Our History

1800-1927

The Beginning

It is the end of the 1800s. World politics paves the way for the causes that will trigger the First World War. In Italy, after the death of King Victor Emmanuel, Umberto I ascends the throne. At the head of the government, De Pretis is succeeded by Crispi. These are the years of controversial Italian colonialism in Africa. The Wright brothers made their first flight and the Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino was founded in the capital of Piedmont. In the world, however, one still moves mostly on horseback. It was during these years that the Luigi Bruzzi company became well known among Italian transport operators, as a wholesale trader of leather, waterproofed hemp for the tarpaulins that covered wagons, and everything else needed for the harnessing of draught and work horses. Luigi Bruzzi, based in the Porta Genova area of Milan, operates in the cordage and saddlery sector. The year of its foundation is unknown, but the first records of its activity date back to 1881.In 1906 the company changed its name to Ditta Luigi Bruzzi owned by Luigi Valagussa, the founder's son-in-law. On 5 June 1904 Paolo Emilio Ambrogio Bianchi, son of Gerardo Bianchi and Esterina Valagussa, Luigi's sister, was born in Limbiate. His father died in tragic circumstances four years later and little Paolo attended boarding school in Monza. When he was only fourteen years old, he began working in his uncle's company, marking the beginning of a career that would define his life and the future of the company. A particularly poignant memory of that period leads us to some banknotes autographed by Paolo himself, representing his first salary.

1927-1946

The Passage

It is 1928. In Italy, Victor Emmanuel II is on the throne and Mussolini heads the government, It is the golden age of fascism in every sense. The government supports private enterprise with tax breaks and a labour policy that allows lower wages but greater stability. These were the years in which the Employment Offices and the Inps, child and family welfare were created. Charles Lindbergh flies over the Atlantic, Walt Disney creates Mickey Mouse and on 5 March 1928 Paolo Bianchi takes over the management of his uncle's company, in partnership with Eugenio Astori. World War II soon comes to destroy everything. At its end, nations, cities, families, economies had to be rebuilt. The Balilla was born; Coppi, Bartali and Tazio Nuvolari made sportsmen dream; the Bauhaus and Le Corbusier revolutionised architecture and design. Paolo Bianchi constantly expanded his business and his helpfulness towards customers and employees became proverbial: ‘from his uncle, Paolo not only inherited a flourishing business, but also and above all the firm conviction that fairness and professionalism are the only means to succeed in business’. On 31 December 1949, Ditta Luigi Bruzzi changed its name to Luigi Bruzzi S.r.l., owned by Bianchi Paolo and Franco Astori, Eugenio's son; together they then purchased the Turin branch, the company Succ. di Bongiovanni Camillo. Humphrey Bogart, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire go crazy abroad; in Italy it is the period of neo-realism with Vittorio De Sica and Luchino Visconti. La Scala Theatre in Milan reopens, directed by Arturo Toscanini; ‘Ba-ba-baciami piccina’ is sung and tap dances are performed.

1950-1956

Produce, sell and satisfy

The war is now just a memory. In bars, everyone watches black and white television together. The cinema produces eternal myths: Totò, Fellini, Magnani... in the world, John Wayne, Bardot, Marylin Monroe... Nilla Pizzi wins the first San Remo festival with ‘Grazie dei fior’. In 1951, Paolo Bianchi and Franco Astori decide to separate, for personal reasons. Paolo Bianchi will remain in Milan to run Luigi Bruzzi S.r.l., while Franco Astori will manage Successori di Bongiovanni Camillo, another company owned by the two partners, in Turin where he has been living for some time. Coppi won the Tour de France by bicycle and his challenge to his rival Gino Bartali divided and thrilled Italy. Topolinos and Lambrettas began to circulate on the roads. The reports attached to the balance sheets for the following three years highlight the increasing difficulties caused by the ever more widespread use of wheeled means of transport. For this reason, in 1954 Luigi Bruzzi Srl was put into liquidation and the individual firm Bianchi Paolo was founded: ‘el sciur Paulin’ abandoned leather and harnesses for horses to devote himself to the covers of the new means of transport.

1957-1977

Make way for women!

It's the economic boom! John Fitzgerald Kennedy is the 35th President of the United States of America, Martin Luther King tells his dream of peace and equality and, in the ring, Cassius Clay makes his deadly fists dance. Mr Paolo begins to teach the first rudiments to his beloved niece Donatella, who will succeed him in running the family business. Italy lives its ‘dolce vita’ and sings Modugno's ‘Nel blu dipinto di blu’, while on television Mike Bongiorno inaugurates the era of quiz shows. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones share fame and audiences and youth protest begins to sweep the world: politics, the man-woman relationship and many other things will never be the same again. Neil Armstrong is the first man to set foot on the moon and the Paolo Bianchi company also looks to the future. Mr Paolo Bianchi brought his niece Donatella Codrignani into the company, who succeeded him in management when her uncle died in October 1977. With her, the Paolo Bianchi company increasingly consolidated its business, until it became a leading wholesaler of PVC coated fabrics, calendered fabrics and tarpaulin accessories. Important names such as Linificio and Canapificio Nazionale refer to the Bianchi company to offer their products.

1977-1986

Consolidation

It is a highly technological decade: the computer arrives in the office, while VHS and cassette tapes enter the home. Kids discover the Amiga and the Commodore64. In sport, Italy churned out champions of the calibre of Sara Simeoni and Pietro Mennea and the national team became world champions at the World Cup in Spain. Donatella expanded the business to gradually adapt to the progress and changes in the market: the company no longer had the world of transport as its exclusive field of interest, but also turned its attention to other sectors where coated and waterproof fabrics, with their accessories, found a possible field of application. In 1983 the company changed its name to Bianchi Paolo S.r.l.

1987-1996

In the Soviet Union, Perestroika is the prologue to momentous changes. To the joy of the German people and much of the world, the Berlin Wall falls. It is the start of a great process of change that will culminate in the collapse of Communism and the independence from the former Soviet Union of numerous republics. There is also a small revolution in the Bianchi Paolo company: Ruggero, the second of Mrs Codrignani's four sons, becomes an important support for the company, which can now benefit from the experience gained over the years by his mother on the one hand, and from the freshness of ideas and enthusiasm typical of young people on the other. Long-pile carpeting and the first colour televisions arrive in the home; the music of U2 and Duran Duran. In the video, Kabir Bedi in Sandokan and Fonzie in the Happy Days saga.

1997-2010

We are faster, better informed, closer. Technology enters homes and is within everyone's reach. Bill Gates' Windows is born, satellite TV, the mobile phone, the Internet. The world sees the birth of Wikipedia, the Euro pops up and the European Union expands: the world becomes .com and the company Bianchi Paolo srl, becomes www.bianchipaolo.it. Ruggero develops his mother company's sales network, expanding the customer portfolio and strengthening the brand's reputation. Thanks to his in-depth knowledge of the textile sector and his vast network of contacts, Ruggero establishes new and solid collaborations with important partners, helping his mother take Bianchi Paolo S.r.l. to new heights of success.

2011-...

What does the future hold for us? The world is evolving at an ever-increasing speed. The changes are there for all to see. The future is becoming more and more solid for this small, constantly evolving company. In 2013, Edoardo, the youngest of Donatella's four children, joins the team, taking over responsibility for the purchasing department, a crucial role for the company's success. His growing expertise proves crucial not only for the optimal management of goods, but also to support his brother Ruggero, who finds in him a valuable ally. In 2018, Maria Pia Lanfranchi, Edoardo and Ruggero's older sister, born in Milan on 4 August 1971, joins the company and, over time, takes on a key role in the management of the production workshop, which originated from the 1996 acquisition of the tarpaulin factory founded by her father Mario and uncle Luigi. In 2020, Donatella, Mario and Luigi decided to retire and Ruggero became Chairman of the Board of Directors, flanked by his siblings Edoardo and Maria Pia, and managed the family business with great prudence and wisdom. Significant innovations are introduced that revolutionise the company's operations. Under their leadership, the company is radically transformed: vertical warehouses are installed and an advanced barcode-based picking system is implemented, which speed up and optimise storage and shipping operations. The production workshop, managed by Maria Pia, is modernised with cutting tables, roll cutters and other state-of-the-art machinery, allowing them to offer high quality processing and services. With a view to sustainability, the company installs two photovoltaic systems, reducing the environmental impact and promoting the use of renewable energy. It is a precious inheritance and an important responsibility, because even today that the company routinely imports its products from all over the world, even today that human relations are often replaced by technological ones, the unifying characteristic for everyone remains the passion for this work and the firm desire to continue along that path of professionalism, loyalty and cordiality, begun so many years ago by Uncle Paolo Bianchi. The name of the company and the logo with the horse's head remain as a historical memory and affectionate tribute, testifying to the esteem and gratitude towards the man who played a fundamental role in the human and professional growth of those who proudly continue his work today.