L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 16 L'Italo-Americano I n the annals of busi- n e s s h i s t o r y , f e w companies have left as indelible a mark as Olivetti. Found- ed in 1908 by Camillo Oli- v e t t i i n I v r e a , I t a l y , t h e company began as a small workshop with a mere 20 w o r k e r s a n d a c a p i t a l o f 350,000 lire. Who would h a v e t h o u g h t t h a t s u c h humble beginnings would develop into a multinational c o r p o r a t i o n t h a t w a s t o b e c o m e a s y m b o l o f o u r Made in Italy? The story of Olivetti is not just about a company, though, it's about a vision, a p h i l o s o p h y , a n d a l e g a c y t h a t t r a n s c e n d s t i m e . When A d r i a n o O l i v e t t i took over his father's type- writer business in 1932, he didn't just inherit a compa- ny: he embraced a mission. A businessman, politician, c h e m i c a l e n g i n e e r , a n d entrepreneur, Adriano was a m a n o f m a n y h a t s b u t with one dream: to put peo- ple and communities at the heart of business. Adriano's management strategy was revolutionary for its time. He believed in the competitive advantage of treating workers fair- l y a n d i n v e s t i n g i n t h e i r well-being. This philosophy w a s n o t j u s t a l t r u i s t i c , i t was strategic: the profits from sales were reinvested in innovation, expansion, higher salaries, and social services. This approach was so groundbreaking that it reportedly inspired IBM's mantra good design is good business. Under Adriano's leader- s h i p , O l i v e t t i g r e w f r o m being a modest establish- ment of under 900 employ- ees to a multinational cor- p o r a t i o n w i t h n e a r l y 80,000 workers. The com- pany evolved its production from mechanical calculators and typewriters to comput- ers, printers, and several o t h e r e l e c t r o n i c d e v i c e s . Innovation was at the core o f O l i v e t t i ' s p r o d u c t i o n strategy, leading to the cre- ation of the world's first p e r s o n a l c o m p u t e r , the Programma 101 (P101), in 1964. But the innovation did not stop at products: Adri- a n o e m p l o y e d f a m o u s d e s i g n e r s t o d e s i g n h i s typewriters, many of which gained a spot in the New York Museum of Mod- e r n A r t ' s c o l l e c t i o n . H e also maintained a peculiar l i n k t o t h e c i t y o f I v r e a , believing that the factory should be the core of the local community. Olivetti's commitment to his employees and the com- munity was not just lip ser- vice: the company financed a network of free medical clinics in the areas around factories in Italy; it set up nurseries and kindergartens for nominal fees and subsi- dized after-school services for the children of workers. Indeed, this focus on work- e r s ' c o n d i t i o n s i n c r e a s e d their loyalty toward their employer, creating a virtu- o u s c y c l e o f p r o d u c t i v i t y and well-being. B u t w h a t s e t O l i v e t t i apart was also its unique approach to business cul- t u r e . A d r i a n o i n v o l v e d p o e t s , w r i t e r s , a n d o t h e r intellectuals in the actual r u n n i n g o f t h e c o m p a n y , and this wasn't a whimsical decision, it was a strategic m o v e t o r u n a n i n s p i r e d business and expose work- ers to the thinking of minds trained in different disci- plines. Culture and art were made part of many aspects of company life. So, was Olivetti's culture sustainable? The answer is a resounding yes. Despite the c h a l l e n g e s o f t h e 1 9 5 0 s , including a lack of support from the Italian state and suspicions of surveillance by the CIA, the company's cul- ture endured. Even after the sudden deaths of Adriano Olivetti and Mario Tchou, the head of the Olivetti Elea Project, the company's spirit lived on. Today, Olivetti is a subsidiary of the TIM Group and operates in the field of information technology: the company is now focusing on the Internet of Things (IoT), l e v e r a g i n g i t s a s s e t s a n d expertise in 5G. O l i v e t t i ' s s t o r y i s a l l about the power of a vision, of innovation, and of a peo- p l e - c e n t e r e d a p p r o a c h t o business. In a way, it chal- lenges our understanding of what a company can be and w h a t i t c a n a c h i e v e ; i t reminds us that a dream can become reality if you work on it. And, as we look back at Olivetti's journey, we are also reminded of the compa- ny's significant contribution t o o u r M a d e i n I t a l y , because its commitment to q u a l i t y , i n n o v a t i o n , a n d design embodies perfectly the enduring appeal of Ital- ian products and approach to business. H ave you ever w o n d e r e d about the ori- g i n s o f t h e humble brea dstick, or grissino, as it's known in Italy? This slender, crunchy bread, a staple on Italian tables and beyond, has a pretty curious history. It all begins in the 17th century, in the city of Turin, in Piedmont, where young prince Vittorio Amedeo II, known for his frail constitu- tion and sensitive stomach, struggled to digest the crumb of regular bread. W h a t c o u l d b e d o n e t o help the future king enjoy the staple food of his kingdom without discomfort? Enter Antonio Brunero, the innovative baker of the House of Savoy. Tasked with solving the prince's dietary dilemma, Brunero devised a bread that was all crust and no crumb. The result? The first grissino, a breadstick that was not only easier to digest but also simple to pre- serve and transport. Poor Vit- torio Amedeo II must have been delighted when he real- ized that his baker managed to create a "bread" he could enjoy, but he wasn't to be the o n l y o n e t o a p p r e c i a t e Brunero's invention for long. Indeed, the grissino quick- ly gained popularity, its fame reaching even the illustri- o u s N a p o l e o n B o n a - parte who was so obsessed with what he called petits bâtons de Turin, or "small sticks from Turin," to estab- lish a courier service between Turin and Paris and ensure a steady supply of his favorite snack. Over the years, the grissi- no has evolved, reflecting the changing tastes and dietary preferences of its consumers. From wholemeal to kamut, sesame to fennel, and even sweet variants with chocolate, sugar, or caramel, the grissi- n o f a m i l y h a s e x p a n d e d , offering something for every- o n e . Y e t , t h e traditional robatà grissino, with its characteristic nodosi- ty from hand-rolling, remains a favorite. And as many of you may already know, grissi- no is pretty versatile and can be both a great complement to a meal or a perfect snack, e s p e c i a l l y i f y o u d i p i t i n chocolate spread or wrap pro- sciutto around it! So, the next time you reach for a breadstick, whether at a r e s t a u r a n t o r y o u r l o c a l supermarket, take a moment to appreciate its history: each crunch is a reminder of Anto- nio Brunero's ingenuity, of a young prince's dietary dilem- ma, and of a culinary tradi- tion that continues to thrive. S p e c i a l t y g r i s s i n i f r o m P i e d m o n t i n v a r i o u s f l a v o r s ( P h o t o : A n t o n e l l o Marangi/Dreamstime) Olivetti Valentine typewriter (Photo: Ifeelstock/Dreamstime) Breadsticks: a crispy tale of Turin's culinary tradition Olivetti: the Italian pioneer of startup culture LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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