In 1952, Loris and Walter Fontana, two brothers, found a firm that manufactured screw and bolts in Veduggio con Colzano, in the heart of Lombardia. From the very beginning, the company qualifies as a successful entrepreneurial initiative.
1954
ABROAD, RIGHT AWAY
The Belgian market is the first to welcome the firm’s products, but from the start, the company is also interested in other continents. In 1957, in fact, Fontana Luigi Spa has already landed in the United States.
1960
FONTANA VILLAGE
The rapid expansion of the industry allows the company to create an extensive building complex to host the workforce coming from different parts of Italy.
1964
THE START OF A BUSINESS RELATIONSHIP WITH CATERPILLAR
Fontana develops the production of boron steel screws, acquiring such a strong competitive advantage that even a huge Corporation such as Caterpillar chooses the firm in Veduggio as a main fasteners supplier. Thanks to the new business partnership, Fontana undergoes a process of expansion that leads the firm toward investments in R&D, a strategic move that will prove useful in the set up of the company’s know-how.
1970
GROWING THROUGH ACQUISITION
Bulloneria Briantea, Meridbulloni, Barge, Lobo as well as Invitea, Industria Bulloneria Speciale IBS, and GDF in the following years, are all acquired by Fontana Luigi Srl. Each firm is characterized by a high specialization that allows Fontana to broaden its business influence scope and to strengthen the high-quality of the processes.
1980
IBS BECOMES PART OF THE GROUP
With the acquisition of Industria Bulloneria Speciale IBS, Fontana further develops its specialization in the automotive field. In particular, thanks to its extensive research activities, the company increases its production of its technologically advanced fasteners.
1990
AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
The Gruppo is a reality composed by a consistent number of factories in Italy and by two factories abroad. The mounting specialization in the automotive field is combined with the growth in sales in several other markets, such as the household appliances, infrastructures, and plastic industry ones.
2000
PRODUCING BY THE CLIENTS
From around 2005, Fontana global development undergoes an acceleration. In order to better serve the main clients from the automotive field, the firm modifies its structure to be present where its clients also work.
2001
A NEW HEADQUARTER
The new company headquarter is inaugurated right in the street named after the founders of the company. The complex stands right by the historical enterprise location, which grew and was completely modernized throughout the five years of its activity.
2009
FONTANA PRODUCTION SYSTEM
Given the size of the Gruppo, Fontana develops a system to standardize procedures and processes in each factory.
2014
ACUMENT BECOMES PART OF GRUPPO FONTANA
Fontana Gruppo acquires Acument Global Technologies, a true protagonist and a leader in the American fasteners market, which includes the USA, Brazil and Mexico.
2015
FONTANA LANDS IN INDIA
The Indian BG Fastening, headquartered in Aurangabad, becomes the Gruppo’s outpost in Asia. In the time span of two years, the Gruppo makes a great leap forward, doubling its production and commercial scopes, as well as the size and the number of partners.
2017
FONTANA, GOOGLE BEST PRACTICE
A case history of introduction in Fontana Gruppo of Google Cloud’s G Suite – based on collaboration, transparency and the principles of information exchange – has been published in the blog of one of the world’s most innovative entities.
2018
WELFARE BY FONTANA GRUPPO
Great attention by Fontana Gruppo for its employees and collaborators has allowed the Group to receive various awards in the field of welfare : in particular, the award for Best Welfare Initiative at the Welfare Awards 2018 and victory in the Corporate Welfare category at the BtoB Awards 2018.
2019
INCREASINGLY ONE COMPANY
Starting with restyling of the brand and the creation of the new claim “Fastening the future”, a Rebranding project has been developed with the aim of combining the multiple businesses of the Group into one increasingly strong and defined unique company.
2020
FAST TRADE, THE EMEA MARKET EVOLUTION
The know-how of Fontana Gruppo and the experience of Fontana Fasteners have given birth to Fast Trade, the reference fasteners solution provider for the EMEA market. fasttrade.cloud
2021
FONTANA GRUPPO, FROM MADRID TO MARS
Fontana Gruppo supplied its fasteners to realize the Mars Perseverance rover, which landed on Mars on February 18th, and for the renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid.
2022
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, FONTANA GRUPPO!
Fontana Gruppo celebrates its 70th birthday: Fontana Luigi was founded in 1952, and from there began the adventure of this company that today is a reference point in the international market. Many initiatives are in the pipeline to celebrate this important anniversary: creating a new logo, a new advertising campaign, and a celebratory book.
A year marked by the birth of KRABO®, the start-up that makes intelligent fastening systems, and by strategic agreements and acquisitions. Among them are the new Fast Trade strategic agreements made in the United Arab Emirates with a company of the Mazrui International Group and the acquisition of the French company Intermétal to consolidate the Group’s presence internationally.
