in which Italiansped Srl held an 80 percent share),
Jakarta, Genoa, Hong Kong and Monterrey (in
Mexico). Italiansped is specialised in shipment and
dispatch all over the world and, in particular, in
the Far East, South America and the countries
of the ex-USSR. It offers reliable service for all
types of freight. The company’s annual turnover
has increased considerably in recent years and this is due not only to or-
Headquarters of Italiansped, Imola.
ders from Sacmi, but also from its own customer base.
Sacmi called a special meeting on 22 October 1993, with notary
De Socio present, in order to make changes to the company statute. The
article dealing with the Collegio dei Probiviri (Board of Arbitrators) was
dropped. In its place a new Board of Arbitrators - the Collegio arbitrale - was
formed (articles 36, 37 and 38). Its duty would be to pass judgement on
any controversy which might arise among the shareholders or between
the shareholders and the company by dealing with the matter in a balanced way and reaching an amicable agreement. The judgement handed
down by the Board was to be irrevocable. The procedure was not to be
highly formalised but full argument by both sides would be heard with
impartiality. The Board was also assigned the task of supervising costs and
expenses. Decisions could be passed with a majority of votes and the reasons behind the judgement would have to be stated. The seat of the Board
of Arbitrators would be in Bologna5.
On 3 January 1994 Sacmi USA was established (following a decision carried at the general meeting on 31 December 1993). It was based in
Des Moines in the state of Iowa. Sacmi has a 90 percent holding in this
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
ANMI and Notarial deeds, De
Socio, dated 22 October 1993.
5
167
The history of Sacmi
company, which was set up to promote sales, provide technical support
and supply spare parts to North American customers.
A decision taken at the shareholder’s meeting of 27 March 1995
led to the establishment of Sacmi Ricci in São Paolo, Brazil. This was a
joint venture set up with some Brazilian manufacturers in order to produce machine parts and give technical support to customers in that part
of the world. The company was later incorporated into Sacmi do Brasil
which manufactures tile kilns and takes care of after-sales service and the
supply of spare parts. Sacmi has a 99 percent holding in the company.
Another business, Iprel Progetti Srl, was set up on 28 April 1995
with its headquarters in Via Ottoni, 8 in Imola. This company was formed
with the aim of designing electro-mechanical and electronic control panels for the machines manufactured by Sacmi and other companies. Sacmi
took 40 percent of the share capital.
Again in 1995, a further company, Sacmi Istanbul, was founded in
Turkey with the goal of supplying spare parts, promoting sales and providing after-sales service to customers in the Eurasian area. Today Sacmi holds
an 80 percent share in Sacmi Istanbul. The remaining 20 percent is held by
the Turkish director of the company.
Headquarters of Keratech in Romans
d’Isonzo (Gorizia).
Going back to the Far East, 1995 saw the birth of Foshan Shiwan
Sacmi Ceramics Machinery Ltd in Foshan. This was another joint
venture with a Chinese partner. A factory was started up to
overhaul machines, provide technical support and supply spare
parts to this area of China. Sacmi Hong Kong Ltd bought a 71.7
percent share of the company.
170
The political and social climate...
1995 also saw the opening of Keratech Srl based in Romans d’Isonzo
(Gorizia). Sacmi Forni (of the Sacmi Group) obtained a 43.72 percent holding in the business. Keratech manufactures ceramic rollers for kilns.
Sacmi Mosca opened in Moscow during this period. The original
decision to start up this company was taken at the shareholders meeting
on 2 July 1993 but, due to lengthy bureaucratic procedures, only came to
fruition after quite some time. This office was set up to act as a point of
liaison between customers in the area of Moscow and the engineering and
sales departments back in Imola.
On 16 February 1996 Prototipo Srl was set up with its main office
in Via Filopanti, 2 in Imola. This is a computer company established to
provide technical support, hardware/software programming and consultancy to the parent company. Sacmi acquired a 40 percent holding. In
1997 Prototipo acquired 33.3 percent of E.I.T., a computer company specializing in CAD-CAM technology, which it then sold at the beginning of
1999.
Another company, Eurokemac Srl (which took over the business of
Kemac), was formed on 6 June 1996 based in Fiorano Modenese. In this
Installing a spray-drier in India.
way Sacmi (it had a holding of 60 percent in the company while the other
40 percent was divided equally between the two company directors) was
able to break into the market for third-firing machines. Eurokemac manufactures complete lines for special workpieces using unfired pressing and/
or moulding as well as systems for important tile-related products and
accessories for interior decoration.
Two sales offices were opened in China in 1996, one in Zibo and
one in Jingdezhen, in addition to the branches already established in
Foshan and Beijing, to provide an even better, more reliable and efficient
service.
171
The history of Sacmi
Two more companies were added to the Group at almost the same
time during the first half of 1997. On 9 January Eurokeram Anlagenbau
Gmbh was set up in Aachen, Germany to market machines and systems
for extruded products in Germany and Eastern Europe. In particular they
were to market the new drying and firing technology developed by Eurotech.
This technology has already been put into use in a system designed for the
manufacture of glazed roofing tiles fired in a roller kiln which has been set
up in Indonesia. Sacmi’s holding was 95 percent.
On 14 January, Sacmi took over Netzsch Italiana Srl which is based
in Verona. This company manufactures machines and systems for
sanitaryware. Sacmi took 87.5 percent of the share capital. Sacmi went on
to acquire the greater share of Sama Maschinenbau Gmbh on 7 May 1997.
This company has its headquarters in Weissenstadt in Germany. Sama
manufactures machines and systems for both sanitaryware and tableware.
Sacmi owns a holding of 55 percent in the company. These last two acquisitions were made as a result of Sacmi’s aim to break into the sanitary and
tableware markets. The Sacmi Group’s objective is to become a market
leader and first point of reference for ceramics producers throughout the
entire sector6.
The general progress of the Sacmi Group over the course of the
decade beginning in 1990 has generally been favourable in spite of the
difficulties encountered due to the fluctuations of the world economy.
The managing director, Cicognani, and the Board of Directors have been
proved right in their prediction that the Far East was a suitable area for
expansion. The report on the balance sheet for 1996 stated that “the inSACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
SACMI, 1996 Annual Report.
6
172
come from sales and services provided has reached 977,067 million Lit.
and an increase in turnover of 10 percent, compared to the previous fi-
The political and social climate...
nancial year, has been recorded. This increase can be attributed to the
machines and systems for the ceramics industry as well as those for the
packaging sector, with slightly better results from the latter. The share of
turnover coming from foreign markets increased by 12 percent compared
to 1995 to reach 90 percent of overall turnover”. At the end of 1996 there
were 1368 company employees (including shareholders).
The nineties were also significant years in terms of changes made
to the company statute. At the special meeting called on 17 July 1992,
attended by notary Giovanni De Socio from Bologna, article 3 was changed.
This article dealt with company aims and objectives and the following
clause, paragraph c), was added to the article:
“The Cooperative is introducing a new initiative with the aim of stimulating savings and pension provisions among shareholders. A suitably
controlled body will be set up to allow shareholders (shareholders only) to make investments
in the Cooperative. The money can only be used
to further the company objectives as laid down
in article 10 of Law 59, dated 31.1.1992. The company is not permitted
Quality control department.
under any circumstances to receive any sum from members of the general
public. Articles 11, 13, 15 and article 15b were also changed (article 15
was made to read: “The nominal value of the share capital that can be
held by each shareholder is fixed at 120 million Lit. The value can be
raised to above 120 million Lit. with a free increase of the subscribed
stock to be made by assigning a share of the net earnings within the limits
and in the manner laid down by article 7 of law 59 dated 31.1.1992”).
Article 47 was also amended. The new text reads: “Whenever a credit
balance is left after the Cooperative has paid off its debts, it will be allo-
173
The history of Sacmi
cated to mutual benefit funds for the promotion and development of the
Cooperative movement as set down in the first and fifth paragraphs of
article 11, Law 59 dated 31.1.1992”. This basically meant that Sacmi was
adapting its statute to meet law 59/1992 regarding cooperatives.
Another special meeting was held on 22 October 1993 in order to
make further amendments to the statute. The
change made to article 22 is particularly interesting. This article dealt with the composition
of the Board of Directors and became: “The
Board of Directors is made up of five members. The directors remain in their position for
three years and can be re-elected. Shareholders
who are in arrears with their share of contributions and directors who are described as such
Processing stage: press columns and
spacers.
in their work contracts cannot be elected as members of the Board and, if
they are, they must decline. The members of the Board cannot be related
to each other (up to the fourth level of kinship) and, if they are, they must
decline the position. As far as replacing board members who resign from
their position is concerned, national laws apply”. In addition, Article 2,
paragraph 2 was also changed to the following: “The company may continue to operate until 31 December 2050 and this can be extended by
agreement at a special shareholders meeting”.
A further two special meetings took place to update the statute on
28 October 1994 and 25 October 1996.
The company positions were re-elected at the annual general meeting on 20 April 1991. The Board of Directors was made up of the following members: Rodiero Alieri, Luciano Mingotti, Arturo Figna, Demos
174
The political and social climate...
Baldisserri and Loretto Sullalti. At the first meeting of the Board (22 April
1991) the various positions were assigned: Rodiero Alieri, President;
Luciano Mingotti, Vice-President. The Board of Auditors and Board of
Arbitrators were also renewed with one change: Giuseppe Visconti replaced Giorgio Nardi as substitute auditor.
At the elections held during the general meeting of 17 April 1993
the following were voted in as members of the Board: Loretto Sullalti,
Rodiero Alieri, Demos Baldisserri, Luciano Mingotti and Arturo Figna.
The Board of Directors re-elected Rodiero Alieri as president and Luciano
Mingotti as vice-president at the meeting on 19 April 1993.
At the annual general meeting on 28 April 1995
(when a statutory regulation which stated that the Board
members should serve a term of 3 years was already in operation), the following were elected as members of the Board:
Demos Baldisserri, Luciano Mingotti, Loretto Sullalti, Carlo
Cortecchia and Dante Pirazzini. Voting at the Board meeting on 2 May 1995 provided the following result: Loretto
Sullalti, President and Luciano Mingotti, Vice-President.
Thus another long-serving president, Rodiero Alieri,
stepped down. He had been head of the Board of Directors
for sixteen years and had had the privilege of being a participant in, and witness to, the giant steps forward the Cooperative had made and its impressive expansion into world
markets.
The previous year (meeting of 29 April 1994) elections had been
held for the Board of Auditors and Board of Arbitrators with the following results: Armando Sarti, Auditor General; Mauro Billi and Gianfranco
Santilli as regular auditors; Illio Zani and Giuseppe Visconti as substitute
175
The history of Sacmi
auditors. Their term of service, which lasts three years, was thus confirmed
for 1994, 1995 and 1996. At the meeting held on 24 April 1997 (approval
of the balance sheet for 1996) the auditors and arbitrators were elected for
1997, 1998 and 1999.
At the meeting on 29 September 1995 shareholders approved other
company positions: Giulio Cicognani, Managing Director of Sacmi;
Valentino Pischedda, Deputy Managing Director of Sacmi and Financial
and Administration Manager; Benito Benati, Supervising manager (directly under the Board of Directors); Eugenio Emiliani, General Manager
of the Ceramics Division; Bruno Tumidei, General Manager of the Packaging Division; Giuseppe Cassani, Product Manager7.
In 1992 the Italian political system was plunged into disaster. It
seemed a crisis of dimensions on a par with the depression of 1929 but
this is not a true comparison as the economy is not going badly now.
Nevertheless it was a difficult and deep crisis and it was uncertain how it
would turn out. The coalition governments of the “great centre” (governments made up of four or five parties) did not last long. The abuse of
power reduced the strong cloth, which should have woven the country
and its representative bodies of government and opposition together, to a
fragile thread. The public debt reached an awesome figure as it exceeded
two thousand million billion Lit. In politics, widespread corruption, immorality and stealing public money became the norm. Fraud and embezzlement were considered on a par with tax evasion as acts of little significance. Any attempt at reform had no effect. Italy was in a constant state of
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
7
176
upheaval and instability. The chance discovery of a theft and bribery racket
being run by the director of an old people’s home in Milan led to an
The political and social climate...
investigation by the magistrate’s office and unleashed the discovery of
countless other scandals. A pool of courageous magistrates involved in
the “Mani pulite” or “Clean hands” campaign started to work towards
cleaning up a culture of bribery, pay-offs and general corruption in the
public arena. The sweeping changes taking place in the East of Europe
also had unexpected repercussions in Italy. The parties changed as communist and socialist ideas lost their appeal and power. New ideas and the
consensus of opinion lent themselves better to modern democratic socialism or liberalism. The Italian Communist Party, with Achille Occhetto
and Massimo D’Alema became the PDS (Partito Democratico della Sinistra,
which then changed its name to Democratici di sinistra - Pse Partito Socialista
Europeo, author’s note). At a congress held in the spa town of Fiuggi, the
neo-fascists of the Movimento Sociale Italiano (MSI) attempted to shed some
of the more extreme and fascist-linked elements of their ideology and
changed their name to the Alleanza Nazionale or National Alliance. A very
small group split from them and remained faithful to the ideals of the
Republic of Salò. Other parties simply broke up and crumbled away.
Electronic system for the quality control
of can lids.
The most significant group of Catholics in politics was formed
under the name of the Popular Party (Partito Popolare Italiano). This was a
throw-back to the first political organisation founded on Catholic principles in accordance with the Church which was founded by Luigi Sturzo
and first entered Parliament with a hundred members in 1919 - in the
same year, as we know, that Sacmi began life. Among the many other
parties in the Italian political arena there is also the Lega Nord (Northern
League) whose unclarified (and probably impossible) objective is to divide
Italy and make the North an independent state. Their standpoint throws
a shadow of uncertainty over the political situation.
A small part of the old Italian Communist Party remains in the
177
The history of Sacmi
form of the “Communist Refoundation Party”. A new party was also born
in this period - “Forza Italia” - founded by Silvio Berlusconi, the business
tycoon who owns the most important commercial TV stations in Italy. A
certain undefinable desire to swing to the right seemed to be in the air but
this, with times and situations changed, is the same right-wing that led to
the catastrophe of the second world war.
Italy is good at doing all kinds of things
except war and politics. The country will always be divided into Guelphs and Ghibellines,
Orazi and Curiatii, Montecchi and Capuleti
or even “coppiani” and “bartaliani” (fans of
Coppi or Bartali, the rival cyclists). It is in our
genes, part of our natural makeup. But we
must not be fooled by the disguise - if we are
not careful we shall return to the days of oppression and the destruction of democracy.
Ideas are deliberately being confused, the truth
is being turned on its head and the power of
money and mass-media is being abused.
In 1994, with a completely new political scene and something approaching a majority electoral system which was, however,
disorganised, Parliament voted for a centreright government which included ministers whose ideology was directly
descended from the Fascist Republic of Salò. This time these ministers
had been elected democratically thanks to the sacrifice (and even loss of
life) of the very people who had fought the Fascists in the name of democracy. In 1996, however, following further elections Parliament entrusted
180
The political and social climate...
the government to the care of the centre-left Ulivo party led by the economist Romano Prodi.
The political situation remained unstable. Perhaps Italy is still too
weak to set up a governing structure like
those in other great democracies. The future is in the hands of the Gods. It makes
me think of the first verse of the seventh
song of Hell that Pluto cried out in Dante’s
Divine Comedy; “Papè Satàn, papè Satàn
aleppe!”. Nobody knows for sure what this
means - many interpretations have been offered but the fact remains that no one has
yet come up with a satisfactory explanation. The politics of tomorrow are
an unknown entity: papè Satàn aleppe.
There was an idea to amend the second half of the Constitution
with the objective of adapting the main Charter to the changing needs of
the nation. With a committee set up, elected by Parliament and called the
“Bicamerale”, a draft version was drawn up which then came to nothing.
We are now in a state of limbo. Hopefully good sense will prevail and
allow us to find our way out of this blind alley. God save the Republic!8.
The sacred rule of the liberals/free traders (the descendants of the
physiocrats) is the concept of laissez faire, laissez passer, le monde va de soi
même. However this rule does not work on a social-political level. If we do
not remain firmly anchored to the fundamental principles of the Constitution, the result of the Resistance - which had the Risorgimento and
national unity as its background - we risk going rapidly downhill.
Sacmi looks to the future with few worries but with the same
BCI, newspaper and periodical
library.
8
181
The history of Sacmi
determination with which its members have worked with an iron will in
the past.
We have already reached the present day. On 5 May 1997 a formal
agreement was signed at the headquarters of the Sacmi parent company
between the Imola cooperative and the Kong China Wealth Group International Ltd. Eugenio Emiliani, General Manager of the Ceramics division, signed on behalf of Sacmi and the president, Lam Chung Yun signed
for the China Wealth Group. The signing of the contract was accompanied by speeches - the president of Sacmi, Loretto Sullalti, and the managing director, Giulio Cicognani, both spoke for Sacmi. The president of
the Province of Bologna, Vittorio Prodi, and the mayor of Imola, Raffaello
De Brasi, also spoke and wished the companies well. The agreement reached
was for the Chinese company to purchase Sacmi’s machines and ceramics
systems. A gift of a small ceramic statue representing an ox was presented
to the Chinese delegation (in the Chinese horoscope 1997 was the year of
the ox, a symbol of good fortune). The president of the Chinese company,
Lam Chung Yun, gave Sacmi a picture with attractive but, for us, cryptic
ideograms meaning “Supreme above all others. Because Sacmi is the best
of the best on the international ceramics market” 9.
Throughout this history of Sacmi, mention has frequently been
Assembling an automatic machine.
made of “turnkey plants” for ceramics and the importance of the concept
of complete systems has been explained. The manufacture of these systems is the feather in Sacmi’s cap. I shall therefore return to this subject
once more in order to underline the point. The idea is that if you were to
CIDRA, newspaper and periodical library, Sabato Sera, n. 19 dated
10 May 1997.
9
182
ask “Give me everything I need in order to manufacture wall and floor
tiles on an industrial scale” Sacmi can do this - it can sell you the ma-
The political and social climate...
chines (turnkey plant), install them, set them up and start them running.
The result is that the machines work and work well - the same philosophy
as that attributed to the company in the Chinese ideograms.
The upsets in the economy and on the stock
exchange, which hit the markets of the Far East particularly hard, in 1997 led to instability elsewhere in
the world too. It was the result of the so-called “internationalisation” of the economy - and not just the
economy but other things besides. A stone thrown into
still waters can produce ripples throughout - a crisis in
one region can produce repercussions throughout the
world.
Sacmi has withstood the crisis well. The 1997
Annual Report of the company notes: “As far as Asia
is concerned, it is expected that the situation will pick
up, but not for a few years yet, as it is not being helped
by other strong operators in the way that Mexico was
by the United States and South America during a similar crisis five years
Automatic vertical drier for tiles.
ago. Asia can, however, count on help from China, a country which has
enormous potential and today represents the most stable part of that region...”.
The results of the 1997 consolidated balance sheet were as follows: TO 963 billion, 868 million Lit., NP 81 billion, 931 million Lit., NE
(net equity) 776 billion, 521 million Lit.10.
In 1998 the Asian stock exchanges continued their strange trends,
going up and down like a roller coaster, with considerable repercussions
on the European stock markets and even hitting Wall Street and South
10
SACMI, 1997 Annual Report.
183
The history of Sacmi
America. The world economy is still fairly strong - despite rumours of
international recession - thanks to the favourable trends set by the USA.
The Sacmi Group continues to tread a sensible path, looks ahead to the future and keeps its eyes
open.
As for the political situation - the less said,
the better!
On 2nd May Italy became one of the European states - there are eleven of them - who will adopt
the new single currency, the Euro. The process of
monetary union began on 1 January 1999.
On 9 May 1998 Sacmi approved the consolidated balance sheet for 1997 and renewed the company positions. The new Board of Directors, which
will remain in place until 2001, consists of: Carlo
Cortecchia, Dante Pirazzini, Demos Baldisserri,
Daniele Marchi and Dino Zanoni. At the Board
Presentation of the PH 7200.
meeting held on 11 May, the following people were appointed to the various positions: Demos Baldisserri, President; Carlo Cortecchia, Vice-President; Dino Zanoni, Secretary.
An exciting event took place on 15 July at the parent company
when the PH 7200, the latest maxi-press which is capable of developing a
power of 7200 tons, was unveiled in front of a large group of businessmen, engineers and workers in the ceramics industry and specialized journalists. The machine has an overall weight of 140 tons. It can produce
ceramic slabs of one metre by two metres, which up until now could only
be done by using marble or naturally hard stone. The first press, the PE
184
The political and social climate...
70, made by Sacmi fifty years before had been able to produce ceramic
tiles which were 15 × 15 cm.
Sacmi’s new machine was presented by the president, Demos
Baldisserri, the managing director, Giulio Cicognani, and the manager of
the Ceramics Division, Pietro Rivola. In addition to providing the technical details about the machine, Rivola also highlighted the fact that the
company had succeeded in developing a design that comes closer and
closer to meeting aesthetic as well as technological requirements. At Sacmi
this has been made possible by the Japanese designer Isao Hosoe, who
was responsible for the Pulsar ceramic kiln11.
The Italian political situation has continued
to be unstable. It is not really surprising. On 9 October 1998 Romano Prodi handed in his resignation to
the president and his government stepped down (the
government which had brought Italy into the single
European currency). This followed a vote of no confidence and dissent among the majority. Parliament approved another centre-left government headed by Massimo D’Alema, leader
Crown cap press.
of the left-wing Democrats. The president of the Republic appointed the
new prime minister and ministers. Life is a mystery! Papè Satàn, papè
Satàn, aleppe. But there is always hope and optimism and we must keep a
sense of irony12.
On 31 October, the Board of Directors at Sacmi welcomed the
following as new shareholders in the Cooperative: Andrea Cassani,
Gianluca Gambetti, Fabio Mongardi, Fabrizio Zoli, Raffaella Ghetti,
Andrea Morozzi, Stefano Pagani, Massimo Spazian, Raffaele Tassoni and
Valter Tontini13.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
CIDRA, newspaper and periodical
library; BCI, newspaper and
periodical library.
12
BCI, newspaper and periodical
library.
13
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the Board meetings.
11
185
The history of Sacmi
At the general meeting on 27
November voting took place to reelect the company positions. The results were as follows: Cicognani,
Managing Director; Pischedda,
Deputy; Emiliani, General Manager
of the Ceramics division; Tumidei,
General Manager of the Packaging
division; Bendanti, Plant manager14.
The winter of 1999 was a bitPressing and drying machines in a
ceramics factory.
ter one. The days at the end of January and beginning of February are
known in Italy as the “giorni della merla” (days of the blackbird) after an old
legend and they were particularly cold in 1999 - almost as bad as back in
1919. But let’s not exaggerate; Dante would have said that it was a winter
“sanza infamia e sanza lodo”. How time flies!
At the general meeting on 26 February the shareholders took the
decision to set up a company in India with the name Sacmi Mumbay as a
temporary solution until a proper branch office could be established. The
idea was to create a sales outlet and office for the supply of spare parts, to
provide technical support in both the ceramics and packaging sectors and
to build machine frames according to Sacmi’s design. The company would
be set up with a share capital of up to 400 million Italian Lit. to be invested gradually as required. The company would have to hold a share of
at least 80 percent, either directly or through the Sacmi Group, and would
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings.
15
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
14
186
be able to grant an interest-bearing loan of up to 800 million Lit. “The
company must be set up within 24 months of this deliberation”15.
On the same day the general meeting authorised the Board of
The political and social climate...
Directors to set up a company in the USA known as Mold & Dies, in order
to recondition die-sets for ceramics presses and manufacture parts of them.
The company would be provided with a share capital of up to 400,000
US$ to be invested gradually as required. The company would have a holding of no less than 60 percent either directly or through the Sacmi Group16.
First the trees blossom and then they produce fruit. Sacmi is not
far from being able to load the cart with thousands of billions of Lit.
turnover.
On 26 March the shareholders gathered at a general meeting to
approve changes to the company statute. The meeting was also attended by
notary Federico Tassinari. Two changes are particularly interesting: in article 4 (regarding shareholders) a new rule was established whereby the person wishing to become a shareholder must have been an employee of the
Cooperative (clause c) or of another company at which he/she has been
sent by Sacmi, for at least five consecutive years by the date of 28 February
in the year in which the request is being made (clause b), and must have
shown self-discipline and the cooperative spirit... In article 15 (regarding the
amount of stock that shareholders can subscribe to) the methods of paying
in the subscribed amount were changed. The regulations in the statute approved on 26 March, 1999 are those currently in force 17.
The CAT scan machine.
On 13 May the Houses of Parliament together elected the President of the Republic on the first vote - when the term of Oscar Luigi
Scalfaro comes to an end, the position will be taken over by Carlo Azeglio
Ciampi, Minister of the Budget and Treasury, formerly governor of the
Banca d’Italia and prime minister. Ciampi is the shrewd and intelligent
minister who ferried Italy into the single currency.
Ibid.
ANMI, Notarial deeds, Federico
Tassinari, dated 26 March 1999;
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General meetings.
16
17
187
The history of Sacmi
On the same day, 13 May 1999, the people of Imola elected the
man who is to be their mayor for the first years of the Third Millennium
- Massimo Marchignoli. Good luck to him 18.
It is worth noting another important event which took place at
this time on a local level. On 22 May, a new CAT scan machine was
officially presented in the library of the Nuovo S. Maria della Scaletta hospital. This machine is the most up-to-date and sophisticated of its kind in
the field of modern diagnostics and will be in operation from 6 April.
Close-up of the pressing stage of
ceramic tiles.
Augusto Zappi, the managing director of AUSL (local health body), Demos
Baldisserri, the president of Sacmi, Guido Ferrari, head of the radiology
department at the hospital and in charge of the high-technology equipment, Raffaello De Brasi, the current mayor of Imola and Giovanni Bissoni,
the regional health inspector, all gave speeches to mark this occasion 19.
Baldisserri stressed the fact that the acquisition of the CAT scan machine
should be considered not as a philanthropic or charitable gesture, but as
an example of cohesion between citizens and business. Sacmi can be seen
to be at the forefront, at least in Imola, in the field of health and community solidarity which lie at the very core of the cooperative movement.
Over the last ten years the company has donated, of its own free will,
around five to six billion lire directly or indirectly to this cause. Sacmi has
a truly generous heart.
At the general meeting held on 24 June, a motion was passed to
BCI, newspaper and periodical
library.
19
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
BCI, newspaper and periodical
library.
18
190
set up yet another new company for reconditioning die-sets, manufacturing parts and handling import and export sales - this time in Indonesia.
The company, as part of the Sacmi Group, would have no less than a 60
percent share and the remainder would be held by the Sacmi Group itself
The political and social climate...
or a third party. The company was to be formed and started up within one
year of the decision being taken20.
The Euro sometimes struggles along but it is still going. The stock
exchanges are still unstable and uncertain - the feared worldwide recession
(the USA are in control and pulling the strings) has not yet materialised.
Italy is pawing the ground and whinnying like a
nervous horse. Even the sun, the very source of
life, is giving rise to concern due to the much-discussed “hole in the ozone” which, if it gets any
worse, could lead to an extremely dangerous, even
devastating, situation. If only this global warming
could take place in harmony with nature - and not
just global warming but if there could also be harmony between people and human warmth and
understanding, or humanitas, in the sense that
Cicero and Sant’Agostino intended. Unfortunately,
however, the winds of war swept through the Balkans again at the beginning of 1999 and crushed
our hopes for world peace. The battles against hate and crime are hard to
Lining machine for crown caps.
win. We must continue to hope, to negotiate for an end to the fighting, to
reach peace and put a stop to violence, racism and ethnic cleansing.
As we have already seen, the economy is highly unpredictable and
unreliable. If we look at the trend of the net earnings of the company, 1998
came to a close in a less than spectacular fashion. However this does necessarily not mean that another crisis is about to occur - the world continues to
go round and the economy will bounce back, as will Sacmi’s profits21.
20
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings.
21
SACMI, 1998 Annual Report.
191
The history of Sacmi
The negotiations to reach a truce in the Balkans continue to swing
back and forth. It seems like a tragic game of Russian roulette. Europe is
living in fear but the end seems to be in sight. The war in the Balkans,
which has taken place on our doorstep, would appear to be almost over. I
say “appear” because we cannot know for sure and must keep our fingers
crossed. There are still so many things left to do; from rebuilding homes
to establishing a true and long-lasting peace within the
hearts of people. At the time of writing it is 9 June,
1999 and, at this point, we can only hope that the
peace lasts and the glue holding together the ruptures
is strong enough22.
The company lives on and its days pass normally. The sun rises every day and sets each evening.
The sixth “Aldo Villa International Prize” was
Quality is absolutely fundamental to
Sacmi’s production policy.
awarded on 14 July, 1999 to the businessman Señor José Soriano Ramos,
born in Villareal (Castellon, Spain). Ramos completed his education in
his home town and then, at the age of 24, following an unexpected production crisis at his family’s farm, he began to become interested in manufacturing ceramic tiles. Gradually he became more and more interested in
the whole ceramics industry and technology. He went on to introduce the
first Italian-manufactured ceramics machines in Spain. In 1963 he founded
Zirconio S.A. which had immediate success and quickly began to make
money. This allowed Ramos to reinvest the profits. In 1973, with other
partners, he set up the ceramics Group Porcellanosa S.A. and introduced
the most up-to-date technology into the production process. In less than
BCI, newspaper and periodical
library.
22
192
25 years the Group had 2,200 employees and a turnover of more than
800 billion Lit. (Italian value). He also helped create other industrial con-
The political and social climate...
cerns, all of which were destined for success. Among these was Colorificio
Ceramico Esmalglass S.A. which produced ceramic glazes and colouring
agents in Spain. Ramos expanded until his business reached Great Britain, Italy, Portugal, Brazil and the USA. His economic dynamism, demonstrated through his work in industry, can also be seen in fields as diverse as the mining industry and the graphics business as well as in all
kinds of other enterprises.
Farming remains his first love and he has dedicated his studies,
energy and abilities to this too. As a pioneer of bio-dynamic cultivation
systems he has overseen the high-yield cultivation of large amounts of
land, in particular that used for fruit farming. He is a shining example of
the modern businessman and has greatly contributed to the development
of ceramics throughout the world. José Soriano Ramos is a highly worthy
man, possessed of great integrity, who is known for having a good rapport
with his colleagues and employees. These are all characteristics which
embody the sense and spirit of the “Aldo Villa International Prize”23.
Here ends the account of the history of Sacmi.
The sails of the Sacmi-Mayflower are still filled with the stern wind.
Other sources
MONTANELLI I., CERVI M., L’Italia degli anni di fango, Fabbri, Milan 1994.
BOBBIO N., Destra e Sinistra, Donzelli, Rome 1994.
BOCCA G., Metropolis - Milano nella tempesta italiana, A. Mondadori, Milan 1993.
BOCCA G., Italiani strana gente, Mondadori, Milan 1997.
SACMIAR, documents and
minutes books from the Board
meetings.
23
193
The history of Sacmi
Sacmi’s premises in Imola.
Interviews with Demos Baldisserri, Company President,
and Giulio Cicognani, Managing Director.
What the most senior member of the company,
Arrigo Casadio, has to say.
194
Sacmi’s premises in Imola...
I
am standing in the foyer of Sacmi’s headquarters in Imola. It is the
third time I have visited the company’s premises in Via Provinciale
Selice. It is now known as the “parent company” - a name which im-
mediately gives rise to a sense of affection for it. The first time I came here
was on the day of the inauguration of the new company buildings in 1967
- I think it was October. There were a lot of people, including important
guests and leading figures in politics and industry. I remember seeing and
greeting Angelo Salizzoni, Under-secretary of State to the Prime Minister,
as well as bishop Aldo Gobbi. My second visit was on the occasion of the
75th anniversary of the foundation of Sacmi five years ago. It was a great
celebration and was, once again, attended by many people among whom
were several well-known names and faces. Today, I can make the best of a
quieter visit and take a look around without the crowds and bustle of the
previous occasions. The administrative manager, Dante Pirazzini, is waiting for me in the foyer. He will be my guide. We step outside for a moment. It is an attractive building. When you look at the facade your eye is
drawn by the Sacmi logo - the rampant winged griffin (which is the symbol of Imola) enclosed in a toothed wheel. If you take a closer look at the
building, you can see that the left-wing is like a long arm with the elbow
bent. It looks (on a smaller scale of course) like the UN building in New
York turned on its side and lying in a horizontal position like a loose
limb. This “little palace” was designed at the beginning of the Eighties by
the architect Vittorio Fiorentini1.
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the Board meetings. Information
from the architect, Vittorio
Fiorentini.
1
195
The history of Sacmi
I am not an expert on the subject, but I feel it is one of Fiorentini’s
best pieces of work. In addition to the
main building he was also responsible for designing the wing which
houses the Research & Development
Centre, the engineering department
and the shareholders’ meeting room.
I follow Pirazzini into the actual factory. It is quite a sight. Another two
factory buildings have been added
recently to the ten that already existed.
They were built and laid out with particular functional criteria in mind.
They seem like the naves of some great cathedral. This is the heart of
Sacmi production. It is here, (and only here in Imola) that the ceramics
presses are made - presses which are sent out all over the world. There are
various sizes - the biggest has a power of 4,200 tons. Pirazzini tells me:
“Soon we will have new presses which will be twice the size: from 7 to 10
thousand tons”. (Indeed on 15 July, as mentioned on page 128, the PH
7200 was presented to the public). They are truly elegant machines, by
which I mean that they are artistically beautiful. They look like great prehistoric animals but ones which are simply awe-inspiring without being
fearsome. They make you want to touch them and stroke them - like good
dinosaurs or perhaps elephants, that is great affectionate beasts (as long as
they don’t tread on you of course!). When you look at these machines
they give a sense of their place in a world where peace reigns.
Let us have a look at where other kinds of machining processes
take place. One building houses the machine tools which are used to cre-
196
Sacmi’s premises in Imola...
ate the biggest and most complex machine parts. In the next building I
come across the machines which produce crown caps. Sacmi exports these
and has become an international market leader. Many other activities are
going on in other buildings. There is also a large packaging department.
It is a great industrial village (the complex covers a total area of
more than 200 thousand square metres, 13,500 of which are occupied by
the engineering, sales and administrative departments with 63,000 sq.m
covered by the factory floor). The complex also includes research laboratories, warehouses and production plants2. There is even a mini ceramics
factory where all the machines used in the entire process of tile production are set up. In this way the Sacmi scientists and engineers are able to
study and analyse even the raw material (the clay) with the most sophisticated instruments in order to obtain the best final product.
I asked the president of Sacmi, Demos Baldisserri: “How do you
envisage Sacmi in the next century?”.
He replied: “It is not easy to say for sure
what Sacmi will be like in like next century because the world is simply changing so fast (not just technological
progress but also cultural and political
trends are evolving rapidly). Everything
is moving so quickly and these changes
influence all our lives and the choices
we make in such a way that we cannot always determine what happens,
but merely be subject to it.
The shareholders’ meeting room at
Sacmi.
Rather than saying what Sacmi will be like it is therefore better to
talk about what we would like Sacmi to be as according to a long-established
2
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, p. 26.
197
The history of Sacmi
precedent, we are continually trying to shape the future of the Cooperative in the short-to-medium term.
Sacmi is a technical and technological company which has nevertheless always put people first when making decisions and taking actions.
People are the determining factor while the machines and equipment are
merely instrumental to achieving objectives which are established by people. People are at the core of the company.
This book, in which the first eighty years of the history of Sacmi
are described, pays tribute to the members of the company who have been
responsible for its growth and development. These individuals, who have
not worked alone but as a team, have been the drivers, the propellers of
the company’s development and have always had the support and collaboration of everyone who has worked at and been involved with the Cooperative.
This is our main strength - a strength which is intrinsic to the
cooperative spirit of the company, whose principles of participation and
solidarity are still alive today. We believe in these principles strongly; they
have been handed down from those who entered the company before us
and we are committed to passing them on, in turn, to the younger memAssembling an automatic machine.
bers of the Cooperative. Together we shall work side by side to create a
future for the company, as far as it is within our power to do so. The
Sacmi Group, which today has little fewer than 850 employees, who are
generally highly-educated and have an average age of 36, is made up of 31
companies located throughout the world employing a total staff of 1600
and possessed of all the strengths and qualities required to carry it into
the next century and look to the future with no cause for concern.
From this firm starting point Sacmi has every reason to capitalise
on its potential by developing and consolidating its business. In particular
198
Sacmi’s premises in Imola...
it can focus on increasing the production rate of machines for the ceramics sector (which covers tiles, sanitaryware, tableware and refractories).
Once certain political situations have stabilized
and economic growth has started again there
should be enough room within today’s markets
for further investment in production and sales in
the ceramics industry.
It will, however, be necessary to continue
the research and development of production and
manufacturing processes which act as a stimulus
to the market and will help us work towards achieving our goals.
As far as the packaging division is concerned, we will try to give
Press assembly bay.
most attention to the development of plastics, making use of the opportunities offered by compression technology in order to expand Sacmi Packaging even further. We should also work on increasing our production of
complete systems and concentrate the energies of all the companies in the
Group on improving Sacmi’s hold on this part of the market.
We hope that the Sacmi culture which, as I have said, is characterised by respect for fellow-man, will have more and more influence in the
areas in which its companies operate. This can be done by cultivating a
special rapport between the company and those it works with. To this
end, we must try to involve local institutions, in addition to our customers and suppliers, in order to improve the conditions and quality of life in
the areas where we work.
Our roots can never be cancelled out. Imola is the ‘centre of gravity’
for us. Even in the next century our attachment to and affection for the
town which gave life to our company will remain. However Sacmi also has a
199
The history of Sacmi
worldwide dimension today and we must not forget that. The process of
internationalisation (or the global economy) does not frighten us. On the
contrary; it is already a part of our lives, now and in the century to come”.
I asked the managing director of the company, Giulio Cicognani:
“What do you see as the future for Sacmi’s machines? Do you see them as
contributing to the industrialisation of Africa, for example,
or even for the exploration and conquest of space?”.
“In order to respond to this question, we need first to
consider the way in which these machines and the consumer
goods they produce are used. The world population, which in
certain areas is growing at a rate higher than 2 percent per
year, is demanding a higher quality of life from those in charge.
In two thirds of the world ‘quality of life’ means: 1)
the ability to feed oneself; 2) having a home which can house
an often large family. Food products and construction materials will therefore be more and more in demand in the future, especially in the under-developed countries. We should
not forget that, once food requirements have been met, the
Slip pump.
home is the next most important thing to be provided for.
This is why Sacmi’s machines for the production of traditional
types of ceramics (bricks, roof tiles, floor and wall tiles, sanitaryware and
tableware), as well as the packaging machines for wrapping food products,
will have a market tomorrow.
For these reasons, Sacmi’s strategy will continue to be that of maintaining its presence in the ceramics market all over the world and, as far as
packaging is concerned, developing methods of wrapping food products
so that they can best be preserved and transported.
200
Sacmi’s premises in Imola...
Most of the countries in Africa, apart from those on the Mediterranean coast and South Africa, remain locked in extremely backward conditions. On this continent, the primary problem of providing enough
food needs to be resolved before we can begin to talk about developing
the building industry.
I am confident, however, that over the next ten years the beginnings of development will be seen in central Africa. If the rich countries
Engineering department: design stage.
of the world realise that Africa, more than any other continent, is calling
out for a gesture of humanity and human solidarity, they would find out
that this could present an opportunity and not just a burden.
Ceramics products have already contributed to space exploration.
Sacmi is researching, together with other Italian and foreign research centres, a series of advanced ceramics products which could be used in more
high-tech environments and even, why not, in space”.
It is time to go. I take my leave from the managers and directors. I
leave the Sacmi ‘village’ by car and turn right onto the Via Selice. I have a
half-desire to go to Caput Silicis where, as we know, there was once a port
(Imola’s port) in the Po valley. Perhaps I will encounter a dinosaur wanting to play with dolphins or a great red and green fire-breathing dragon
from ancient China. Who knows! I have learnt that anything is possible
and dreams can come true.
I have come back to Sacmi to meet some of the ‘pioneers’ of the
Cooperative. In my account of Sacmi’s history I have often used figures to
illustrate the economic potential of the company. This is well justified
since a company is valued by the strength of its capital, by the quality and
output of its manufactured products, the turnover it achieves and by the
201
The history of Sacmi
extent to which it has been able to stamp its own brand name on the
market. However, human capital also counts and I want to discuss this
aspect too because the men and women of Sacmi with their intelligence,
moral as well as physical strength, willingness and perseverance are an
essential part of the company.
I started by talking to Arrigo Casadio, born in 1911 and president
of Sacmi from 1944 to 1949. I asked him to give me a brief outline of his life
because his life has been inextricably bound up with Sacmi.
Casadio: “I used to live at no. 15, Via Mameli. On the way to
school each morning I used to pass Vito Manaresi’s shop - he made iron
products and shears. I liked the sounds which came from his small workshop. I decided that when I grew up I would become a smith or a mechanic. I had to grow up fast. My family was poor and so I started working
at a young age - as soon as I reached the minimum age to be employed
legally. I started work at the Cooperative and there I trained as a mechanic. I went to evening school where I found out I was good at drawing.
I therefore went on to become a draughtsman”.
You would have known the first president of the Cooperative, Luigi
Santandrea. I have searched everywhere for a photograph of him but have not had
any luck. Santandrea did not have any children and none of his distant relatives
are left.
Casadio: “We used to call Santandrea e’mòr, the dark one, because
he was naturally dark-haired and when his hair began to go grey he used to
dye it and thus he remained always e’mòr. He took great care of himself even as he got older he never stopped taking exercise. Every morning he
used to go for a run; today we would call it jogging. He was not a tall man,
he had a slender figure and lean face. He was always smartly dressed. He
204
Sacmi’s premises in Imola...
was extremely eloquent and articulate. Every year, during the citrus fruit
harvest, he would go down to Sicily to demonstrate and sell the orange
cleaning machines. He had a silver tongue and knew how to convince
people to buy his product - he was a good salesman. His motto was ‘try it
and see’. If anyone had doubts he would show them the machine in operation. He gained their love and respect, they affectionately called him
commendatore. He was an exceptional man - and a bon viveur”.
The period of his term as president of the company ran from 1944 to
1949: a period full of dramatic events and upheaval, but also hope.
Casadio: “Let’s leave aside the war for the moment - we all know
about how Imola suffered by being on the front line, about the struggle of
the Resistance against the Germans and the Fascists and the blood shed
for liberation. When the area was liberated we started work immediately.
The factory in Viale Crispi was back on its feet in no time although there
was no electricity. We managed to find a tractor (but we exploited other
means as well) and used it to generate motive energy. We were able to start
up some automatic and semi-automatic machines which the Cooperative
had obtained during the war, with the approval of the military authorities, for the production of arms. (I remember that from ’40 to ’43 they
had built supports to be joined to the steering columns of the soldiers’
Guzzi-Alce motorcycles, and that they installed submachine guns on these
supports). Well anyway, we started to work. The first machine we made
was a winch for the Gruppo Facchini in Imola (a transport company) to be
used for handling goods to be transported by rail. We also made artistic
gates for a building in Forlì”.
Following the, shall we say ‘artisan’, production period, in what order,
chronologically, did the new production lines come into operation?
Casadio: “Well, we began (in the Thirties) with the machines for
205
The history of Sacmi
citrus fruits. Then we began to make the first machinery for food products
(Magazzino Generale di Consumo di Imola). We went on to arms production
during the war. Immediately after the war we began to manufacture mixers.
Then came the presses for ceramics and the machines for crown caps. After
this we started producing the ceramics systems for certain traditional products and for sanitaryware and the machines for packaging containers. And
that brings us up to today”.
You began with already existing machines,
mostly German brands (except for the fruit cleaning ones which originated with a Spanish machine)
which you made improvements to in order to make
them faster and more productive. I know that the
genius responsible for most of these brilliant innovations was you. What can you tell me about this?
Boring machine on the factory floor.
Casadio: “Well I certainly was no genius! I loved examining machines, discovering their faults, seeing whether I could make them run
better and produce more. I loved the job, I enjoyed doing it and found
great satisfaction and pleasure in finding what I was looking for.
One day, the director, Miceti, said to me: ‘There is a problem with
our glueing machine for the crown caps. The competition is beating us.
You must go to the USA (where that kind of machine was first invented,
author’s note) and see what they do - otherwise we are ruined and we may
have to close down’.
In fact, there was indeed something wrong with our machine: the
heating elements were giving problems. These heating elements, which
served to heat and dry the glue used to apply the little cork disc to the
underside of the cap, would start to burn at a certain moment in the
cycle. I therefore went to New York and visited some of their factories”.
206
Sacmi’s premises in Imola...
What about the language barrier?
Casadio: “It wasn’t a problem. There were directors, technicians
and businessmen who were of Italian origin in those factories. You can
find Italians all over the world. They helped me and I became their friend.
They showed me how their machines worked and put me in contact with
a company that manufactured heating elements on an industrial scale. I
returned home and applied the necessary modifications to our glueing
machines. Shortly afterwards we became competitors with the USA and
started exporting our machines there. Sacmi’s machines were better than
theirs. I returned several times to the United States and travelled all around
the country.
Another example is that of the mixers which replaced the old
wooden kneading machines used for preparing bread mixtures. When we
started making this type of machine we noticed that the yeast gradually
eroded the cast iron. I therefore had the idea of using cast steel instead.
The innovation worked and the machine did not give us any further problems. As you can see they were not exactly ground-breaking discoveries!”.
After Miceti, the next managing director was Aldo Villa. How did you
get on with him?
Casadio: “I got on extremely well with Villa and fortunately he
had a good opinion of me. He was a very active man and he was decisive.
He was the type that called a spade a spade. He was very approachable and
had a good rapport with staff and with customers from all over the world”.
207
The history of Sacmi
The ‘veterans’ of Sacmi tell their story.
208
The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
I
am back at Sacmi. I meet Ciro Gasparri, born in 1916 and another
important figure in the story of the Cooperative. He was president of
the company from 1949 to 1955 and factory manager for over twenty
years. He started working for Sacmi in 1930 and became a shareholder in
1945. He was a fitter. He retired in 1976.
What does Sacmi mean to you?
Gasparri: “Sacmi has been my great love. I am a bachelor and my
work has always played a leading role in my life. I used to spend practically
all my time at the Cooperative and felt that my family was there. We have
had two managing directors, Miceti and Villa, of outstanding ability. They
too were ‘married’ to the business. Miceti was an extremely wise and sensible manager - he kept his feet on the ground. Villa was
made from the same mould. He was always trying to cut
down on expenses. He used to write notes for himself on the
back of old envelopes to save paper. There have also been
good presidents, fully committed to the company and their
work. I tried to do my best when I was in the position. After
me the next president was Amleto Scomparcini, but he only
remained in the post for one term. Next was Aurelio Mingotti,
a shrewd and intelligent man who led Sacmi with great success for many
Feeder.
years. Then came Rino Morini, Nerio Cavina, Rodiero Alieri, Loretto
Sullalti and today there is Demos Baldisserri. They have all been excellent
presidents”.
209
The history of Sacmi
What can you tell me about Sacmi’s lines of production?
Gasparri: “After the war we gradually abandoned certain lines of
production which were going badly on the market, such as the mixers and
later - much later - the citrus fruit machines. We worked hard to keep
improving the machines for ceramics production, and even now, they are
our winning card. I hope the shareholders and employees today have the
same desire to work that we had and that the harmony that reigned at the
company in our day can be maintained. I hope to see you at the eightieth
anniversary of the company when the book comes out”.
I am sitting opposite Rino Marani. He was born in 1922, was a
member of the Board from 1955-56, Vice-President (consigliere delegato)
from 1959-1965 and Vice-President (vice presidente) from ’67 to ’71. He
was the right-hand man of the president, Mingotti. Marani retired in 1982.
What do you remember about your early years at Sacmi?
Marani: “I started working for the company in 1936.
I got married on 2 December and I chose that date because
it was the anniversary of the foundation of the Cooperative. As soon as I was taken on I was sent to the worksite at
Montecatone where they were building the different wings
of the hospital. I was working under Rodolfo Galassi. We
installed iron window frames (manufactured by the Cooperative) for the wards. During the war I remember that we
made machine gun holders to be installed on the soldiers’ motorcycles.
We even made the iron rods to clean the model 91 rifles.
Once the war was over we started work on the great enterprise of
making presses for the ceramics factories. The pioneers of this undertaking (a special event because it pointed the way to Sacmi’s future) were the
210
The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
factory manager of the Cooperativa Ceramica, Savioli, Sacmi’s factory
manager, Ermanari, and Casadio, our head of engineering. We began - I
think it was in 1950 - with a 70 ton press (known as a ‘perpetual motion’
press). We went on to develop the 105 and later the 145/180. Sacmi’s
good fortune however lay with the PE 220 press which was awarded a
prize at the Milan trade fair. We reached a production rate of forty-two
and a half per month of these presses. At the same time we were also
making the crown cap machines. Casadio will
have told you about his trip to the United
States. This was necessary because the problem of the heating elements was making it extremely difficult to continue to sell the product. The mystery of what was wrong with these
machines, which applied the cork discs to the
crown cap, had troubled us for a while and
solving the riddle had become a kind of obsession. Fortunately Casadio
found the solution to the problem”.
A very important event took place during your term as vice-president: the
Sacmi at the Santerno Exhibition
(Managing Director, Giulio Miceti,
with his back to the camera), Imola
1948.
foundation of Sacmi Impianti SpA with the main aim of developing business
overseas.
Marani: “That’s right. The president of the company, Mingotti,
who was, in my opinion, an extremely able president, had a very clear
objective: to take Sacmi’s machines all over the world. I agreed with him.
In Villa and Cicorella we found two fine young men who vied with each
other to reach the same goal. Mingotti never tired of telling them: ‘We
must fly the flag of Sacmi in every corner of the world’.
We should remember all these people because I think Sacmi owes
a great deal of its good fortune to them”.
211
The history of Sacmi
I imagine you think a lot about those times and that you cherish those
memories.
Marani: “Yes I do. We used to work hard in those days. We were
paid a normal amount. The first time we were paid overtime, if I’m not
mistaken, was in 1955 when the Cooperative had already been in business for 36 years. In those days we did everything for the good of the
company. Honesty was the first rule by which we led our lives - both within
the Cooperative and outside it”.
Rino Morini. Born in 1927. Joined Sacmi in 1954, shareholder
from 1959. Made a member of the Board in ’65 and Vice-President in ’71.
President from 1973 to 1977. Retired in 1980.
You became President at a highly significant time for Sacmi and at a good
moment from an economic point of view.
Morini: “Yes, I did. In the early Seventies we began manufacturing
whole systems which was probably the most important turning point for
our company. I am sure you understand what is meant by ‘turnkey plants’.
For ceramics we made presses. We then spotted the opportunity of making
a series of machines for all the various stages of tile manufacture. This meant
starting from the choice of the clay to be used and going right up to the
finished tile ready to be delivered to the customer. It was an inspired idea,
although not without its problems, as it proved to be difficult to achieve and
involved much hard work and sacrifice. We sent our first plants to Libya,
Algeria and Bulgaria: a somewhat adventurous undertaking. These were
economically backward countries. The labour force was mostly involved in
sheep-farming. Our presence in these countries and the aid we gave them
weighed heavily on company finances. The creation of complete systems
(and the hand of Casadio can be detected throughout this process) started
212
The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
with the development of the presses. Following the Welko-Cicorella agreement, a controller was added to these presses with great advantage on a
functional and productive level. The stimulus to take a step further forward
originated here and the concept of ‘turnkey plants’ arose at this time”.
What were your responsibilities at the company?
Morini: “I was a programmer in the crown cap machine division.
The story of these machines is very interesting too. We started with machines that made five caps per stroke. We had a model that was patented
by the Ettore Busi company. Then Casadio designed a machine that produced a hundred and fifty thousand pieces an hour. Now the hourly production rate has increased considerably - I am not certain but I think it
has doubled. When I was still at the company we talked about advanced
research and today this has resulted in plastic containers.
After a while we began planning the production of machines on
the basis of a yearly budget and then the computer was introduced. Villa
was bewildered by the new computer technology at first but I wasn’t. I
think it was the only time we had a difference of opinion in our plans for
the company’s technology”.
What was Villa like?
Morini: “He was an extraordinary man. His great gift was that of
being able to strike up a rapport with whoever he met immediately. He
had the power of persuasion - he knew how to win people’s trust and good
will like nobody else”.
Do you remember other important events in the history of the company?
Aldo Villa at the Great Wall of
China.
Morini: “I had only been a member of the Board for a short while
when the social and leisure club was started up. That job had been assigned to me by the Board. We organised various activities: specialised
courses, conferences (even the mountain climber who scaled K2 came to
213
The history of Sacmi
speak), organised tours, guided visits around other companies etc. On
Saturdays we would show a film.
At this time we also took the decision to give workers of over 40
the option to have a regular health check-up. I myself dealt with making
the first appointments with Giuseppe Labò, a doctor at the Sant’Orsola
hospital. The employees still have these check-ups every two years and it
even extends to retired members of the company”.
Next, I speak to Giorgio Penazzi. He was born in 1929 and joined
Sacmi in 1950. He was a shareholder from 1954. He became a member of
the Board in 1970, replacing Cavina who had left, and held the position
again in 1973 and 1979. He was factory manager. Penazzi retired in 1988.
I have just finished talking to Rino Morini about the concept of turnkey
plants. What can you tell me about this subject?
Penazzi: “The decision to produce turnkey plants was the right one
but quite a lot of us were afraid of taking this leap in the dark. But perhaps
Clutch press.
I should talk first about the presses. These machines were developed over a
fairly long period of time. At a certain point we realised that they could no
longer be controlled manually - they needed to be automated and we had
to find the right technology to speed up the press-strokes. We turned to
Welko in Milan, a company specialising in controllers for all kinds of industrial machines, and asked them to make us a controller for the presses.
Welko was happy to start working with us. An electro-mechanical controller was chosen because the president, Mingotti, had already tried using a
pneumatic device. We manufactured and sold some machines with this
innovation. However, more advanced, faster equipment was available on
the market. With the introduction of this controller we actually became
competitors with Welko which could, however, offer better prices than us
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The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
due to the fact that it operated in an environment that provided more
opportunities to make alterations and update the equipment. For this reason, three members of Sacmi came up with the idea of trying to overtake
Welko on the market. The idea was simple: get ahead of Welko by doing
business with them, even recruit one of their members and the director of
the factory, Cicorella. However this plan had a high price. The Board of
Directors of Sacmi became aware of the plan only when it had already
been carried through. The decision was only approved by the assembly of
shareholders after the fact and, obviously, there were plenty of people who
disagreed with the whole idea. This caused much drawn-out political wrangling within the company. They probably wanted to change the Board of
Directors which had accepted the decision of the three Sacmi members
responsible for the affair (Sarti, Villa, Benati). Cicorella returned to Welko
after a considerable period at Sacmi Impianti. In the end, Welko survived
a period of ups and downs, continued in production and, even today, still
operates on the market. Sacmi did not really gain anything by it but it had
managed to hold up production at the rival company and it stimulated the
manufacture of Sacmi trademark presses. At that time I was head of the
department which dealt with installing these machines. Villa once again
predicted things correctly. It was a shame that politics got in the way and
the Welko affair was seen as a mistake. They should have built a statue to
Villa instead. They suggested that I stand as candidate for president but I
turned them down citing personal reasons as my motive. I would have
preferred a company which was not so political but that was impossible at
Fly press.
that time. My work already took up enough of my time: often I arrived
home at about ten in the evening”.
What advice would you give to the Sacmi present-day and future members?
Penazzi: “Work hard and show commitment to the company. I
215
The history of Sacmi
have seen the Cooperative grow from a small business to a great industrial
concern. This expansion is the fruit of our hard work and sacrifice and
real love for the company. We must never forget this aspect. You need to
have the will to work. There’s no room for layabouts and shirkers or people who are all talk and no work. I hope that, in the future, there will be
fewer and fewer of these kind of people”.
Benito Benati, a member of Sacmi offers a different version of the
Welko affair. Here is his point of view:
Benati: “The twenty years in the history of Sacmi which ran from
the end of the Fifties to the end of the Seventies were characterised by a
rather bitter conflict between Sacmi and Welko Industriale SpA, whose headquarters were based first in Milan and later in Spino d’Adda (Cremona).
The conflict took place both on a business and a legal level.
Welko was a small electro-mechanical business based in Milan
which was already well-established by the mid-Fifties. At that time Sacmi
had a good clutch press for tile production but it needed to be equipped
with a suitable electronic controller. However Sacmi did not have enough
experience in this field (electronics was still in its first stages), whereas
Welko had already reached an impressive level of knowledge. For this reason, Sacmi and Welko met to set up a kind of joint venture with the aim
of designing a controller for the Sacmi presses. A joint research and development department was started up in Milan for this purpose where both
Welko and Sacmi staff worked.
After a profitable period of collaboration between the two companies the relationship came to an end and each of us went our separate ways.
Sacmi set up its own electronic controller as well as a powder filler-box which
was combined with its press. It then began to show these at trade fairs and
216
The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
install them for a trial period at some of its customers’ factories.
Sacmi was accused of having used the results of other
people’s research and a bitter legal battle ensued on all fronts. It
resulted in a court order which forbade Sacmi to continue producing machines equipped with the controller and filler-box in
question.
The litigation with Welko lasted from 1959 to 1972 and
was accompanied by great tension and worry. Sacmi had to undergo an inspection of its accounts by a certified auditor appointed by the law court and an action even finished in the
Court of Cassation. We finally won the action but only after
having lost at all the other stages of the legal proceedings.
The final result of the litigation was, however, a positive one and
One of the first cap counters.
Welko was forced to reduce its demands. In the end the matter was resolved with the payment of several tens of millions of Lit.
This happened in around 1972. In the meantime many things
had changed.
At the beginning of the Sixties Sacmi handed the responsibility of
selling its products on the overseas markets to Fatmi, a company based in
Milan with its offices in the new and futuristic (for those times) sky-scraper,
the Torre Velasca.
In 1965, together with Fatmi’s two partners, Sacmi set up Sacmi
Impianti Spa and appointed the future member of parliament Armando
Sarti as company president. The new company was Sacmi’s answer to realising its long-term and ambitious strategy to enter the market for complete ceramics systems. The plan was carried out through this new separate organisation in order not to have the Cooperative involved under its
own name as it lacked experience in this risky field.
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The history of Sacmi
Sacmi Impianti was then granted a licence to act as agent selling
Sacmi’s products overseas (this had also been done with Fatmi which later
closed down).
In the mid-seventies the competition with Welko became extremely
aggressive as they were present in all the markets and with all the customers. This led some of our divisions to doubt our own products, prices,
salesmen and company structure.
Undoubtedly the same was true the other way round - I imagine
that competition with Sacmi was a considerable weight on the minds of
those at Welko.
Then things began to happen.
Welko suggested to Sacmi that the two companies work together
and fix prices. They also invited Sacmi to buy into Welko. The offer was
accepted with relief by Sacmi’s directors and was considered to be an opportunity that was too good to pass up.
The discussions were held in utmost secrecy in order not to compromise the outcome but once the affair had been concluded and brought
to the attention of the shareholders they were very happy to approve it.
It soon became clear that we had bought into a company that was
in serious financial difficulties, bled dry perhaps by its sales policies.
The auditors asked their new bosses (Sacmi) to do their bit and
send manpower and means to keep the company above water.
This began to create problems and much debate inside Sacmi.
The shareholders’ assembly decided not to commit themselves any further to supporting Welko and attempted, as far as was possible, to recover
what had already been invested and limit the damage.
The decision to pull out from Welko and the frustration of having been part of an operation that had gone sour led to a string of con-
218
The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
troversies and recriminations which dragged on for several years.
I should nevertheless add that, for many years afterwards, Welko,
which had previously been an important rival for a long time, had little
influence on the market and this allowed both Sacmi and other companies operating in the sector to re-establish a good relationship with the
market in terms of sales prices”.
I now meet Doriano Golinelli. He was born in 1922, and joined
Sacmi in 1934 when he was only 12 years old. He became
a shareholder in 1945. Golinelli qualified as an installer
and travelled all over Italy and the world as chief installer.
He was a Member of the Board from 1949 to 1955 and
retired in 1980.
Was there a crucial moment in Sacmi’s development
that you can identify?
Golinelli: “Yes. In my opinion it was the moment
when Cogne began to recruit for a workforce when it
started up production (1938-1939). The Cooperative was
forced to change its step. Many of our young workers chose
to go and work at the arms factory because you could earn more. My wage
The hospital in Montecatone.
at that time was 1 Lit., thirty an hour. At Cogne, a worker the same age as
me and with the same qualification could earn 2 Lit., fifty which was
almost double. Others went to work on the railways which was a more
secure job. Some enrolled in the airforce as flight engineers. I started
working at Sacmi when I was just twelve years old, I hadn’t even reached
the legal working age, and I stayed there. We mainly worked at the sanatorium in Montecatone. I remember we made bedsprings, window and door
frames and very thin metal boards (they were the partitions to be placed
219
The history of Sacmi
between one bed and another). We also worked for the Magazzino
Cooperativo, for other hospitals, for brickkilns, for the cooperatives which
ran the threshing machines and for other companies too. From November to February, we mostly concentrated on the orange cleaning machines.
We even received an order for latticework destined for the universal exhibition in Rome known as E42 which, however, was never held because of
the war. We purchased new machines: a milling machine, a lathe and a
boring machine. My colleagues will have told you about production during the war. I don’t know if they told you that we also built heaters for the
airforce which were sent to the Italian expeditionary force in Russia.
We did workshifts of twelve hours from two o’clock in the afterA machine made for IRCE.
noon until two in the morning. In winter it was cold. Every now and again
we went to warm ourselves near the big heater which
they called e’stuvón. After 8 September the Germans
came into the factory and we tried to get along with
them. They repaired the engines of their vehicles.
The progress of the war was already showing signs of
the tragedy it would end in. With the Germans inside Sacmi we secretly made nails which the Resistance fighters hid in the roads where the enemy’s
convoys passed by. At night, when the Germans were
not around, we used to bury the most valuable machine tools underground in a courtyard near the part
of the factory that looked out onto Via Framello.
We even buried machines from Cogne”.
After the front line moved on, you started work
again with a great deal of effort, didn’t you?
Golinelli: “Yes, straight away, but it was diffi-
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The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
cult. We had no electricity. We had to make do with what we had. To
generate electricity by our own means we used a tractor and other things.
Aurelio Mingotti and I went to Via Punta where we knew there was a
small Decauville train. We found a horse, I think it was the only horse left
in Imola, and got it to pull the train all the way to Viale Crispi. The poor
horse! When we reached the crossroads between Via Montanara and the
road where the Lolli asylum stands we turned towards Porta Montanara
(the Montanara gate from the old city walls) but the horse stopped. It was
completely worn out. We were forced to take a break for two or three
hours so that it could get back its breath. Then we started off again. When
we finally reached the Cooperative, we adapted the engine in order to use
it as a source of energy. We gave Cogne’s machines back to them. In thanks
and to pay us back they gave us a considerable amount of steel (perhaps
worth a little over a million in the value of that time) which for us was like
gold-dust.
After the war we started making machines for IRCE to be used to
coat electrical wires. For several years I worked in Sassuolo where I was in
charge of training the installers who were learning how to do their job. I
was also responsible for public relations, as we would call it today”.
I now speak to Enrico Spisni. He was born in 1925, joined Sacmi
in 1954 and was shareholder from 1962. He was a Member of the Board
from 1965 to 1967 and retired in 1982. Spisni was a mechanical engineer.
He worked in the engineering department and started up the systems
department.
When you joined the Board of Directors, Sacmi was about to transfer its
premises from Viale De Amicis to Via Provinciale Selice.
Spisni: “The factory was moved in 1966. The crown cap machine
221
The history of Sacmi
division was the first department to be transferred and it only took one
day to do this. The heaviest machine tools were transported to the new
premises in June-July of the same year. Production was not held up. Few
people know that the first draft of the design for the new headquarters
was actually done by the president, Aurelio Mingotti”.
I would like to return again to the subject of the Welko affair and the
related problem which arose out of the fact that it was no longer possible to continue to control the presses manually.
Spisni: “In fact we had already known for some time that this was
no longer possible. We had experimented with automation using pneumatic controls but they weren’t reliable enough so we didn’t continue. At
that time (Miceti was still Managing Director) we reached an agreement to
work together with Welko, who held the patent for an electronic control
system for clutch presses. Later on, a joint engineering department was
set up as a research base at Welko’s headquarters in Milan. Apart from
me, the others from Sacmi who worked in that department
were Casadio and Anderlini, both of whom went to Milan every week and stayed there. I, on the other hand,
remained in Imola. We worked with Welko to find a
new controller and a new press but the relationship
broke up. Two of the members of Welko left the company, which nevertheless continued to operate, and
one of them, Cicorella, (who was the manager of
Welko) set up Sacmi Impianti SpA with us. This new
company was based in Milan and was started up in
A glueing machine for crown caps.
order to develop business overseas. Sacmi owned the majority of the shares
in the company. Research for the new controller and press went on and
finally resulted in the PE 150 - the first of Sacmi’s successful clutch presses.
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The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
Casadio thought up several state-of-the-art technological improvements.
He was our trump card - I think he was a genius. Without him, in my
opinion, Sacmi would not be what it is today because he had a hand in
creating every one of the machines which made the Cooperative into a
large industrial concern”.
I know that you worked both in the crown cap and ceramic systems departments. Perhaps you can tell me something about them that I don’t already
know.
Spisni: “These two departments have been the most important in
Sacmi’s history. When I joined Sacmi they had already started manufacturing the machine for forming caps (which was a highly technologicallyadvanced machine) as well as a small glueing machine for applying the
cork seals. We then acquired a much more productive glueing machine
from Busi. Casadio redesigned it and the result was an even faster and
more complete machine: the ITC 45. When hygiene regulations meant
that there would have to be a tin-foil disc between the cork and the liquid
in the bottle, we purchased another machine from Busi for the task. However the machine could not be manufactured on an industrial scale in the
form in which it was bought. For this reason Casadio designed the STC
42 foil applicator which was a great success at the Milan Trade Fair and
then on the market. Later on the cork material was replaced by plastic.
As far as the ceramics systems were concerned, I think the first
system for grinding clay was made in 1955-1956. This consisted of a series
of machines linked to each other which, by means of a dry process, started
with lumps of clay and transformed them into a powder which was just
the right size, with the correct moisture content and suitably aged so that
it was ready for use to form tiles.
Anyway, I was talking about the first complete system. This was
223
The history of Sacmi
installed in Ricò, in the district of Parma, where
there was a tile kiln. I remember the second system, manufactured in Sassuolo, for a particular
reason. Four of us departed from Imola to go and
install this system - Miceti, Casadio, Gildeni and
myself. Since Sacmi didn’t have any of its own
vehicles, we hired a Giardinetta Fiat 500 - the ones
which had the upper bodywork in wood. Miceti
drove. When we reached San Giuliano Modenese
Firing and drying plant for
sanitaryware.
the car in front of us made a reckless manoeuvre forcing Miceti to swerve
off the road and into a canal-ditch. All four of us were taken to hospital
but fortunately we were not seriously injured.
After Villa had joined the company, we realised that, if we wanted
to expand beyond Italy we would have to adapt to the production methods
in use on the international market. In fact, the methods used for the preparation of the base mix for forming tiles was completely different from those
employed in Italy at the time (pulverisation of a single type of clay). Instead
a mix formed from several different clays and hard minerals had to be produced. This could only be done by using a wet process - the same kind of
process that was used for the manufacture of sanitaryware and tableware.
We were completely unaware of this procedure. Sacmi Impianti hired a
French engineer and, with his help, we began our work in this field.
I hope someone has already told you that it was at this point
that the great idea for manufacturing turnkey plants originated and perhaps they have mentioned the fundamental role that Villa played in this
story. I hope that someone has recounted the whole thing because otherwise it would be difficult to fully understand how Sacmi developed
into the great company it has become. Since I experienced this growth
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The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
and development first hand I am curious to find out how it has been
described. I hope it hasn’t all been simply put down to the grace of
God”.
Finally I speak to Rodiero Alieri. Born in 1942. Joined Sacmi in
1960. Shareholder from 1968. President from 1979 to 1995. Retired
since 1997.
During your time as president of the company, Sacmi expanded into a
large international concern.
Alieri: “Today, Sacmi is present on all world markets. I have seen
the company transform itself from little more than a small workshop into
a huge international industrial group. When I joined the Cooperative
there were 125 employees who taught me everything I know. I was eighteen when I started working here. I grew up and became a man inside this
company - not just physically and in age but above all professionally and
ethically. I owe everything to Sacmi. I have met some fantastic people here
- in particular Aldo Villa. He was at the heart of the success of the company. Giulio Cicognani, the present managing director, is continuing his
good work, following the example of his predecessor”.
Tell me a little about Villa.
The Plus CCM 011 for rotary
compression moulding of thermo-plastic
resins.
Alieri: “I worked with
him for many years and we
went through the everyday battles together. He was extremely
competent dealing with business but, in my opinion, his
best quality was his natural
ability to build a rapport with
225
The history of Sacmi
others. He always succeeded in winning the
trust of customers and they took to him at
once. He also had a special relationship with
the employees. He knew how to manage them,
he encouraged them, advised them, urged
them on. He was a leader. He was a friend to
all but could also be hard on people although
he always used great tact at the same time. To
me he was the best of friends. He was an extremely active man - he hardly ever rested. He
Fruit cleaning machine, late 1950s.
had two wishes that didn’t sit well together and put him in a difficult
situation: on the one hand, he wanted to be out in the field doing business in our overseas offices but, on the other hand, he wanted to stay here
and oversee production. He was a person with great intuition. The market is changeable by nature but Villa always seemed to know which way
the wind was blowing and he adapted to change quickly. He also had a
golden rule: always work hard and with commitment wherever you are.
I mentioned previously that it was Villa who guided the productive development of the company. Of course, he was helped in this by a
group of first class colleagues. The names which come to mind immediately are Cicognani, Cassani and Tumidei, but there were, and are, also
many others engineers of great ability. They strove to achieve precise objectives and I think they have succeeded. Working in both the ceramics
and the crown cap sectors (today plastic is used to make the caps) was a
great experience for me and I think the history behind the development
of these two divisions, or three, if we include the machines for fruit, is
extremely interesting.
What do you think will happen to production in the next few years?
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The “veterans” of Sacmi tell their story...
Alieri: “We need to look at what will happen in the rest of the
world and always keep an eye on the market. I think there is still room for
the ceramics sector to expand - and not just in the Far East but also on our
own continent, especially in the North. The ceramics industry uses a raw
material which is ecologically healthy and clean. There is no danger of
pollution. Even bottle caps have a future with a broad horizon. Both ceramic products and bottle caps will continue to be in demand - especially
if we think of the use of plastic.
As far as Africa is concerned, I think that the view of the managing director, Cicognani, is absolutely spot on. Africa is a poor continent
that still needs to develop economically. It is certainly a market to keep an
eye on. On the other hand, as far as the most basic human needs are
concerned, Sacmi’s philosophy has always been: first feed oneself and then
think about building a house. This applies to the future too. The ceramics
sector is not a rich one. It is better defined as ‘popular’ all over the world
and therefore has immense potential in terms of consumer demand. We
shall certainly see many changes in the future. Sacmi will have to ask itself
many times: what do the consumers want? In the past the company has
always responded to this question and taken pains to satisfy the customers
needs.
The history of our company has always had a human dimension.
Just think, when I joined there had already been two generations of cooperative members behind me. Then others arrived and yet more will come
in the future. We have spent so many nights in discussion here - even
arguing - right up until the small hours, until two in the morning. But the
next day everybody was at their work, calm and trusting in the company,
with a clean conscience and without rancour. I very much hope it will
continue to be like that”.
227
The history of Sacmi
The role played by Sacmi in society
and culture and its contribution
to social welfare and the preservation
of our artistic heritage.
From modest beginnings, the company
enters the international scene.
230
The role played by Sacmi in society...
S
acmi has always honoured its principles of mutual aid with great
conviction and generosity and following the spirit of the law and
statutory regulations. It has even offered assistance in the fields of
health, culture, art, education, sport and leisure. It has always been thoroughly committed to these principles, depending, obviously, on the state of
its own finances. The largest and most solid investments in these areas have
been made in the last few decades. Within the Cooperative, Sacmi can boast
of having achieved more concrete results, as far as mutual aid and social
security provisions are concerned, than can be found elsewhere in Italy.
Every year it has given financial support to the Cassa di Previdenza e Assistenza
della Cooperativa Sacmi and to the Polizza Sanitaria in favour of all the shareholders and employees. The Mutual Aid Fund has been used to make donations and contributions (of considerable value) towards funding research,
education, culture, company training, social welfare and charity.
One of the most important donations was that made to the
Ospedale Civile (city hospital) in Imola in1989, when Sacmi gave the institution a CAT (Computerized Axial Tomography) scanner. The same hospital (AUSL 23) was also presented with another special piece of equipment, the VD 5000 Urodynamic Investigation System, for the urology
department, as well as a Toshiba portable ecograph. Sacmi has also given
financial assistance to the Mobile Clinic run by Dr. Claudio Costa, an
orthopaedic specialist, in order to buy equipment and material. This clinic
Delivering the CAT scan machine.
is present to provide medical assistance at all the races in the world motor-
231
The history of Sacmi
cycling championship. Dr. Costa and his small mobile clinic are well-known
and valued throughout the motorcyling world.
Sacmi has also helped the Cooperativa Il Sorriso which runs a community project for recovering drug addicts. In addition, it has made contributions to the “Congregazione delle Piccole Suore di Santa Teresa del
Bambino Gesù” to help build the Casa dell’Accoglienza in Imola which
provides assistance for the handicapped. Other substantial contributions
have gone to the Comitato piemontese pro alluvionati (Committee of Piedmont for flood victims) when disastrous floods hit that region, to an organisation sending foodstuffs to people in need in Yugoslavia, to the
Associazione studi tumori solidi (for research into tumours) and to many
other organizations and charities.
In order to help the people hit by the earthquake (1997-1998) in
Umbria and the Marches, Sacmi, together with the Comune di Gualdo
Tadino, committed itself to bearing expenses for re-building work up to
the amount of 100 million Lit. In the field of culture and the preservation
of our artistic heritage, Sacmi has played a substantial role in the work of
Donation made to the Centro
Universitario Ospedaliero Ignazio Den
di Conakry in Guinea.
restoring the frescoes in the Basilica-Santuario della Madonna del Piratello. This
church was built in Imola from c. 1490-91 by Caterina Riario Sforza of Forlì
and Imola with the authorisation of Pope Innocent VIII1.
The Cooperative has also financed restoration work on the Palazzo
Ducale in Sassuolo. This included the repair of the portals and the niches
containing statues on the main facade, the restoration of the original network of canals and the repair of window and door frames in the state rooms
and “French chamber”. Similarly assistance has been given to the restoration of the Palazzo Sassatelli-Monsignani in Imola (a contribution was made
CORTINI G.F., La Madonna del
Piratello presso Imola, Galeati and
son, Imola 1889.
1
232
to the Foundation for Musical Culture in order to build the headquarters
of the Piano Academy).
The role played by Sacmi in society...
Sacmi’s dedication towards the preservation of our heritage is also
revealed by its contribution to the church of San Giacomo dei Filippini (near
Imola’s main theatre) which is known to have existed as far back as 1334
and was completely rebuilt in 1762 according to the design of the architect Domenico Costa. Plans to renovate both the church and the priest’s
residence are underway2.
Sacmi has also contributed to education and culture in Imola by
donating an electrical discharge quantimeter for metallographic analysis
to the Istituto tecnico industriale F. Alberghetti in Imola. This state-of-the-art
piece of equipment both improves the learning of the students and can
also be used to give scientific and technical support to various companies
in the area thus cementing a working relationship between the schools
and businesses in this region.
Restoration work on the facade and
frescoes of the Basilica-Santuario della
Madonna del Piratello.
A further gift was made to the Istituto Alberghetti (both to the technical and the vocational schools). Both schools received a new computer
room and Sacmi provided the software.
Sacmi has taken part in the Progetto solidarietà Imola-São Bernardo
(Brazil) - a project promoted by a committee made up of the Town Council leaders of Imola, the diocesan Bishop, the Missionary Centre and various other social, cultural and religious organisations. In this way, the Cooperative has made a considerable financial contribution to their project
to bring together different peoples from all over the world. A vocational
school was built in São Bernardo to train the young people of the shanty
town and provide them with a skill with which to find work. The new
school was opened at the end of November 1996 and the event was attended by the president of Sacmi, Loretto Sullalti, the managing director,
Cicognani, and the director of Sacmi do Brasil, Ermes Gaddoni. Since
then, work has begun on building an extension to the school - a project
BENTINI J. (edited by), Il patrimonio
culturale della provincia di Bologna.
Gli edifici di culto del centro storico di
Imola, Soprintendenza alle
Gallerie, Bologna 1974, pp. 40-41.
2
233
The history of Sacmi
which will cost an estimated 500-600 million Lit. and is, once again, being
largely financed by Sacmi. In addition, Sacmi has also contributed to the
building of a Centre of ceramics technology in the State of Santa Catarina
in Brazil by making a large donation to the Fondação Santa Catarina3.
From the time Sacmi began operations, in 1919, up to today, the
heads of the Italian State have been the following: Victor Emanuel III
Equipment donated by Sacmi to the
F. Alberghetti technical school.
(1900-1946), Umberto II (May-June 1946), Enrico De Nicola (1946-1948),
Luigi Einaudi (1948-1955), Giovanni Gronchi (1955-1962), Antonio Segni
(1962-1964), Giuseppe Saragat (1964-1971), Giovanni Leone (1971-1978),
Alessandro Pertini (1978-1985), Francesco Cossiga (1985-1992), Oscar Luigi
Scalfaro (1992-1999), Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (1999)4.
Over the same period the mayors, podestà and prefects of Imola
have been: Nicola Falanga, Prefect (November 1919 - October 1920); Giulio
Miceti, Mayor (October 1920 - June 1921); Agostino Marcialis, Prefect (July
- August 1921); Italo Ballarini, Prefect (August 1921 - October 1922); Amilcare
Gibertini, Prefect (October 1922 - January 1923); Annibale Ginnasi, Mayor
and then Podestà (January 1923 - March 1927); Luigi Cerrato, Deputy Podestà
(April - August 1927); Guglielmo Froggio, Prefect (July 1927 - April 1929);
Annibale Ginnasi, Podestà (April 1929 - January 1930); Riccardo Foschi,
Deputy Podestà (August 1930 - January 1936); Angelo Buzzi Langhi, Prefect
(January - August 1936); Giuseppe Portoghese, Prefect (August - October
1936); Stefano Padovani, Podestà (1936-1943); Adelchi Valente, Prefect (September - October 1943); Carmelo Bivona, Prefect (October 1943 - August
1944); Valentino Pirazzoli, Prefect (September - December 1944); Carlo Ponzi,
SACMIAR, Minutes books from
the General and Board meetings;
SACMI Seventyfifth 75, p. 76.
4
Enciclopedia universale di base, De
Agostini, Novara 1991, p. 334;
BCI, newspaper and periodical
library.
3
234
Prefect (December 1944 - April 1945); Mario Tarlazzi, Mayor (15 - 22 April
1945); Giulio Miceti, Mayor (April 1945 - April 1946); Amedeo Tabanelli,
Mayor (1946-1948); Veraldo Vespignani, Mayor (1948-1962); Amedeo Ruggi,
Mayor (1962-1971); Enrico Gualandi, Mayor (1971-1976); Bruno Solaroli,
The role played by Sacmi in society...
Mayor (1976-1987); Marcello Grandi, Mayor (1987-1992); Raffaello De Brasi,
Mayor (1992-1999)5.
In addition to many other distinctive features, Imola is also a city
of Cooperatives. The Cooperatives are mainly manufacturing ones and,
among them, Sacmi in particular stands out. “If you stop to think” - writes
Benito Benati - “that these companies started out without any substantial
initial capital and were set up and run largely by ordinary factory workers,
that they basically self-financed their own development by building up
their resources over several decades, the question that arises is - what is the
secret of their success? We feel that the secret of their success lies in the
special relationship established between the staff and the company. This
relationship is based on several important concepts; self-management, the
active participation of every member of the Cooperative in the life of the
company, the balance between collective and individual interests, the awareness that one’s own behaviour as an individual has an effect on the whole
company, the realisation that the interests of the company and those of
the individual member do not have to contradict each other but can be
one and the same, and, finally, the idea that the member should be seen
The facade of the Palazzo Ducale in
Sassuolo.
as an integral part of the company rather than being set against it...”6.
Nazario Galassi adds: “The main reasons behind these results (i.e.
the steady increase of net earnings in Sacmi’s case, author’s note), which the
working class has proved to be capable of generating by means of self-management, is of interest not just to the world of the factory worker and the
cooperative company, but to the entire industrial world... It is this policy
which puts men at the centre of the technological question: men judged on
the basis of their deeds, in contrast to what happens in Italian public life...” 7.
There is no conflict between the principles of cooperation and
those of free-trade. On the contrary. Today, following the failure of planned
Statistics Office, Town Council
of Imola. FERRI A. - PADOVANI A.,
Primi Cittadini, Associazione
Scarabelli, Imola 1997, pp. 180
and following pages; CIDRA,
documents.
6
BENATI B., L’autogestione
nell’impresa cooperativa, p. 265.
7
GALASSI N., La Cooperazione
imolese, pp. CCIII and CXIV.
5
235
The history of Sacmi
economy theories and the collapse of the economies in the communist
countries - or “real socialism” to use a euphemism which has been common up until now - the free-traders are the ones who are listened to. They
hold forth with their opinions and believe they have the “bible of the
economy” in their hands.
There are no uncertainties, second thoughts or fears for the cooperation movement. The path is a long one - both that already taken and
that yet to tread. There is no fear of the “free market” or “competition” these are taken in their stride.
We should not forget this important part of one of Einaudi’s lessons in social politics: “Freedom exists if free men exist and it dies if men
have the souls of servants. Brothers who unite to lead the religious life,
renouncing their worldly goods and sharing their possessions with each
other and the poor in order to lead a life as our guardian father intended,
eating the food and wearing the clothing distributed to them by the authorities - those brothers are free in a communal society which they earnestly desire and struggle to recreate every day of their lives. They could
leave their monastery but, since they stay there voluntarily, we know that
their communal society is the product of their own free will. Free men
also are those workers who, wishing to be free from dependence on an
employer, have made sacrifices over many months and saved up to purchase shovels, hoes, spades, pushcarts and horses to support themselves
and their families and to build a cooperative inspired by the principle ‘all
the fruits of labour to be shared by those who laboured’. These are men
who have taken on a work contract and executed the work to perfection.
They are men who have deserved and obtained the credit needed in order
to expand their business but have always stayed true to the principle that
new workers can become shareholders in the company once they have
236
The role played by Sacmi in society...
shown adequate proof of their honesty and industriousness. They have
also kept close to their heart the idea that senior personnel should work
just as hard as the junior members of the company and for a salary which
is not totally disproportionate. These workers are free men too although,
or rather specifically because, they lead their lives according to communistic principles - that all tools and equipment required for production are
held in common and the fruits of common labour are shared among individuals. Also free is the self-employed man - owner of his own workshop,
machinery, tools and stock, who purchases raw materials on the market,
hires his own assistants (paying the current wage) and sells the product
directly to the customer. Nobody is obliged by friendship, neighbourliness or legal constraints to be his customer; no trainee or assistant is bound
- all can offer their services to others and the most restless of them, in fact,
move frequently from one to another. Neither is it difficult for a young
person, if hard-working and willing enough, to set up their own workshop. The artigiano finds freedom in the pleasure of finishing a job and
the satisfaction in having completed it perfectly and winning the welldeserved praise of the customer. In a market economy which is not planned
from above many businessmen and workers, land-owners and farmers and
professionals are free men. Perhaps they don’t know it but they are”8.
Sacmi’s first balance sheet for the financial year ending on 31
December 1920 showed, as the reader may remember, the following results: share capital 5,000 Lit., turnover 73,026 Lit., net earnings 1,966,
shareholders 11 and non-shareholder employees 4.
The results of the last balance sheet for the Sacmi Group (consolidated balance sheet) were as follows: net equity (previously recorded as
share capital) 776 billion, 482 Lit., turnover 836 billion, 322 Lit., net
earnings 21 billion, 623 Lit. At 31 December 1998 there were 272 share-
8
EINAUDI L., Lezioni di politica
sociale, Boringhieri, Turin 1958,
pp. 239 and 240.
237
The history of Sacmi
holders, the total number of staff, including shareholders, amounted to
1606 and the work generated by Sacmi in the Imola hinterland involved
approximately 400 small companies and workshops9.
Throughout this narrative of the history of Sacmi I have frequently
made reference to the figures shown in the balance sheets, the changes made
to the company statute (which reflected the changing times), the machines
the company has invented and manufactured, the other companies who
have helped produce these machines, the complicated way in which the
market functions and the sometimes insidious dynamics of business. I hope
I have succeeded in leading the reader along a fairly straight and easy path
and that he or she has recognised from what I have written that the motor
which drives the great machine of Sacmi is the people who work for it. The
men and women of Sacmi. In the interview I held with Rodiero Alieri, the
former company president, he responded to one of my questions by saying
The vocational school in São
Bernardo.
“Sacmi turned me into a man”. He did not make this remark simply for
effect. It was a statement which says a great deal about the company. Sacmi
has produced machines which have had success on an international scale, it
has established a trademark which distinguishes it from its competitors and
is recognised and valued all over the world. But Sacmi has achieved something more (and continues to do so): it has made those who work for it what
they are today. I hope that this aspect has fully come across to the reader
from what I have written about the Cooperative. If I could give my ideal title
to the book (but the decision was not mine alone) I would call it A history of
the men and women of Sacmi Imola.
My account of the history of Sacmi finishes here - on the threshold of the eightieth anniversary of its foundation. Our Latin fathers would
say: Ad multos annos! And for many years to come! With a little nostalgia,
9
238
SACMIAR, documents.
and with some anger that time marches on so relentlessly, but also with
The role played by Sacmi in society...
love, I say from the bottom of my heart: Goodbye Sacmi, and good luck!
Today Imola has a population of over seventy thousand. It is a
small city where the people live a good life - a peaceful, quiet city. It is full
of light and green spaces and is active in all fields: in agriculture, industry,
business, sport, music and culture. Imola is known throughout Italy and
the world. This is thanks to its vitality and the entrepreneurial spirit of its
people - all its people. It is also due, in no small measure, to its best known
company; Sacmi. I have an image from my childhood of signora Maria
under the lime-trees of Viale Crispi coming from Porta Mazzini. It was the
afternoon. A small child of about my age was trotting along beside her.
His name was Riccardo. Maria was carrying a bag with a typewriter inside
it. She then went inside through the door to the factory office. Maria was
going to type a letter or invoice, or something similar, for her husband
Giulio. He had to recruit his staff from his own family as the Cooperative
had no typewriters back in those days. Today the word-processors and
computers in use in the great industrial complex of Sacmi and throughout its various branches over the world are innumerable and they use
countless different alphabets and languages.
Before taking my leave of Sacmi and my readers I would like to
offer my most sincere thanks to two people: the senior board member
Dante Pirazzini, who has given me invaluable support and help in producing this book, and my friend and colleague, the journalist Franco Quartieri.
Other sources
FRANCO M., Il re della Repubblica, Baldini & Castoldi, Milan 1997.
SMITH D.M., Storia d’Italia dal 1861 al 1997, Laterza, Bari 1997.
MONTANELLI I. - CERVI M., L’Italia del Novecento, RCS Libri SpA, Milan 1998, permission to
publish given by RCS Libri SpA - Superpocket R.L. srl, Milan 1999.
ARBCI.
Centro Italiano di documentazione sulla cooperazione e l’economia sociale di Bologna
(CIDC).
239
The history of Sacmi
As we were, as we will be!
240
As we were, as we will be!
On 2 December 1999, as the beginning of the Third millennium* draws
near, the Cooperative celebrates the eightieth anniversary of its foundation. Two
events which coincide: one marks a new epoch; the other is important, not just
within the company, but also in the international and European ceramics industry
which recognises the impressive example set by this company as a highly successful
cooperative.
Dates are usually the scale by which we measure men’s lives and achievements and give us the means to assess them individually and collectively.
Eighty years, four fifths of a century, is a long time for a company to
survive. During the latter half of its life, Sacmi has shown constant growth. In
1919, the year in which it was set up, Italy was experiencing the deep economic
depression present elsewhere in the world too. Also in that year, Mussolini set up
the first Fascist militia in Milan and, at the opposite end of the political spectrum,
Terracini, Togliatti and Gramsci started the newspaper Nuovo Ordine. In 1919
the Catholic University of Milan was founded. Maserati was born in Bologna.
Magneti Marelli, Confindustria and ABI (Associazione Bancaria Italiana) were
established in the same year and Count Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata started building the industrial port of Marghera.
2 December 1919 was a special day towards the end of the most dramatic
decade in the history of Italy and Europe. Twenty years later there would be another such period and it would be equally tragic.
The First World War had just ended with millions dead and injured. An
* The much-discussed question
about when the millennium really
begins is still in debate: 1st January
2000 or 1st January 2001?
241
The history of Sacmi
era began which was marked by unemployment and poverty, even if not total
destitution, in most areas of Europe including Imola.
It was certainly not, therefore, great future prospects which inspired the
nine partners who started up the Società Anonima Cooperativa Meccanici Imola.
It was termed ‘anonima’ and ‘cooperativa’ in accordance with the commercial
code of the time. ‘Anonima’ specified that personal responsibility was limited to
the subscribed shares. The term ‘cooperativa’ was added to indicate (although not
normally required) its specific company identity, i.e. to underline its belief in solidarity and equality in the workplace.
The pioneering workers of Rochdale, who had set up the first cooperative
company 75 years earlier in Lancashire, England, would have found Imola fertile
ground to test out their ideas. The aim of this group of poor unemployed textile
workers had been to put into action their cooperative theories and on 24 October
1844 they had established a company, with a capital of one pound for each share,
in order to “be able to take affairs into their own hands and keep them in their
own hands”.
The objective of the new mechanics’ cooperative in Imola was to provide
independent work for repairing agricultural ploughs. It was an initiative which
gave hope at the end of that difficult year and represented an auspicious start for
the new one.
The nine workers from Imola did not know, and could not possibly imagine, that they were the founders of what was to become the most prestigious cooperative in Europe and, according to several qualitative indicators, outside Europe
as well.
With their goals achieved, the results over time were exceptional and quite
unpredictable, not only for the first cooperative members, but also for those who
succeeded them right up until the 1950s.
The company is not top in Europe, nor in Italy, for total sales but today it
242
As we were, as we will be!
is top for sales per employee/shareholder. It does not come top according to number
of employees, but it is now ahead of other companies in terms of profit per shareholder and per employee. It is the leading company as regards reserves, accumulated cash-flow and shareholder’s equity per shareholder and per employee. It is
also the world leader in machine construction and system installation for the ceramics and packaging industries.
Sacmi has the largest total shareholder’s equity which each shareholder
leaves intact in the Cooperative’s reserves. This is the fruit of over forty or forty-five
years (today a little less) of labour by each shareholder.
Sacmi does not believe in economic, financial and productive values only.
This Cooperative also has a strong social identity which no internal economic
indicator can adequately represent.
These cooperative values are proven by the accumulation of profits, reinvestment in technology and training provided for personnel and for customers,
both in Italy and in the ceramics and packaging industries all over the world.
These values are also demonstrated by the contribution made by Sacmi, as perhaps
by no other company to the same extent, to the success of the so-called “made in
Italy” label in the sectors in which it is involved. Its cooperative principles are also
shown by the fact that the company has provided employment with machine processes and operations in industrial systems which cover the whole ceramics sector from sanitaryware to tiles and packaging.
It is also undeniable that, if the districts of Sassuolo and Emilia can be
considered the area where the international ceramics industry is at its most advanced and is mainly concentrated, then this is largely due to Sacmi’s contribution
as a producer of presses and turnkey plants. In fact, Sacmi attributes its own
international expansion to the development of the market for these very products.
The authors of success have been the hundreds of shareholders and workers who have followed on from one another as engineers and directors patiently
243
The history of Sacmi
building upon and consolidating the company and the concepts on which it is
based.
Two old photographs of Sacmi give a little idea of the huge steps forward
the company has taken since its beginnings.
One photo, probably taken towards the end of the 1930s, shows a light
lorry parked in front of the modest headquarters of the company with a sign
carrying the words “Cooperativa Meccanici”. The other photo shows nine shareholders and apprentices, eight of whom are wearing overalls which are worn out
almost to the same extent - the best sign of a common work ethic and of general
sacrifice.
It is impossible to remember, or even to name, (as this volume ideally
should), all the members of the cooperative throughout its life so I shall mention
those to whom their well-being was entrusted - the company presidents up to 1940.
These were Luigi Santandrea, who was the first as well as the last president during
the period leading up to the Second World War; Tiepolo Castaldi, Aldo Galassi,
Guido Selvatici, Rodolfo Galassi, Aurelio Mingotti (1940-’44), who I met during
his long second run as president; and finally the talented Arrigo Casadio - the only
true engineer to become president of Sacmi.
Since the mid-1950s I have had much experience of Sacmi and all it stands
for: the long meetings, the lively debates and the direct participation of the shareholders in dealing with problems - all of which have no parallel in any other cooperative
company. The shareholders are often obstinate in their desire to reach the heart of the
matter and keen to have their say based on their direct experience acquired in the
factory or on outside worksites. However, they always act in the interests of the
company with the principle of collectiveness remaining uppermost in their minds and
barely ever push personal interests or harbour individual grudges.
I have personally known all the shareholders of Sacmi since the mid-1950s.
I have worked with all the company presidents, first in my capacity as a financial
244
As we were, as we will be!
and tax expert, and then in the position of company auditor alongside my unforgettable colleagues Elio Pagani and Gino Marani.
In 1955 the president was Ciro Gasparri. After him came Amleto
Scomparcini, Rino Morini, Nerio Cavina and Rodiero Alieri. The latter, with
sixteen years as president of the company, equalled Aurelio Mingotti’s second run
as president. Next Loretto Sullalti was elected president.
All the company presidents have proved to be extremely capable and wise.
Today, Demos Baldisserri is continuing the excellent example of his predecessors as
the head of a cooperative company with more and more complex problems to deal
with. Along with Gianfranco Santilli and Mauro Billi, I belong to the Board of
Auditors of a holding company which has more than thirty associated companies
operating all over the world among which, in addition to Sacmi Impianti, the
following are counted: Sacmi Deutschland, Sacmi Iberica, Sacmi Portuguesa, Sacmi
Istanbul, Sacmi Singapore, Sacmi Hong Kong, Sacmi do Brasil, Sacmi de Mexico
and many other well-established and respected subsidiaries.
We sincerely hope that the holding company will begin the Third millennium with a thousand billion Lit. in turnover, more than a thousand billion Lit.
capital and shareholders equity and over 1600 members of the workforce.
I must reiterate my great regret at not being able to name here so many
other shareholders, consultants and managers, known to me from the company
meetings, all of whom deserve a mention for the work they have done.
Before and after the Liberation, and for a long time, Sacmi’s employees
received an excellent basic training from the Alberghetti technical schools in Imola.
These schools provided a thorough preparation for the apprentices who, at the age
of 15 and 16, started work at Sacmi, where their technical skills were honed to
such an extent that they would become sought-after as installers and inspectors of
important foreign systems.
Over time, the level of education of the personnel employed at the com-
245
The history of Sacmi
pany has increased more and more markedly. The days when Aldo Villa was the
first qualified engineer and first person holding a degree to enter the company, in
1958, are long gone. Today Sacmi has one of the highest numbers of universityeducated staff in the industry.
The technical and management structure of the company has been a fundamental factor in its consolidation. It is exceptional that throughout Sacmi’s
existence and the various stages of its development there have only been three
managing directors. They have been three great and well-respected directors, all
with strong personalities and undisputed in their leadership of the shareholders’
General Meetings and the Board of Directors. In the latter case they have been
careful to exercise their own prerogatives but also vigilant in their attempts to
ensure that the Board’s functions as a large representative body retain primary
importance. It is because of these traditions and principles that the Board of Directors wanted this book in order to mark Sacmi’s 80th anniversary.
The current Board, elected on 9 May 1998, is made up of Demos
Baldisserri (President), Carlo Cortecchia (Vice-President), Dante Pirazzini, Dino
Zanoni (Secretary) and Daniele Marchi. These men decided that it seemed a good
idea and the right time to tell the story of this great cooperative which has had such
an influence in Imola and has put this town’s name on the international map
thanks to its high technology production.
The first managing director of the Cooperative was Giulio Miceti, who
started the ceramics business during the last war and post-liberation period. He
was succeeded by the unforgettable Aldo Villa whose work in the ceramics industry
has been remembered with a prestigious international prize. Villa was a keen
promoter of Sacmi’s international status and a generous and indefatigable leader
throughout his working life; which was spent entirely at the Cooperative. Today
the managing director is Giulio Cicognani, a worthy successor to Villa, who has
been responsible for the international expansion of the company (and it could not
246
As we were, as we will be!
have been done better) and for consistently building it up and improving its technology. He has done this with the help of equally competent and industrious colleagues. Among others, I would particularly like to mention the deputy managing
director, Valentino Pischedda, and managers Giuseppe Cassani, Mauro Morini,
Eugenio Emiliani, Francesco Bendanti, Bruno Tumidei and Antonio Pasini. The
Board of Directors, the managers and engineers are all committed to Sacmi in its
present-day form as a Cooperative and holding company to many other businesses
throughout the world. On the eightieth anniversary of its foundation, we should
also remember the administrative managers. In particular I would mention the
longest-serving administrative manager, Benito Benati, as well as Pischedda, who
is now deputy managing director and in charge of Sacmi Group finances.
As regards development, the company needs to plan for and ensure a firm
commercial, economic and productive footing and an income in proportion to the
size the company has already reached. These should be connected to growth rates
which nevertheless safeguard a balance between commercial expansion and production, between innovation and consolidation, between sales shares and trends
and a sound financial basis.
A second aspect of the Cooperative’s policy, as regards its future, concerns
the number of shareholders to admit each year. Up until now, a constant and
selective number of shareholders have actually been admitted in relation to the
number of employees who have fulfilled the time and preparation requirements
entitling them to ask for admission. Considering the growing number of employees,
this problem will become more and more acute in the future and will involve
making balanced and forward-looking decisions.
As far as principles are concerned, the ideas of the Rochdale workers must
remain the cornerstone of Sacmi’s cooperative beliefs, even if they have to be refined over time and adapted to the specific nature of the Cooperative. The tenets
to be upheld are: 1 - free and voluntary participation; 2 - democratic organisation
247
The history of Sacmi
of the company, a belief expressed in the rule of ‘voto pro-capite’ (one man; one
vote); 3 - management of the company according, at all times, to the objectives and
principles the shareholders and workers are committed to and personify; 4 - proportional distribution of profits among shareholders, as assigned by the Shareholders’
Meeting and related to the quality of work performed by the shareholders at the
Cooperative; 5 - destination of funds to promote cooperation and the development
of education according to cooperative ideas.
These are the main principles which have been applied over the eighty
years the company has been established.
Since 8 July 1996 a policy of top quality has been in force. This has
meant that the Cooperative was among the first to have received Quality Certification, according to the UNI EN ISO 9001 standards. It obtained this due to the
fact that it has put into practice various procedures which have been planned,
documented and diffused in order to ensure that its products and services meet the
required standards. The objective is to obtain customer satisfaction - the main aim
of any company’s quality control system.
Sacmi is a large Cooperative which is proud to celebrate its past and
prepare for the future under the symbol of solidarity. Sacmi knows that these days
companies need to look to tomorrow, to the long-term future of the company and
that of the men and women it is made up of.
The most solid foundations of Sacmi are, and should continue to be, its
principles, the choices it makes, its plans and its actions. The men and women of
Sacmi consider their work and their future as one and believe in cooperation to
achieve common goals.
Armando Sarti
President of the Board of Auditors
248
249
THE PRESIDENTS
LUIGI SANTANDREA
TIEPOLO CASTALDI
ALDO GALASSI
GUIDO SELVATICI
(1919-1921,
1928-1929,
1935-1940)
(1921-1925)
(1925-1926, 1932-1934)
(1926-1928, 1929-1932)
ARRIGO CASADIO
CIRO GASPARRI
AMLETO SCOMPARCINI
(1944-1949)
(1949-1955)
(1955-1957)
RODIERO ALIERI
LORETTO SULLALTI
(1979-1995)
(1995-1998)
THE
MANAGING
DIRECTORS
RODOLFO GALASSI
AURELIO MINGOTTI
GIULIO MICETI
(1934-1935)
(1940-1944, 1957-1973)
(1919-1958)
RINO MORINI
NERIO CAVINA
ALDO VILLA
(1973-1977)
(1977-1979)
(1958-1987)
DEMOS BALDISSERRI
GIULIO CICOGNANI
(1998)
(1990)
The history of Sacmi
The men and women of Sacmi:
from the founder members
to those who have seen the beginning
of a new millennium.
252
The men and women of Sacmi...
The shareholders
1919
Giovanni Bartoli (founder)
Tiepolo Castaldi (founder)
Vincenzo Franceschelli (founder)
Aldo Galassi (founder)
Filiberto Gamberini (founder)
Paolo Nonni (founder)
Armando Panari (founder)
Luigi Santandrea (founder)
Guido Selvatici (founder)
Giulio Vespignani
1920
Augusto Cassani
1922
Antonio Gasparri
Giacomo Ravanelli
1923
Primo Ermanari
1929
Rodolfo Galassi
1930
Renato Zappi
1937
Arrigo Casadio
Ardì Galassi
1939
Aurelio Mingotti
1940
Giovanni Ferri
1945
Enea Cremi
Dante Dall’Olio
Ciro Gasparri
Doriano Golinelli
Antonio Gollini
Giulio Miceti
Luciano Sassi
Roberto Sgubbi
1946
Aurelio Cani
1947
Livio Anastasi
Rino Marani
Amleto Scomparcini
Silvio Zanzi
1948
Eugenio Bassani
Graziano Gambetti
Fulvio Muccinelli
1949
Gilberto Melli
Francesco Zaccherini
Oriano Zambrini
1950
Mario Liverani
Tonino Maiardi
1951
Giuseppe Cavina
1952
Amerio Frasini
Pietro Gildeni
253
The history of Sacmi
1953
Nerino Gambetti
1954
Giorgio Penazzi
1955
Oriano Balducci
Giuseppe Landi
Franco Masetti
Alfiero Salieri
Graziano Sentimenti
Giancarlo Serantoni
1956
Marcello Beltrandi
Dante Pasotti
Romolo Rambaldi
1957
Elvio Anderlini
Umberto Suzzi
1958
Sanzio Cavalli
Mario Gaddoni
Fernando Venieri
1959
Edgardo Borgini
Nerio Cavina
Wilson Maselli
Rino Morini
1960
Alceo Bellosi
Sante Bendanti
Liliano Bertozzi
Mario Campana
Giovanni Emiliani
Armando Ferlini
Adriano Gambetti
Walter Pelliconi
Gianni Plata
254
Marino Remondini
Teano Terziari
Sauro Volta
Alberto Zappi
1961
Leopoldo Albi
Romano Drei
Luigi Randi
Benito Ravagli
Aldo Sasso
Serafino Zappi
1962
Graziano Berti
Mario Ferlini
Augusto Golinelli
Orfeo Poli
Enrico Spisni
1963
Augusto Andrisani
Ermindo Gioiellieri
Arcangelo Magrini
Eugenio Montanari
Amleto Pirazzini
Novarro Sgubbi
Gianni Villa
1964
Franco Baldisserri
Raimondo Ferri
Adeano Poli
Aldo Villa
Cassiano Zaccherini
1965
Sergio Beltrandi
Pino Calamosca
Lodovico Giovannini
Leo Monduzzi
Giuseppe Nanni
Giuseppe Tullini
The men and women of Sacmi...
1966
Franco Billi
Vittorio Figna
Antonio Foschi
Teo Gambetti
Celso Gasparri
Aristide Guadagnini
Remo Laziali
Alieto Sangiorgi
Ezio Visani
Adriano Volta
1967
Renzo Achilli
Antonio Dall’Osso
Giovanni Lama
Franco Ruggeri
Giuseppe Zanotti
1968
Rodiero Alieri
Talevio Castelli
Stelvio Gambetti
Nerio Mingazzini
Luciano Mingotti
Aldo Modoni
Auro Ramenghi
Gianni Remondini
1969
Giorgio Billi
Gian Pasquale Brunori
Bruno Gnudi
Alfredo Landi
Sergio Poggi
1970
Benito Benati
Francesco Bendanti
Divo Gherardi
Natale Landi
Nevio Lanzoni
Mirco Martignani
Giuliano Pompei
Gian Franco Regoli
Luigi Serasini
Aurelio Turicchia
Zeno Zambrini
Armando Zanelli
1971
Cesare Arcangeli
Mario Baruzzi
Giovanni Benedetti
Sergio Binazzi
Gian Franco Celati
Tonino Cornazzani
Giovanni Fabbretti
Graziano Gambassi
Arturo Lanzoni
Luigi Monduzzi
Mauro Morini
Paolo Nonni
Bruno Negrini
Franco Veronesi
Livio Zanelli
1972
Ivano Battilani
Nerino Biagi
Giuseppe Cassani
Sergio Cremonini
Cassiano Di Delfo
Ivano Gentilini
Antonio Gulmanelli
Loris Landi
Pierino Loreti
Ivan Martignani
Andrea Mazzini
Gino Nesi
Ugo Pasotti
Viviano Poli
Giuseppe Tarabusi
Enzo Turicchia
1973
Lorenzo Bellosi
Mauro Bertuzzi
255
The history of Sacmi
Teano Caprara
Livio Dasasso
Giuseppe Donattini
Roberto Favilli
Gian Franco Ferri
Mario Galamini
Antonio Grillini
Tonino Mimmi
Giuliano Morara
Bruno Morini
Bruno Turicchia
Paolo Visani
Giorgio Zaminga
Romano Zanoni
Ennio Zappi
1974
Vittorio Albonetti
Lino Bordini
Mauro Casadio
Carlo Cenni
Amedeo Lanzoni
Giuseppe Mazza
Alfredo Mirri
Gian Franco Morara
Iader Morigi
Antonio Narvallo
Raffaele Nediani
Anzio Ontani
Aurelio Pedini
Franco Pirazzini
Michele Ricci Petitoni
Ferdinando Spadoni
Gianni Zanoni
Bruno Zardi
1975
Silvano Giovannini
Renzo Grandi
Giancarlo Mingotti
Alberto Tinti
1976
Corrado Casini
256
Pier Ugo Galeati
Valentino Pischedda
1977
Luciano Contoli
Vittorio Cortecchia
Teresa Pasi
Augusto Tampieri
Giorgio Vignoli
Ivo Zardi
1978
Renzo Albi
Angelo Barattoni
Luciano Carnevali
Angelo Chiarini
Orfeo Costa
Emilio Dall’Aglio
Danilo Farolfi
Andrea Galvani
Walter Gasparri
Lamberto Loreti
Franco Tarabusi
Bruno Tumidei
Giovanni Villa
1979
Demos Baldisserri
Vittoria Ballotta
Gianni Brini
Antonello Catozzi
Antonio Ferretti
Arturo Figna
Leonella Gollini
Franco Minganti
Gian Battista Ravagli
Giovanni Ravaglia
Fabrizio Rontini
Gian Carlo Sartori
Loretto Sullalti
Dino Zanoni
1980
Roberto Alvisi
The men and women of Sacmi...
Giovanni Ancarani
Luisa Cavina
Giulio Cicognani
Mauro Collina
Giuliano Conti
Giancarlo Errani
Mauro Geminiani
Gianni Giovannini
Gian Franco Innocenti
Loris Mucinelli
Donatella Pelà
Dante Pirazzini
Pietro Rivola
Sergio Sasdelli
Francesco Verlicchi
1981
Giancarlo Bartoli
Dario Beltrandi
Alfio Capanelli
Maria Rosa Gaiani
Marco Giogoli
Vanni Guidi
Giandomenico Liverani
Luigi Mongardi
Mario Sabatini
Marco Strada
Guglielma Tonini
Gualtiero Totti
Marta Violi
1982
Giovanni Battista Canettoli
Carlo Cortecchia
Gian Piero Graziani
Daniele Marchi
Giorgio Martignani
Franco Santi
Celso Zappi
1983
Maurizio Berti
Bruno Bugani
Ettore Campomori
Ermes Franzoni
Giorgio Martini
Sauro Scardovi
1984
Alessandra Bombardini
Augusto Brusa
Giuseppe Carnevali
Gianni Felletti
Giovanni Figna
Roberto Giordani
Marco Remondini
Terio Trerè
Bruno Zauli
1985
Benis Berti
Walter Buscaroli
Paolo Marchi
Claudio Negrini
Stefano Tampieri
1986
Eugenio D’Amico
Eugenio Maria Emiliani
Filiberto Ferrari
Giuseppe Gambetti
Roberto Gnudi
Mario Rebeggiani
Egidio Salvatori
Paolo Turicchia
Paolo Turrini
1987
Franco Alvisi
Romano Bandini
Libero Baroncini
Normanno Bartoli
Giorgio Cantoni
Luigi Frassineti
Ermes Gaddoni
Renzo Monduzzi
Antonio Pasini
Massimo Puchetti
257
The history of Sacmi
Marco Sozzi
1988
Andrea Bassani
Mauro Berantelli
Carlo Ceroni
Massimo Contoli
Gianroberto Desiderio
Giorgio Fanti
Mirco Ferlini
Angela Giordani
Mauro Mantellini
Gabriele Pelliconi
Vittorio Piancastelli
1989
Andrea Lupini
Vasco Mazzanti
Domenico Olivieri
Maurizio Visani
1990
Fabio Balbi
Ennio Baldisserri
Daniele Canettoli
Ferdinando Cassani
Giorgio Cattani
Gabriele Ferri
Alberto Landi
Alberto Loreti
Claudio Marani
Mauro Masini
Giuliano Santandrea
Stefano Scardovi
Zeno Zuffa
1991
Domenico Bambi
Massimo Cavalli
Giancarlo Galassi
Roberto Guidi
Moraldo Masi
Eugenio Mingrone
Bruno Zaccaria
258
1992
Giuliano Airoli
Danilo Albonetti
Alfredo Bandini
Pietro Bandini
Gilberto Bergami
Mirco Capra
Renzo Di Felice
Fabrizio Giorgi
Paolo Landi
Gianni Minganti
Fiorenzo Parinello
Renzo Rocchi
Sauro Sangiorgi
1993
Lucio Baldisserri
Gino Baroncini
Paolo Billi
Andrea Bresciani
Mauro Cacciari
Enzo Capirossi
Claudio Casanova
Giancarlo Cavina
Paolo Eurelli
Andrea Fiorentini
Stefano Frascari
Valter Lendinari
Giuseppe Lesce
Francesco Mazzacani
Maurizio Mazzini
Gian Luca Pratella
Giacomo Rondinini
Stefano Tinarelli
Silvano Valli
Mario Zaccherini
1994
Federico Angioli
Vanes Bendanti
Bruno Bertolini
Maurizio Borgatti
Gildo Bosi
Carlo Campana
The men and women of Sacmi...
Davide Carati
Giancarlo Cavina
Gianfranco Cavina
Elisabetta Dall’Olio
Stefano Galli
Luca Gambetti
Antonio Gollini
Danilo Melandri
Paolo Mongardi
Massimo Nanni
Enrico Pasini
Marco Penazzi
Armando Pratella
Alberto Romiti
Giorgio Sarani
Gianni Zanelli
1995
Pier Ugo Acerbi
Ivano Angeli
Mauro Baldisserri
Gabriele Cortecchia
Claudio Dall’Osso
Gabriele Dapporto
Tonino Ferri
Paolo Gaddoni
Daniele Loreti
Augusto Macchirelli
Fausto Mingotti
Moreno Monduzzi
Fabio Poli
Marco Rossi
Nicola Venturelli
1996
Fabio Alberti
Vezio Bernardi
Alberto Bianchi
Gabriele Bombardini
Francesco Carati
Tiziano Cortesi
Daniele Giovannini
Stefano Monduzzi
Marco Poggi
Andrea Ponti
Massimo Romoli
Gino Spitilli
Daniele Zauli
1997
Marco Bendanti
Roberto Bucchi
Corrado Cantalupi
Gianluca Ciocchini
Gianluca Costa
Lucio D’Amato
Stefano Degli Esposti
Giorgio Di Paolantonio
Giuliano Fabbri
Fabio Franceschelli
Gianni Gambetti
Fabrizio Giacometti
Mauro Gollini
Dante Manzoni
Tito Montefiori
Andrea Pagani
Davide Paganini
Claudio Ricci
Stefano Scardovi
Alfio Zanelli
1998
Andrea Cassani
Gianluca Gambetti
Fabio Mongardi
Fabrizio Zoli
Raffaella Ghetti
Andrea Morozzi
Stefano Pagani
Massimo Spazian
Raffaele Tassoni
Valter Tontini
259
The history of Sacmi
The Presidents
Luigi Santandrea
(1919-1921, 1928-1929, 1935-1940)
Tiepolo Castaldi
(1921-1925)
Amleto Scomparcini
(1955-1957)
Aldo Galassi
(1925-1926, 1932-1934)
Rino Morini
(1973-1977)
Guido Selvatici
(1926-1928, 1929-1932)
Nerio Cavina
(1977-1979)
Rodolfo Galassi
(1934-1935)
Rodiero Alieri
(1979-1995)
Aurelio Mingotti
(1940-1944, 1957-1973)
Loretto Sullalti
(1995-1998)
Arrigo Casadio
(1944-1949)
260
Ciro Gasparri
(1949-1955)
Demos Baldisserri
(1998- )
The men and women of Sacmi...
The Members of the Board of Directors
(including presidents, vice-presidents and consultants)
Rodiero Alieri
Demos Baldisserri (current president)
Giovanni Bartoli
Francesco Bendanti
Liliano Bertozzi
Arrigo Casadio
Augusto Cassani
Tiepolo Castaldi
Sanzio Cavalli
Nerio Cavina
Carlo Cortecchia (current vice president)
Enea Cremi
Romano Drei
Primo Ermanari
Giovanni Ferri
Arturo Figna
Antonio Foschi
Aldo Galassi
Rodolfo Galassi
Filiberto Gamberini
Nerino Gambetti
Pietro Gildeni
Ciro Gasparri
Doriano Golinelli
Tonino Maiardi
Rino Marani
Daniele Marchi (current director)
Aurelio Mingotti
Luciano Mingotti
Rino Morini
Giorgio Penazzi
Dante Pirazzini (current director)
Giacomo Ravanelli
Luigi Santandrea
Amleto Scomparcini
Guido Selvatici
Roberto Sgubbi
Enrico Spisni
Loretto Sullalti
Francesco Verlicchi
Oriano Zambrini
Dino Zanoni (current director)
Renato Zappi
261
The history of Sacmi
The Regular and Substitute Auditors
Filippo Balducci
Andrea Bandini
Agostino Bedeschi
Benito Benati
Mauro Billi (current regular auditor)
Europe Cacciari
Gino Cerè
Arturo Frascali
Giuseppe Frascali
Armando Galanti
Romeo Galli
Gaetano Gambetti
Antonio Garbesi
Nullo Gardelli
Eolo Leoni
Bruno Manaresi
Avanti Mancini
Gino Marani
Augusto Martelli
Renzo Masolini
262
Anselmo Minganti
Rino Minganti
Vico Mondini
Giorgio Nardi
Elio Pagani
Natale Pratella
Guglielmo Romiti
Giovanni Santandrea
Bruno Santi
Gianfranco Santilli (current regular
auditor)
Armando Sarti (current auditor
general)
Ettore Siboni
Amedeo Tabanelli
Antonio Tavanti
Giuseppe Visconti (current substitute
auditor)
Gioacchino Zambrini
Illio Zani (current substitute auditor)
The men and women of Sacmi...
263
The Board of Directors, Board of
Auditors, the General Manager and
Deputy General Manager as of 1999.
Contents
Italy after the First World War (1915-1918).
16
A cooperative of mechanics is formed in Imola
with its workshop based in Via Manfredi.
22
The years under the dictatorship and lack of work.
The second headquarters in Viale F. Crispi.
32
The Cooperative constructs the first machine bearing the SACMI trademark.
Le bateau largue les voiles.
46
War, liberation and recovery.
60
Production of presses for the ceramics industry starts up.
72
At Sacmi’s third headquarters, in Viale De Amicis, production increases.
The machines for crown caps make their first appearance.
86
Miceti leaves the management. Sacmi continues to grow.
96
The “Economic Miracle”. Land is purchased
for new premises - the present-day headquarters.
108
Every member of a cooperative is an “entrepreneur”.
The ups and downs of the market. Italy - a changed country.
128
The Italian economy improves.
Aldo Villa is Managing Director: the right man at the right time.
144
The political and social climate of a profoundly changed Italy.
In 1999 Sacmi remains at the helm.
164
Sacmi’s premises in Imola.
194
The ‘veterans’ of Sacmi tell their story.
208
The role played by Sacmi in society and culture and its contribution to social welfare
and the preservation of our artistic heritage.
From modest beginnings, the company enters the international scene.
230
As we were, as we will be!
240
The men and women of Sacmi: from the founder members
to those who have seen the beginning of a new millennium.
252
Finito di stampare nel mese di agosto 2000
presso la Galeati Industrie Grafiche di Imola

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