THE FIRST 50 YEARS

Caleffi celebrated its first fifty years of activity in March 2011. Five successful and challenging decades of commitment to - and investment in - research, development and communication.

This new year is therefore a time for us to reflect and draw some conclusions. The company’s guiding principle has not changed: to be aware of our own potential and our own values, while staying true to our roots and our identity. Caleffi has succeeded in adhering to this philosophy through the years.

A Caleffi partner for many years, since 2011 All Valve Industries Pty Ltd - a distributor of HVAC products that enjoys success on the Australian market - is an integral part of the Group: it markets our products effectively while retaining its management independence and multi‐brand sales model.

THE MAV OPENED

Caleffi continues to invest in innovations which benefit its customers. The new Automatic Vertical Warehouse (MAV), located near the existing premises in Fontaneto d’Agogna, was opened; improving customer service by optimizing logistics processes.

As is the case for order management, goods storage and handling is entirely automated, resulting in shorter processing times while minimizing the likelihood of operator errors.

Although it may be a geographically and culturally distant land, Japan has had its own representative office since September, which is already operating in a sales capacity.

CUBOROSSO

Every year is an important year in a company’s history, but this one takes on an unusual symbolic value for Caleffi. The new Research Center - a combination of tradition and innovation - was built and inaugurated this year. Caleffi has always carried out product tests and developmental research, but since 2008 all of the expertise, instrumentation and sharing of results are under one dedicated roof.

WE LANDED IN USA

The opening of a new facility in the Menomonee Valley, Milwaukee is celebrated with a dedication ceremony. 35,000 square-foot facility houses our main offices, warehousing and assembly operations and features radiant heat to warm the floors.

Energy saving light enhances the natural light from skylights throughout the building. Solar hydronic heat supplements the high efficiency boilers.

A merger takes place in January: Caleffi S.p.A. incorporates Netcam under its own company name, in order to improve the group’s organization and administrative management. A single, more efficient setup is formed from the two companies and the Netcam production plant, which will remain operational, has become known as Caleffi 2.

A new sales office is opened in France. Its aim is enhancing the brand awareness by providing a strong consultancy support.

December 2004: RDZ joined the Caleffi group. This acquisition was important in terms of completing the services that the group can offer with the required expertise. The identity of the company was maintained in order to guarantee continuity, just like its independence in making strategic and production decisions. The RDZ trademark remains intact, as it is a mark of a success story.

SAP ENTERS CALEFFI

Caleffi acquires a small company called Tecsas located in Northern Italy specializing in manufaturing separators and deaerators. This operation guarantees a wider range of these products supported by the deep knowledge of a specialist: once again Caleffi relies on competence.

To better communicate and enhance the management of all warehouses distributed worldwide, an SAP roll-out project has been launched at an international level.

ISO CERTIFIED

Caleffi S.p.A. is one of the first companies in Italy to receive ISO Certification extension to the New International Standard and obtained the ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management Certificate. Following a positive assessment carried out by ICIM S.p.A., a member of CISQ which belongs to IQNet International Certification Network, Caleffi Quality Systems resulted being competitive in the international markets and conforms to standards imposing both the improvement of Customer Satisfaction and the constant improvement of the Quality Management System efficiency. This new certification was gained thanks to the collaboration of all Company Departments and of all our Suppliers.  The certification will undoubtedly be a valuable means of reinforcing the Caleffi brand in the national and international markets.

Caleffi and the two companies in the group, Pressco and Netcam, together with the group's foreign subsidiaries, employ about 600 people and boast consolidated earnings of over 200 billion Italian Liras. New commercial initiatives will ensure that the Caleffi name and trade mark are recognized throughout the world. Among the latest is the opening of sales offices in South America, China and Russia - three markets with tremendous potential.

LOOKING AHEAD

To secure space for future expansion of manufacturing, Caleffi acquired the factory in Gattico, near Maggiate. The factory was 13,000 m² in size at the time (it is now over 17,000 m²), and occupied grounds of 135,000 m². The site has permitted extension of the factory to over 40,000 m².

The '90's reflected how efficient the old quality control system had been: ICIM and BSI certifications were gained and the entire quality system was certified to UNI EN ISO 9001 standards. The 1990's also saw rapid growth in Italy and in export markets. Netcam was set up in 1996 to produce tooling, dies, and assembly and testing machinery. Subsidiaries were gradually opened in Great Britain ('92), Portugal ('92), Holland ('94), and South Africa ('98) as well as a sales office in Slovenia ('98).

Though quality control activities started back in 1975, the real developments in quality took place in the 1980's, with the first product certifications and the publication of the Company Quality Manual. The '80's also saw the first contracts stipulated with major customers like Vaillant, Bosch, Landys & Gyr and, later, Saunier Duval. Caleffi also undertook two important steps forward in this decade: Pressco, a brass hot forging company was acquired and the first foreign subsidiary, Caleffi Armaturen GmbH, was opened near Frankfurt in Germany.

GROWING AT A FAST PACE

For reasons of space, Caleffi moved its head office to Fontaneto d'Agogna, where it still is today. The choice of the new site was determined by its nearness to major roads and by the fact that the industrial area offered excellent opportunities for expansion. Caleffi started off with only 6,600 m², but two factory extensions in 1980 and 1990 have now increased the building size of the main site alone to 28,000 m². Before the end of 2001, further extension work will take this to 43,000 m².

THE BEGINNINGS

Caleffi began in Gozzano, in the Italian province of Novara. The company initially manufactured brass and steel fittings and accessories for other valve manufacturers. Very quickly, however, thanks to a strong sales organization, the reference market changed and production followed suit. The new business was in Caleffi brand finished products for sale through heating and plumbing wholesalers.