OMET bids farewell to its founding father
- Angelo Bartesaghi passes away at the age of 78
Angelo Bartesaghi will be remembered as a fine example of that dynamic and pioneering generation that came out of the 1960s, whose entrepreneurial skills and passion for business made a significant contribution to all that is good about the ‘Made in Italy’ badge.
Born in 1933, Bartesaghi qualified as an Industrial Technician at ITIS Badoni in 1953, working initially as an engineer and later as a design technician for Fiocchi Munizoni SpA. It was during this period that he developed his love of mechanics and involvement in the research and design elements that were to fuel a personal and professional desire to run his own company.
In a small workshop at his home in 1963, he began designing and building machines for special applications, as well as assembling mechanical components for customers recommended by his first employer.
From these simple beginnings, he laid the foundation stone of the Omet company, which today is acknowledged as a world leader in the design and manufacture of printing and converting machines, and a major player in the production of bearings and linear motors, with more than 190 employees and an annual turnover in excess of Euros 50 million.
Business started to take off for the fledgling company in the late 1970s, when Omet began to design and manufacture machines for the paper napkin market. This was followed closely by a move into the market for label printing presses, which, through participation at leading international trade fairs throughout the following years, established Omet’s reputation for reliability and innovation.
Back in Italy, Bartesaghi built a new factory and continued to invest in personnel and technology, a combination that has been the key to company success over the years, with successive generations of young people taking positions of responsibility that have allowed Omet to consolidate its position in the domestic market, and focus on developing its export business. This period also saw the foundation of O-PAC Srl, which specialises in wet-wipe production, and today employs 80 staff.
The dawn of the new millennium saw Omet decide to take on the ‘Asian Tigers’ by establishing an office and factory in Shanghai to serve the growing markets of the Far East. It joined an existing facility in Spain, and will be joined by one in the USA in 2011.
In 2003, to support and sustain continued growth, Omet opened a new suite of offices in Lecco, and commissioned its own ‘Demo Center’. This coincided with the growing use of sophisticated electronics in the company’s machines, and the innovative development of flexography as a print technique that led to the company being awarded FTA Technical Innovation Award in Dallas, Texas, in 2008.
Partnerships were also struck up with academic establishments, including the Clemson University in the USA, and the Polytechnic University of Milan, where Bartesaghi aimed to design and build a machine to print a new generation of photovoltaic cells. The project, known as ‘Il Faro di Lecco’ (The Lecco Lighthouse), is sponsored by local companies with a view to engaging newly graduated students.
Awards to Omet and its indefatigable founder have continued to pour in. They include the Global Award for Continuous Innovation in Print, presented at Labelexpo Americas in Chicago last year, and an Award for Innovation, collected by Bartesaghi in person from President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, at the Confindustria Awards for Excellence in Rome.
His commitment to the industry in which he worked saw Bartesaghi hold numerous positions of office. He was a past National Counsellor of ACIMGA, and a Board Member of Confindustria in Lecco, which is a leading promoter of entrepreneurial talent.
In private, his generosity extended to a list of social commitments and initiatives. He was a Lions Club host, an Adviser to the Missionary Workshop Mazzucconi in Lecco, and a Knight of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Always a dedicated family man, Angelo Bartesaghi married Alma Mastrobuoni in 1968. She survives him, along with their three children, Paola, Antonio, and Raffaella.