BALLARINI 1889-2009: 120 YEARS OF PASSION AND INNOVATION

From the first aluminium cage to the new lines of ecosustainable cooking equipment: the story of an all-Italian company that has experienced all the changes in the market over five generations.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful metal cage, just like the ones you see in illustrations of fairytales. Produced with great care and passion, that evocative cage was the first Ballarini product, developed way back in 1889. This ‘magical’ cage was the first chapter in the incredible history of “Ballarini Paolo e Figli S.p.A.” of Rivarolo Mantovano. It was 120 years ago in this small town in Lombardy that Paolo Ballarini launched his business in his little workshop, firstly producing various metal objects and then the first kitchen utensils in polished or tinned sheet, beginning with little objects and birdcages. Production would then evolve for the first time thanks to a donation of small manual machines for working tin. It was later on, under the stewardship and drive of Paolo’s son Angelo Ballarini (who is actually thought of as the true founder of the company), that the first primitive version of Ballarini was set up, producing aluminium cooking utensils. The early 1900’s saw an increase in the types of articles produced, ranging from Neapolitan coffee makers to saucepans, graters to bedwarmers, and a development from handcrafted techniques to industrial production, interrupted unfortunately by the outbreak of the First World War. However, in the post-war period, with great determination and creativity Angelo begun to employ and put expertise and technologies borrowed from the aeronautical sector to good use. At the same time he began construction of a head office as well as the production of innovative objects in enamelled metal and the utilisation of copper processing. Ballarini would be slowed down, but not stopped by external problems: the company continued production even during the Second World War and begun investing, above all, in articles produced via the processing of aluminium and enamel-coated polished sheet metal.

From the 1950’s to 2000: changing with the market. When Angelo Ballarini, the man that had driven the growth of the company, passed away in 1953, the reins were passed to his sons Carlo, Sandro and Emilio, who had already worked alongside their father in company expansion projects. And it was they that were faced with the 1960’s aluminium saucepan crisis as the first coated and coloured pans hit the market thanks to the creation of Teflon®. Ballarini, however, has always had the innate ability and expertise to adapt to the market, to seize on the opportunities that change brings, to trust in and commit to innovation. As such, in 1967 the company launched its first Teflon- coated pan, still to be found in the company museum. After the initial positive results in the market, in 1973 work began on a crucial investment for Ballarini – a machine to apply non-stick coatings designed entirely within the company. The technical and productive value of the machine saw it take off in many foreign markets. At the end of the 70’s the fourth generation of the Ballarini family – the great-grandchildren of the founder – joined the management team: Giuseppe, Angelo, Guido and Roberto, who currently head the company. In response to the demand on foreign markets, in 1980 Ballarini purchased a highly modern enamelling machine for exterior surfaces enabling them to produce high-impact saucepans in new colours and shades. At this stage the company was in a position to offer its clientele all types of products, varying in terms of the thickness of the materials, colour, and type of surface, and therefore also in terms of price range. In 1996 another investment was made in a new and modern machine for producing glass enamel. Demand for this high quality, extremely hard and longlasting coating for the outer surfaces of pans came from advanced markets such as France and Germany, and would later extend across all uropean markets.

2009, present and future: innovation and environmental awareness. In Italy, the aluminium saucepan with non-stick coating market currently represents 70% of the total, a figure that continues to grow. Ballarini enjoys a leading role in terms of both quality and quantity, with products that are well-known both in Italy and further a field. The company currently exports 74% of its production to European and other international markets, and its Rivarolo Mantovano plant employs 300 workers that produce 13 million pieces a year. And the great tradition of this authentic Italian company continues and evolves, celebrating its 120-year anniversary with the recent introduction of the latest generation of the family, Alessandro and Luca Ballarini. Today, Ballarini is a company that seeks innovation in every area: from technology to communications, packaging to events, but above all in the development of new concepts that go beyond ‘lifestyle’ to focus on ‘healthstyle’ – a lifestyle focusing on healthiness, but also respect for the environment and ecosustainability. This approach is the basis for the most recent advanced collections, such as the Bio series, which is manufactured using techniques that are extremely safe for both man and the environment: from the raw materials (recycled aluminium) to the entire production process (external colouring applied using a dry technique, without emitting solvents or other volatile substances). There is also the possibility that the entire product is recycled. For years Ballarini has been certified in accordance with the Uni EN ISO 14001 environmental management system and today, with the fifth generation of the family firmly installed, 120 years of history to look back on and strong brand presence across the world, the company is committed to creating value through a new culture of quality in the kitchen. Combining competitiveness and sustainability thanks to the strong emphasis on social aspects and new projects that respect both our health and that of the environment.

The saucepan of the future. It seems like a fairytale, one that begun with that marvellous cage produced by Paolo Ballarini in 1889. Yet, in reality, it is a complex and highly significant story – projected towards the future – that encapsulates the most authentic values of Italian production: family ownership, creativity, the spirit of innovation and the ability to change and respond to the market, with the emphasis always firmly on quality.

120 years to remember because they are an expression of that Italian knowhow that is firmly rooted in the territory, that the rest of the world looks at with envy.
120 years that open the way to new paths where innovation means creativity, quality, attention to consumer requirements, but also passion.
Because Ballarini’s history is, above all, one of ideas and people: today just as it was a hundred and twenty years ago.