Roberto Bertazzoni, knight of work, an absolute protagonist of the Emilian and Italian industrial world, passed away at the age of 81. Bertazzoni, who lived in Parma, was considered the “King of household appliances” and was the president of Smeg of Guastalla, which he had managed for at least half a century.
In 1993 he was appointed Knight of Labor by the President of the Republic with these reasons: “Under his guidance, based on an entrepreneurial formula that combines management attention to quality, innovation, technology and product style, over the years Smeg has recorded a trend of constant economic development. To the important results achieved in the household appliances sector, Smeg has associated and consolidated it with a significant industrial and commercial dimension also in sectors such as catering and electro-medical equipment. The growing awareness of the brand and the positive commercial feedback on the domestic and international markets are the result of the constant effort towards that distinctive evolution of the product which, together with a particularly rich range, constitutes a factor in Smeg’s success and competitive capacity”.
The Guastalla company is a giant that produces household appliances and cooking appliances with more than 2,600 collaborators and a turnover of around 700 million euros per year. The company was founded in 1948 by Vittorio Bertazzoni and has grown considerably under the guidance of his son, the Cavaliere del Lavoro Roberto, and of the current CEO, who bears the name of the founder, his nephew Vittorio. Knight Bertazzoni was until recently also on the Board of Directors of Mediobanca. The funeral is scheduled for Tuesday 2 April, at 11.30 am, in the Cathedral of Guastalla. PP
