TECNOGAS,
70 years of Italian history

The brothers Gianni and Giorgio Contini take over a business from Archimede Re and Benvenuto Bertazzoni at the location of the horse-drawn wagon transporter Artoni in the hamlet of Baccanello di Guastalla. They begin making cabinets for LPG cylinders together with five workers: Amilcare Alessandri, Ulderico Aldrovandi, Bruno Pavesi, Delio Portioli and Gianfranco Re. The small company takes on the name “G&G Fr.lli Contini”.

The cooking appliance, integrating the stove and the LPG cylinder compartment into one single piece, called the “Mobilfornello”, is designed and created by the Contini brothers. This innovation is the very first gas stove designed to be a piece of furniture.

The company transfers to its new headquarters in Gualtieri: a modern industrial structure for its now forty strong workforce. New cookers given female names are launched: “Stefy”, “Giuly”, “Lady”. The Tecnogas brand name is officially established and the first orders from abroad begin to come in. The new catalogues, also printed in French and English, are published with the undisputed icon on the 1960’s on the cover: Twiggy.

Tecnogas appears in the magazine “Epoca” as one of the emerging companies in Italy. During this period, the free-standing models 133 and 175 with built-in oven are the top selling cookers. Increasing growth in foreign markets is seen and the dimensions of the cookers are progressively standardised: from the old “47x46” or “79x47” units to the more rational “50x60”, “60x60” and “90x60” size units.

The innovative gas and mixed electric-gas hob that is only 3 cm high is presented and the Paris Trade Fair and becomes the standard for the sector. The iconic advertisement where the Tecnogas “Slim Line” has the same thickness as a bean is launched.

The first built-in oven creating a complete unit with the hob is launched. The process initiated in the 1950’s is completed, which was to develop a completely free-standing cooker that can be freely positioned anywhere since it doesn’t require any accessories or retaining devices.

The Contini brothers sell the company to a new owner, TBE (The Best Eleven).

The company celebrates forty years of know-how by launching the “Top Line” with a sophisticated and alluring advertising campaign showing a close-up of a woman in red wearing a wide brim hat. A characteristic of this line is that the handle has been shifted to the right.

The “Sorriso” line, meaning smile, inspiring safety and comfort is released. The company boasts high technology and the production lines are renovated by means of automation.

After obtaining EN 29001 certification in 1994 and ISO 9001 certification in 1996, Tecnogas is taken over by the Antonio Merloni group from Fabriano. With a production output of approximately 300,000 pieces/year, Tecnogas sells 30% of its products in Italy while the remaining portion is exported throughout the world with its brand names as well as personalised brand names.

The “Team Line” comes out with an advertising campaign that shows a close-up of two red tomatoes. The fan oven and the handles with temperature controlled grip are among the more innovative characteristics. Three burner cookers are launched on the Asian market and double ovens are launched on the UK market.

Ownership of the company passes over to a new foreign industrial group.

The market in the United States expands with the “Superiore” brand name.

The Tecnosuperiore Group is established, which manages the Tecnogas, Superiore, Ardesia and Smalvic brand names.

The company opens a new Marketing office and the Design Center in Milan, in the innovative and elegant Citylife quarter and inaugurates the Design museum inside the headquarters in Gualtieri.