Roberta and Mariella: Living witnesses to the history of the Triulzi family

The company has followed a path of continued growth to what it is today, a well-known, flourishing byword of the famous phrase "Made in Italy." Its international success is linked to the production of glass washing machines and dryers, automated IG and laminated glass lines, powder coating systems for the automotive industry, and automated glass etching systems; its worldwide reputation is highlighted by exports of over 70% of its sales volume. And this very movie-like story continued even with the generations change, playing out within the family setting: once again, this has proven to be a winning choice.

Roberta and Mariella are currently in control of the company, once more proud witnesses of their "family vocation and passion”..

The Triulzi Cesare Company was founded back in 1952 to produce mirror conveyors. Today it has grown remarkably, and owes its international reputation to a range of complete machines, among which, its most renowned washers and dryers. When did you realize that your destiny was to continue with the work started by the founder, in a company which has grown along with you?

That has been our destiny since childhood ... Roberta started early on, becoming involved and participating in international trade fairs when she was not yet of age, acting as an interpreter. That’s when our commitment began. Yesterday, as today, the most important goal is to overcome obstacles and find solutions to any problems that may arise, by thinking positively and always working together.

What is currently your personal job, and how did you reconcile it with your studies?

We have divided the geographic areas because we deal mainly in exports, from sales to post-sales, since we studied business administration and languages. Our work is not limited to that however: we are quite involved in everything that has to do with managing the company and participating in glass exhibitions, with the collaboration of the Italian Association of manufacturers and suppliers of glass processing machinery (Gimav).

Did all of your professional training take place within the family company?

As stated earlier, Roberta joined the company by participating in fairs and visiting clients in Italy and abroad, jointly with our father, whereas I had some experience working at an international attorney office in Milan. That lasted a year, and then I went back to the company. Now that your role has become essential for the company, do you feel more comfortable in the role of innovators, or champions of tradition? You really can’t separate the two: we actually want to keep the traditions of the Triulzi name, and thanks to the experience that we have gained over 50 years as well as the knowledge of what our clients demand, we will continue to innovate our machines. Despite all the experience acquired, you never feel like you know it all. To be in step with the times, including energy conservation, we must always look for ways of improving ourselves.

If you were discussing your experience to young Business Economics students, which aspects would you emphasize as must-haves for good professional training?

We would invite them to not lose sight of a winning combination, simple in theory but difficult to implement: minimize costs by setting up a company organization capable of optimizing the production cycle, while avoiding down times and focusing on after-sales service.

The economic and financial crisis that devastated 2008/2009, far from being completely over, has drawn a deep line between companies which are more prone to innovate, and those that are not doing quite that well. What are some of your main responsibilities at this crucial point?

We believe this is the time to develop new equipment and find new outlets, and not just in the glass arena. We are playing an important role in tackling this challenge, and we want to be proud of our results. For instance, we have introduced a number of new projects with a view to diversifying our market outlets and products (solar, precoating).

One last question, although a little more personal. To what extent can we be optimistic?

We think that small and medium size companies such as ours are able to weather difficulties because they are truly resilient, although this is still one of the gloomiest periods for businesses. All we can do is hold on and leave room for optimism: that is truly all we can do to have the strength necessary to overcome these difficulties with determination. On the other hand, it seems that along with spring, some important decisions will eventually be made.

With almost sixty years of experience, the Triulzi company has succeeded in becoming a global leader while retaining its family-business qualities. Today it’s a winning example of the Made-in-Italy success in the sector of glass-working machines.