The Autumn meeting in Piedmont:
a visit to Aurora Penne and Mazzetti d’Altavilla

There is a network of historic companies that can collaborate and drive the economy in this time of widespread uncertainty. This was the idea emerging from the meeting of numerous entrepreneurs, members of the UISI/IHCA (“Italian Historic Companies Association”, www.uisitalia.org), that was recently held in Piedmont and included a visit to two ancient enterprises from the foothills: Aurora Penne (“Aurora Pens”) from Turin and “Mazzetti d’ Altavilla – Distillers since 1846” from Altavilla Monferrato.

Under the guidance of IHCA’s President, Eugenio Alphandery, companies from all over our beautiful country, operating in different manufacturing and service sectors, had the chance to meet. They have and important feature in common: being over 100 years old, an added value guaranteed by the amount of experience consolidated at every generational transition. We need to cultivate a network of relationships between these companies, which can also lead to new national and international business strategies,” said President Alphandery.

It is not a daily occasion to see goldsmiths or biscuits, licorice, distillates, vinegar, pens or even cashmere (not to mention wine) producers at work. Many distinctive traits of the “Made in Italy” that, at Mazzetti d’ Altavilla, had the chance to get in contact with the territory of Monferrato, represented by the centuries-old distillery, but also by the meeting’s guest: Cantina di Accornero di Vignale Monferrato (in the person of Francesca Accornero, who belongs to the youngest generation of the company), another excellent enterprise from the Monferrato area, founded in 1897.

Environmental challenges, packaging ideas, relations with foreign markets, guided tours to historic companies as examples of a long-lasting Made in Italy striving for excellence: these were some of the topics touched upon during the meeting, that ended with the conferment of IHCA’s diploma to its newest member, “Mazzetti d’ Altavilla” distillery, represented by the numerous ladies belonging to the sixth and seventh generation of the Mazzetti Family: the managing director, Nicoletta Mazzetti and other three managers, Chiara, Silvia and Elisa Belvedere Mazzetti, together with Sanzio Evangelisti, “Mastro Distillatore” of the company.

Another meeting was held at the headquarters of the historic Piedmontese company “Aurora Penne” from Turin, member of the Association, which consisted in a visit to the Manufacture, including the fascinating exhibition centre of the new “Officina della Scrittura”, and ended with a focus on the theme “Historic enterprises and start-ups: a possible symbiosis?”. Together with the representatives of the IHCA, the meeting was attended by some members of another association, “Rèseau Entreprendrere Piemonte”, consisting of senior entrepreneurs who help freelance business creators (or those who take over a company) with projects aimed at generating new jobs and wealth, with due regard for know-how dissemination and ethical values.

IHCA’s next event is scheduled to be held in December in Florence, on the occasion of the conferment of the “Key of Friendship”, the recognition that long-standing ambassadors of the “Made in Italy” tradition have awarded since 2006 to a person or a representative of an institution whose work proved to be worthy of merit in the cultural, civil, social or economic sphere.