|
|
|
1945: Establishment and beginning
LATI, already active in 1943, came into being officially
in 1945 at the end of World War II thanks to its founder
Prof. Cosimo Conterno, who was practising as a chartered
accountant in Milan at that time.
The first business activity of the company, the production
of cellulose acetate compounds, was facilitated thanks
to the availability of materials conceded to the Italian
population by the Marshall Plan (e.g. underwear made
of cellulose acetate, plastic army masks and many other
items that Lati selected and recycled).
The war also conditioned the Conterno family as to where
to set up their industrial activity; Vedano Olona was
in fact considered safe from the bombs which were frequently
dropped on Milan, but at the same time it was near enough
to allow Cosimo to reach his Milan office by train.
• The 50's and 60's: The economic
boom and the fast success
It was actually Prof. Cosimo Conterno's chartered
accounting office which enabled him to make important
contacts for his future business in the industrial
sector and in particular the chemical sector: thanks
to the relationship with Montedison, the company enjoyed
an authentic boom in the 50's and 60's.
The early 60's were the forerunners of great success:
a complete range of short and long glass fibre reinforced
products was launched.
• The 70's: The consolidation
The early 70's saw the realization of the range of
Flame Retardants (FR), developed due to the demand
from the electrical household appliance sector.
In the meantime the management of the company was
entrusted to Cosimo's eldest son, Engineer Giovanni
Conterno, who introduced modern extrusion technology
as well as modernizing the logical course of operations,
which included the layout of the factory. Subsequently,
Giovanni's brother, Prof. Francesco Conterno, the
current president of Lati S.p.A., transformed the
company from a local reality into an international
reality, affirmed and well-known in many countries,
making it the successful independent compounder it
is today.
• The 80's and 90's: Innovation and
internationalization
A change in strategy took place at the end of the
80's: the decision to invest in the development of
special high-performance products.
The internationalization at that point marked the
complete development of the company. Thanks to diverse
procedures according to the country involved, the
level of experience of each member of the organization
has greatly increased.
• XXI Century: The present and the
future
The continuity of the company is guaranteed by the
presence of the third generation, in the person of
Michela Conterno, who is set to deal with the difficult
challenges of the new millenium by following the direction
of innovation and internationalization while respecting
the family and company values affirmed and diffused
by her predecessors.
|