On Saturday 30 November almost 5,000 people celebrated Sacmi Imola's 105th ‘birthday’. Early in the morning, hundreds of citizens began gathering at the entrance in Via Selice Provinciale, eager to take part in an Open Day intended to give everyone a close look at the "Sacmi world": a world that spans from manufacturing to the cutting-edge research with which Sacmi is building the factories of the future.
Guided tours of Sacmi's production and innovation hubs
The main event of the day was a 13-stop tour of the factory to explore key areas of SACMI production and innovation: from the Rigid Packaging Lab (where new low-environmental-impact caps in cellulose fiber are being designed) to the department that assembles and tests the industrial presses used to make everyday ceramic and metal items.
It was also an opportunity to introduce visitors to some of the lesser-known parts of the factory, such as the machine tool department: 5,000 m2 of pure technology where metal parts (e.g. molds for cap presses) are made with micrometric precision.
Needless to say, the tour also covered AI and, more generally, advanced Quality Control systems that simplify workers’ tasks, taking process control into the realm of consistent, worry-free quality.
The Ceramic and Whiteware Labs also played key roles. The former showcased novel uses for ceramic, such as the large decorated slabs that can, with Sacmi Continua+ technology, be transformed into valuable kitchen tops, tables, etc. or the latest super-thin, sustainable, easy-to-lay tiles that offer new opportunities in furnishing. The Whiteware Lab, instead, is where - with the aid of articulated robots - a wide range of sanitaryware articles are produced inside automatic, unmanned cells that perform automated finishing and achieve near-complete recovery of the water used in the process.
The factory through a child’s eyes
Many of the day’s activities were designed for families with children or youngsters. In an area set up in the canteen, children were able to dive into the clay-working process and conduct scientific experiments, giving them a fun, hands-on way of exploring the challenges of sustainability, robotics, and artificial intelligence. Older ones had the opportunity to add to the resulting knowledge by completing the tour and seeing the "real" machines in action.
The Sacmi family: out in force
Superb teamwork, with workers’ active involvement, contributed hugely to the event’s success. It was also a good opportunity for all Sacmi people, their families, and the local citizens to get together, celebrate and exchange views. Over 100 volunteers ensured the smooth running of access points and guided tours, mingling with visitors and - once their work was done - later refreshing themselves at the numerous food and wine stands.
“It was a wonderful day of sharing and celebration on an occasion that’s extremely important to us. Teamwork saw us achieve the aim of the event: to bring in as many people as possible and show them our world and thus strengthen the bond between company and community", underlined Paolo Mongardi, President of Sacmi.
Sacmi, from workshop to worldwide success
To bring these 105th celebrations to a close, Monday 2 December - the exact anniversary of the company’s founding - saw the presentation of the book “Sacmi: from workshop to worldwide success Origins of an extraordinary cooperative experience”.
In a packed Auditorium 1919, people gathered to listen to the author of the book, Valter Galavotti, and two former and current Sacmi employees, Leo Monduzzi and Cecilia Palmieri. The event was also attended by local institutions: acting president of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Irene Priolo, was there, together with the mayor of Imola, Marco Panieri, highlighting how the "Sacmi model" is a crucial part of Imola, the Region and, indeed, Italy’s industrial, economic and social heritage. The meeting ended with words from the President of Legacoop Nazionale, Simone Gamberini.
“We’re especially proud”, pointed out Sacmi’s President Paolo Mongardi in his opening remarks, “to have turned the spotlight on, for this anniversary, a new interpretation of Sacmi's origins and how it went from being a small workshop to a huge industrial concern while remaining rooted in the communities from which it sprang. We’re not just talking about the history of a company, our history, but about the always-relevant values and principles of being a cooperative, of looking to the future and the coming generations.”
