Recard: 50 years of passion

Maura Leonardi

The history of Recard begins in 1962 when brothers Piero and Luciano Cardinotti together with Silvano Renieri decide to embark on an entrepreneurial activity by offering local producers maintenance services for paper machines. We are in Lucca, in Biecina to be precise, a village of Villa Basilica, during the years of the economic boom. Then as now, Lucca was home to many important Italian companies dedicated to paper converting.

Fifty years have passed and many things have changed. The tissue market has evolved, productions have increased and the economy has become a global one. And in the Tissue Valley, Recard continues to be a source of business pride with solidly strong roots that have assured constant, structured growth.Today, Piero and Luciano are still heading the company together with Pierluigi, the son of Silvano who, unfortunately, passed away a few years ago. In ephemeral times such as the ones we are currently witnessing where business has become a game of high finance, visiting Recard means rediscovering healthy ethical values, passion, dedication and love for one's work: rare gems!

With these foundations, the company has grown in terms of business volume and market share, attaining a figure of 7% and ranking in the first position worldwide, maintaining the same dimensions, consolidating its technology and service offering. Their motto is: "we want to be small among the big, big among the small". And this objective has been fully attained thanks to a policy focused on experience in the realm of parent reel production systems. Their reference list spans the world (Europe, Africa, Asia, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, India, China) with 115 systems installed and a strong presence in the territory in and around Lucca, major tissue production area with 4,000 tons of paper manufactured per day - of which 42% is produced through Recard machines - representing 46% of total production capacity. Important figures that underscore the success of the philosophy undertaken in the course of the years, aimed at offering a quality product in terms of technology and service capable of meeting the needs of converters. "We have debunked the saying a prophet is not without honor, except in his own house by conquering an important share of the local market", explains Mauro Michelini - General Manager - who underscores the strong ties with the territory.

With tenacity and determination, the founders have never entertained the idea of moving their general headquarters to another location that would offer greater visibility; they prefer to remain in the same area where they began their adventure as expert maintenance technicians. "We have not changed much in the course of the years. We have always maintained the same spirit and the same passion. We were a small family and now we are a large one; work is passed on from father to son. Our Production Floor Supervisor Carlo Ghera and our Manager Ilio Belluomini are just some of the people who have contributed to our success and are part of our history. The eighty people who work at Recard all live near the company."

"We are proud to preserve our dedication to the customer - who comes before anything else", Piero proudly tells us. Their secret lies in the clear vision to offer systems that satisfy customers: there is no one Recard system the same as another. Crescent Former, Doubling-Slitting-Rewinder are the company's strong points and they propose flexibility and specialization. Recard's ability to design and manufacture individual machines or complete systems lies in perfect knowledge of the technology involved in their composition and layout, and this leads the company to always find solutions aimed at increasing efficiency with particular attention to optimizing electrical energy consumption.Design criteria follow the guidelines of reliability, quality and safety with a high level of technology. Their small size and the ability to adapt quickly to changing market demands are guarantees of an efficient product and an impeccable service. "We are highly flexible and technologically active. Commitment and dedication to the product have allowed us to reach the speed of 2000 meters per minute: an important record, very eloquent of great technological growth", underscores Luciano. Tailor-made systems having an artisan flair that have conquered many markets such as the Latin American one, where the Chilean company CMPC - one of the major players in the field with facilities in Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Uruguay, Brazil and Mexico and owner of numerous successful brands in each of these countries - has invested in Recard machines. 32% of CMPC's total production is entrusted to Recard.

"We promote our technology in concrete fashion. Our systems all over the world are our best agents. In the past, we spent much time explaining who Recard was; today, everyone recognizes us thanks to our tangible results: our systems operating worldwide. The common thread that we have been pursuing for years is given by manufacture, start-up and a high-level maintenance service - something that has today become a point of strength for us. Our structure is divided into two main Divisions: maintenance and manufacturing. This strategic choice allows us to separately manage these two important businesses, assuring a high level of technology and efficient maintenance standard", explains Recard's General Manager.

Love for their work, tradition, technology and quality service are the drivers that will guide future growth and that have allowed Recard to attain today's results in a healthy way. The focus for the future is on the markets by pursuing the objective of keeping their ethics concentrated on a policy of quality, renouncing price competition.Piero and Luciano have very clear ideas; they love their work built directly on the field through constancy, strength and dedication. The customer has precedence over everything and trust is an inestimable value, very rare today. Here at Recard, values win, not mere business per se aimed at ephemeral, short-lived results. Being prevails over appearing: this is a winning philosophy confirmed by a turnover of over 20,000,000 Euro and by the trust shown by the companies who have invested in Recard's flexible, reliable technology. Solid bases and deep roots have always been the secret for a successful business: ethical, loyal and fair.

Happy Birthday Recard!