| Saeco International Group as it is structured
today dates back to 1976 when Sergio Zappella established GSL, a company
producing espresso coffee machines for home use mainly made for third
parties.
In 1981, Sergio Zappella and Arthur Schmed, a Swiss engineer, created
Saeco S.r.l. with its registered office at Gaggio Montano, a small
Apennine town in the province of Bologna. The two partners decided to
operate their business and manufacture their products under a
proprietary brand name. Immediately realizing the great potential of
this market, the partners dedicated considerable time and resources to
perfecting technology and the result was the production of the first
fully-automatic espresso coffee machine in 1985. This innovation quickly
turned out to be a major market success because of its broad
implications for filling a void in terms of consumer demand.
The following year marked yet another fundamental stage in the company's
development, with Sergio Zappella and Giovanni Zaccanti establishing
Cosmec S.p.A. for the specific purpose of producing coffee machine
parts. This move more or less represented the start of a vertical
integration process that eventually prompted the Group to bring all
production in-house.
In 1986, improvements were made to the management and control of the
sales network with the implementation of a system allowing for ongoing
international expansion. The formula used for setting up the foreign
operations has translated into a major strength for the Group overall.
The Italian parent company controls the foreign subsidiaries, holding
60% of the capital, and thus leaves the local partner with the remaining
40% investment. With this framework, the local partner has the incentive
to make his company grow, operating with appropriate strategies and
attentive analysis. Saeco, in turn, is in a position to fine-tune its
capacity to understand the various markets in which it does business and
to monitor the ongoing changes in the global competitive scenario.
The nineties marked a period of great ferment. In the 1989-1993 period,
Cosmec inaugurated production of various espresso coffee and automated
vending machines. Then in 1995 and 1996, Saeco started up the marketing
of its "climate" and "steam" products.
October 1999 marked the beginning of a global reorganization, with
Cosmec changing its name to the Saeco International Group and assuming
the role of the holding company. In December 1999, the Group acquired
the control of Gaggia S.p.A.. The acquisition of Gaggia, a
historical brand in the professional coffee machines sector, has allowed
Saeco to reinforce its position in this market segment and to further
increase its sales capacity.
Building on past success, the Saeco International Group is today a
system of companies which is continuing to pursue international
expansion.
Source: SAECO corporate website. |
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CANADA Call: 877-465-2883 
