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n. 22 year XVII December 2014 | Trimonthly journal Registrazione Tribunale di Ancona n° 26/98 del 22/09/98 | Sent by postal subscription 70% | DIV.COR.D.C.I Ancona

2014 is now coming to an end, and despite an unstable market situation, here at Elica we are

continuing with an extensive process of transfor-mation. All this is thanks to consistent implemen-tation of our strategy and a careful daily execution of operational plans.And since this is a time for reckoning up, I’d like to highlight some of the main activities developed in Elica over the past year.First, in strategic terms, it must be emphasised that investment has been continued in order to render our “back bone” increasingly efficient. Our business plan has laid the foundations to provide continuity to our Italian production structure while, in Poland, the production process has been further verticalised, including a significant part of the primary activities within our perimeter. Upon completion of this and in a perspective of further increasing our competitiveness, we have laid the foundations for globalising our sourcing processes, broadening our portfolio of suppliers to “low cost” supply markets. More generally, looking at the markets, we cannot forget how the choice of internationalisation, a path we have been on for years, is and remains one of our company’s key strategic levers. In particular, this year the Americas and Japan have continued to perform in line with a positive trend well established over the years, while particular satisfaction has been derived from the important results achieved in India and China, both in the black this year. In this context, however, perhaps the biggest surprise in 2014 came from the Old World of Europe, where, in the face of the objecti-ve difficulty of European markets, our own-brand sales organisation has managed to put in a record year. With these successes in mind, we decided to make further structural investments in order to increase our geographic coverage where there are still significant opportunities. This included creating a sales organisation in France and at the same time deciding to operate directly both in Poland and Asia PacificAs previously stated, the primary objective of our strategic project is the desire to develop our own brands and the Elica brand in particular. During 2014 we created the conditions for future success by working on the basics of the brand, defining image and positioning. The data of growth over recent years has been very encouraging and confirm that this is the right road to follow. Suffice it to say that in 2014, from January to now, the Elica brand has registered a growth of 11%, with equally positive trends in all continents. But this is just the beginning. There is still a lot to be done over the next year to make sure that the brand has everything it takes to achieve our ambitious goals. Much diligent work, for example, must be carried out on the level of service and after-sales service.This review cannot miss out an update about products. The launch of the new ranges at Euro-cucina 2014 is starting to produce encouraging results. We are, in my opinion, the undisputed leaders in this area and focusing on continuous innovation and competitiveness we have to leave our competitors floundering ever further in our wake.In conclusion, this year we have made great stri-des on our “journey of transformation” to ensure Elica a prosperous and sustainable future. It has been a complex year, with some pitfalls along the way, but there has also been a huge amount of satisfaction.If we have achieved all this, it is only thanks to the contribution and sacrifice of everyone here, and for that I would like to thank you both personally and on behalf of the company. Let’s now enjoy the long-awaited Christmas break and I do hope that all of you can relax in the peace, quiet and warmth of your families. Then, fully rested and ready for action, back to work in January for what we hope will be a richly satisfying new year. Happy Holidays!

FRANCESCO CASOLI GIUSEPPE PERUCCHETTI EMILIO ZAMPETTI

Here is the end-of-year editorial.The one that should sum up what’s gone on for one flip through the calendar and

say what we have in mind for the next flip.Well, we’ve just about seen it all in 2014: customers buying other customers, products that have nothing to do with hoods, sales organisations set up to deal with different channels of distribution, new communication, an important Eurocucina, a flurry of fairs all around the world, radical reorganisation in Italy, the sale of the Serra San Quirico plant, a host of new models launched.We really haven’t missed out on anything.So we’re on the run-up to New Year at top speed and we certainly have no intention of slowing down. And there won’t be any chance to do so.Going round plants, customers and suppliers, my energy just seems to grow.It grows when I realise that there is still a whole lot of room for improvement.Starting with our warehouses, crucial points in terms of of our finances, which are increasingly becoming an obsession.We want them precise, strictly managed and, above all, dry.Moving on to production, that’s much improved, but what we need there is a continuous leap forward, something that a complex system like ours really requires every year.As for the engineers: well done, you’ve turned out some fine products.But that’s not enough! We have to be faster, simpler and anticipate what people want.That’s innovation!Information technology, administration and management control – the slogan for 2015 will be: common sense, and we will carry it out together, with frequent meetings to share decisions.The Sales Department: you’ve got the guns and the ammunition, so hit that target dead centre.And you have to do that wherever you are, as if I were there with you, urging you on and motivating you.Put passion into your work, whether you’re in North America, Russia, Germany or anywhere else in the world.Marketing lads and lasses, I’ve got a close eye on you.Human resources: we need the best.We have to find them, persuade them, motivate them, hang on to them.Easy to say, I know.As always, I’m trying to be ultra-concise and in doing so I wouldn’t like to give you the impression that everything is so banal and compartmentalised. These are the points that decide the championship and it would be great if all of us, together, could enjoy the real satisfaction of achieving them.Without forgetting, once again, that passion will be the one vital element in helping us to conquer the myriad challenges that we will come up against every day.Giuseppe and I will always be there listening, trying to share every joy and difficulty with you, trying to work in total harmony and with complete responsibility.Always ready and willing to lend a hand.Company life is very, very, very complex.I know that all too well.But that doesn’t mean we should neglect the fundamentals every now and then.These fundamentals are what make the difference and we must never lose sight of them.And now it is of fundamental importance that I wish you all the very best for a happy, peaceful Christmas and New Year. But, for heaven’s sake, get those warehouses sorted out! ;-)

Here is the endof year editorial.

Commentfromthe CEO.

“Facing up to new challenges” is the title of one of the last books I’ve read.It talks about the ability to put the past behind you and, taking all the experience you’ve gained, look to the future.And that’s my “feeling” at the end of this year – a year that “as usual” and “fortunately” has been a very challenging one, packed with initiatives and new projects, and which ended with a major union agreement and a recognition of Elica’s social responsibility.So, how do we face up to the new challenges that the new year will bring?With innovation and creativity and courage; innovation in organisation, technology, products and services; and backed up by a corporate culture that sees innovation as a fundamental point of reference.Observing the company’s dynamics, and experiencing them intensely from the inside, we can come to the conclusion that innovation (in terms of creativity that leads to solutions, the success of which is demonstrated by the value added) does not happen on command: it’s something that emerges from the context itself and develops thanks to the contributions that everyone makes.And it’s only with great courage that we can think of travelling along unsafe, unfamiliar roads, which in many cases lead to successful ideas in both life and work.That’s the kind of success I wish for each and every one of us, for another year full of stimulating new ideas and work; truly valorising what we do so well.

Facing up to new challenges.

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Published by ELICA S.p.A.Via Ermanno Casoli, 260044 | Fabriano | AnconaProduced by HR Management

EditorSandro PetrucciStaffGabriele PatassiUfficio stampa corporate(g.patassi@elica.com)

Graphics and coverdedalogroup.com

Registrazione Tribunaledi Anconan°26/98 del 22/09/98

Spedizionein abbonamento postale70% DIV.CORD.D.C.I. Ancona

Typefaces:• Lyon Display• Giorgio• Verlag Compressed

Paper used:Fabriano Offset 2001g/m2 145

NUMBER 22 | YEAR 17

EDITORIAL

22 /14 | 3

What is the International CAE (Computer Aided Engineering)

Conference?The International CAE Conference, which was held in Pacengo del Garda (Verona), is the main event in Italy, and one of the most important in Europe, concerning design and manufacturing processes in industry. It provides an opportunity to share past and present experiences and challenges and to explore new business scenarios. It is a key event for all stakeholders in the industry and from the worlds of academia and research, as well as software suppliers. In short, the ideal place to discuss the endless applications of “simulation and science based” engineering.Why did Elica take part in this event?In the current household appliance market, the design of products with high energy efficiency is increasingly becoming an

objective and challenge for designers and developers. With EU Directive 92/75 / EC coming into force, all the players in the market are paying a huge amount of attention to this issue. In particular, Elica, seeing change as an opportunity, is focusing on simulation technologies in engineering, which are becoming ubiquitous in industrial applications and the integration of which is increasingly important for achieving real product and process innovation. The result of this new approach,

INTERVIEW WITH ELICA CFD ENGINEER GENNARO BUONOMO

based on the technologies mentioned, is visible in all the products currently in development.How can simulation help Elica concretely?From fluid dynamics, where the main effort is being concentrated at the moment, to acoustics, passing through structural mechanics and electromagnetism, to product nesting in transportation, simulation, with its ability to virtually reproduce the physical models that govern nature, makes it possible to reduce prototyping and testing costs, as well as the times associated with these. There is increasing confidence in the results obtained by simulation, just as an increase in computing resources is made available through HPC (High Power Computing), and all this makes it possible to carry out optimisation studies on products or components of all kinds, using OVAT (One Variable At Time) cycles to simultaneously analyse hundreds of configurations, so that the best one can then be selected.

After last year’s success, this July, the children of Italian, Polish and

Russian employees took part in the second edition of the WE ARE project, attending a sports campus in the Greek town of Agioi Apostoli, less than 60 miles from Athens.While they were there, the youngsters competed in various sports and recreational activities such as sketches, shows, volleyball matches and water balloon battles, as well as visiting the city of Athens. At the same time, in order to practice and improve their English, they were involved in language courses organised by Berlitz featuring games and activities centred on the knowledge of the participating nations.At the end of two intense weeks full of study, fun and the odd unexpected event, the kids returned to their homes not just with a deeper knowledge of English or Greece, but with the experience of establishing or strengthening bonds with friends who, although coming from different countries, are all part of the Elica world.See you next year!

JULIA SCIUTO

ELICA PEOPLE: CAREERS ON AIR.

What kind of activities did Elica present to the EWC conference?The Elica Fluid Dynamics Department, together with the EnginSoft team, created and presented an optimisation task to the conference, performed on a product motor unit that required energy class upgrading. This was a really ambitious target and it was achieved, bringing an increase in volumetric and pressure performance and a reduction in absorption of the electric motor. The result was an increase in fluid dynamic efficiency and, in consequence, energy class. And all this was done just through interventions on plastic components, thus leaving the cost of the product virtually unaltered.

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GABRIELE PATASSI

Careers on Air” is the new concept created for the Elica Corporation

world of Human Resources, originating as a direct offshoot of the company’s payoff: “aria nuova.The sense is therefore based on two different readings: “on air” as it relates to the institutional payoff, but also especially in the sense “broadcast”, “live”, the idea of there being, as it were, a direct, living relationship with the company.A new iconographic system, leading to the development of the website, corporate identity, freebies, the brochure and the support material for recruiting activities.The heart of the “Careers on air” project is the website: people.elica.comThe site gathers together information dedicated to the human resources throughout the Elica Group, putting them in touch with each other, training them and giving out information about

JULIA SCIUTO

WE ARE ALL TOGETHER... AGAIN!

the company and programs designed for our employees, as well as providing space for the individual voice through a section of interviews collected from various locations.

The website dedicated to H.R. is also an operational work instrument, publishing job vacancies and collecting CVs directly from aspiring employees.In 2014, we also plunged into the world

of social networks: Facebook. Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. LinkedIn was an important step, in terms both of selection and visibility and communication. With our Career page, in just three months we have attracted more than 6,000 followers, who get daily updates about everything that’s going on in the Elica world.Finally, we have also, for some months now, along with major companies like Luxottica, Unilever and BNL, been on Employerland: the first professional game dedicated to the world of business in social networks.Employerland, in fact, wants to be an investment in the training of young people through innovative and cutting edge instruments. It is, to all effects, a game that helps young people to get in touch with the professional world. Through this new social portal, each participant can create their own profile and take part in the recruiting processes, trying to pass the various tests designed specifically for the game and increasing their knowledge with regard to the individual companies with whom they establish a relationship.

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On 27th and 28th September in Rome, Elica participated in the first edition

of LIVING HACKATON, where young "hackers" had the task of creating a new project to revolutionise the home, using innovative technologies to bring greater connectedness to the domestic envi-ronment.The event, organised by famous start-up business accelerator H-FARM, opened Innovation Week/Maker Faire Rome and featured Elica amongst the top names with Valcucine and Slamp, representing the best of Italian excellence in terms of decor

and design.Elica submitted a brief to the participants, formed into teams that "hacked" "Snap".Participants had 24 hours to realise their ideas, a marathon that gave free rein to cre-ativity, cooperation and ingenuity. Then, the next day, the teams presented a wor-king prototype to a selected jury made up of representatives from Elica and the other two participating companies in Hackaton, Valcucine and Slamp."Today, in order to be competitive in the market, it is important to understand customer needs and respond to them, interpreting them

in the best possible way. At the same time it is essential to anticipate these needs, coming up with innovative features and products, creating new trends,” said our President Francesco Casoli. “That’s why we decided to take part in Hackaton: it’s a competition and Elica thrives on challenge. The market is competitive and if you want to win then continuous innovation is the name of the game. And the Hackaton format is innovative in itself, innovation compared to conventional thinking."Elica’s participation in this event confirms the primary importance that the company attaches to innovation – seen not only as

ELICA BRINGS "HACKERS" TOGETHER TO PLAN THE HOUSE OF THE FUTURE.

a competitive element, but also as a keysto-ne for the successful and sustainable development and of the entire sector.

3.The home page of the site people.elica.com

INTERNATIONAL CAECONFERENCE.

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1.In the picture, Elica CFD Engineer Gennaro Buonomo, Francesco Trabalzi and Fabio Tantalo.

2. The winners with the Elica team.

4 22/14

UNITED PEOPLE OF ELICA

This is my second outing for EN in the same year, quite a record considering

my rather controversial relationship with writing: on the one hand, the pleasure and the enthusiasm of sharing some personal experiences with all of you, on the other, a little apprehension every time I try to search out and select some topics and talking points that might turn out to be interesting and enjoyable at the same time (I hope I’ve got it right so far!). With the end of another year in sight, as so often happens, our thoughts tend to turn to the time that has gone by. In my own case, this will be the end of my second year living in Japan. Before moving here in early 2013, I had already visited this country very briefly on a few occasions for business reasons, but this has been my first real chance to experience on a daily basis what it means to live here and work in a Japanese company (namely, our partner in the Ariafina JV, Fuji Industrial). This has allowed me to observe and understand (still not completely, I must admit) the culture and cohesion of the people, and the training, in some ways almost educational, function that work assumes here. The importance and value that is given in Japan to team work is fairly well-known, and so individual success (or failure) is something never spoken of:

MARATHON = LIFE = ELICA.I decided to run my first marathon this

year. October is the month in which we celebrate the marathon in the city of Queretaro and, thanks to the support offered by our company, along with some colleagues, I had the opportunity to be part of the Elica Running Team.I was excited at the idea of taking to the streets of my city, usually not passable, but opened up for the occasion to about 18,000 people, all looking for their moment of glory.For almost three years, after a rather lazy period, I discovered a practical way to release tension, devote some time to myself and get physically active: running. It’s a sport that can be practised (almost) everywhere and (almost) at any time, and above all isn’t especially costly, so it quickly turned into MY sport.There’s no doubt that athletics has never been my strong point: the act of running has always provoked a sense of sacrifice

in me and this mindset was one of the first hurdles I had to get out of the way. Whenever I was about to start doing a sport, I always had a justification handy: "I'm too tired, I’ll do it tomorrow." Today things have changed.The difficulties that we come across in sport are not dissimilar to those we encounter in life. We all have to face up to problems every day of our lives and our level of success depends on the way we overcome them.Crossing the finishing line for the first time, feeling the support of my family, colleagues and friends, was an exhilarating experience.For most people, running 42 km is seen as something not just impossible to consider, but close to madness.But thinking along the lines of "It’s too far!", "I’ll never do it!", "A marathon is only for professional athletes!" gets you nowhere – such thoughts just trigger

the inner battle between participating or not. Facing up to the race not only involves considerable physical training but getting stronger mentally. You have to convince yourself that something is possible, in order to be able to deal with the exhaustion and despair that inevitably arise. You have to remember that you are not infallible and that you will be able to get to the finishing line if you just manage to keep your fears at bay.It’s a long way, and the journey demands that you live with yourself and your own inner doubts for more than 4 hours. And that’s much longer than we generally invest in being with other people and a lot less in terms of the attention that we usually dedicate to ourselves. As time passes, the thoughts and memories of the road you’ve taken start to weigh more and more heavily and, without realising it, hope changes into reconsideration: the best of intentions start to weaken and

cramp almost throws you out of the race.But then, just when you feel that you really can’t take any more, there in front of you you see the finishing line: you hurl yourself forwards with what remains of your strength, breathing with difficulty with all the emotion coursing through you; and you cross the line and into the warm support of your family, your friends and those who don’t care if you came in first or in a bunch together with all the rest of the runners: you are the winner. You walk a few more metres, cooling down, stretching your body as it hands you the bill for 4 hours of hard work and suddenly realising that you have achieved something quite out of the ordinary. Just as at other times in life when you thought you did not have the strength to succeed and instead – against all odds – you actually managed it, your smile is a happy one. Because on this day you have shown yourself that you are able to achieve exactly what you set out to do.

the only results are those arising from a collective or company enterprise. One of the fundamental conditions for the existence of this sort of group spirit is the creation of consensus, so that people’s participation and involvement is, you could say, almost... spontaneous. For this to happen, the whole process takes quite a long time, involving a lot of meetings with a large number of participants, often including people who are not directly interested in the matter in an operational sense. To the eyes of a “gaijin” (a Japanese term indicating someone as a “foreigner” or rather “stranger”, in that they do not know/understand the local culture and traditions) this can all seem a bit inefficient, but as time went by I realised that actually this means that everyone is then willing to provide their own personal contribution

if there is a need. The working day itself is structured in such a way as to contribute to this kind of climate. The day kicks off with five minutes of physical exercise to the music of the (nationwide) “Radio Taiso” channel, a tradition with military origins that nowadays aims to prepare people for work by stimulating a bit of adrenaline, helping to prevent accidents and above all boost morale. Monday is “meetings” day, providing an overview of activities throughout the week to come and presenting the main difficulties of the previous week. After the lunch break, there is a department/section meeting of around 10 minutes to remind everyone about the company values/commandments. Every day, a different person reads out the values of the day and then shares some stories or

news related to the theme of the day or of a different kind with all the others. Then, twice a week, there is the office-cleaning ritual, each person with a specific role: someone sweeps the floor, someone else empties the rubbish bins (strictly separated for recycling), another person dusts the cupboards, and so on. In regard to this, I’d like to mention that in the month of February an extraordinary snowfall in the Tokyo area created a host of hardships, with the square in front of the offices covered by a layer of 30 cm of snow, making it completely impassable. Given the difficulty in finding suitably equipped vehicles to clear the zone at the weekend, all the employees who were able, since transportation was pretty difficult, came into work and, armed with shovels, great team spirit and a sense of loyalty to the company, contributed to putting the situation right. I could go on with many more examples, but I think I’ve already used up more than my allotted space, so I’d like to finish by pointing out the inevitable continuous improvement projects, where top management assigns a score based both on results obtained and on the quality of the presentation. The motto is “Iji Kaizen”, “maintain and improve”, in other words, and the IK symbol is emblazoned on the left sleeve of the uniform!Go Ariafina!

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IJI KAIZEN.FRANCESCO PENSIERI

JORGE ALBERTO PEREZ

4.The Elica Running Team

that took part in the Querétaro marathon.

5.Group photo of Ariafina

Tokyo employees.

22/14 | 5

THE 2014 FACTOR ELEMENT BREATHES “ARIA NUOVA”

ANTONELLA DE LUCA

From May 25th to September 27th 2014, the eighth edition of the International

Congress of Architecture and Industrial Design, this year called Factor Element, took place in Querétaro.The conference, organised in collaboration with the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, TEC campus Querétaro, featured many excellent guest speakers, including Eduardo Barroso and Jozeph Fokaris.Thanks to the intense program of collaboration with Mexico’s most prestigious faculties of industrial design

coordinated by Elica Americas Innovation & Design manager Jose Luis Vidal, Elica had a place of honour on the final podium of the Congress.During the week of work, in fact, a three-day vertical workshop took place in TEC campus Querétaro installations involving 150 students from the Industrial Design degree course.There was a long preparatory introduction to the event, with students coming in groups to visit the company over the preceding months to get to know our products and production processes,

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familiarising themselves with a product that is not very well known. Work began on Monday morning, opening with the institutional presentation of the company: its history, values, DNA, Vision and Mission, concluding with “the outline of the task”, which consisted in the design of a product (selecting a market between North America and Latin America, a high-end segment or a mass product and a type of business involving the cooker hood or other kind of air-treatment product).Divided into 20 project groups, the students immediately went to work under

Vidal’s supervision with truly remarkable dedication and enthusiasm and, after three full days (and nights) with their “heads in the air”, on Wednesday afternoon they presented their projects and prototypes in a venue dedicated to the exhibition.The works were evaluated by a joint TEC - Elica committee consisting of:Jose Luis Vidal, Gilberto Luchetti, Antonella De Luca.For the TEC:Rodrigo Chavez, TEC industrial design course director; Eduardo Barroso, renowned Brazilian designer, Regional advisor - ICSID / Regional advisor - UNESCO Design 21; Jozeph Forakis, creator of several of the last two decades’ design icons (Swatch Irony Scuba, Motorola V70, the Foscarini HAVANA family); Manuel Alvarez Fuentes, Reddott Award juror and TEC senior tutor of Industrial Design.The average quality of the work was excellent, as was the graphic and technical presentation. The committee was unanimous in defining the whole group of projects as totally outstanding.Although all very different from each other, the projects were ingeniously conceived: a mirror air-extractor for the bathroom; air purifiers for environments dedicated to pets, inspired by the original profession of our founder; low-cost mechanical hoods for the favelas of developing countries ... there really was everything and it was extremely difficult for all the members of the design commission, experts included, to choose the five finalists who will be honoured in the closing ceremony of innovation activities for 2014. The event will also feature the UAM (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana), another major player in the project of cooperation with universities.An exhibition is also soon to be organized within the company itself to give visibility to the schools involved and share, with all colleagues who could not attend the conference, the way that the new generations are thinking about Air.Some photos of the event’s main people and moments were taken by two TEC students: Juan Manuel Aguilar Gracía and Georgina Hernández Mendoza

7.In the photo, the main participants at the event.

The photos were taken by two TEC students: Juan Manuel Aguilar Gracía and Georgina Hernández Mendoza.

Moscow. from 24th to 28th of November 2014 Elica Trading

took part in the main exhibition for the Russian furniture trade market – "Mebel 2014". This fair, held once per year at ExpoCentre, is a big chance for all the companies in the furniture and kitchen sector to present new product lines and attract customers from all over the Russian Federation. The design and style of Elica products quickly grabbed people’s attention. On the exhibition were presented our new ELICA PREMIUM hoods, the new LIEN hobs, SNAP, and the air dispenser MARIE. Marie especially was a favourite attraction for

the visitors. All our sales staff took part in this exhibition. And, for a couple of days, our colleagues not only from Moscow and Saint Petersburg but from Siberia, the South, Volga and Urals regions were all together as one team. We met almost all our customers and received contacts from future ones. All the people who visited our stand underlined how Elica is different from all the rest, and how much they appreciate seeing Elica back in the Russian market. Next year will be not easy, the Russian economy is suffering, but the mood and passion we encountered during this expo make us convinced that Elica has everything required to make the difference in the market. We understood that there is an empty space where only Elica can fit. The Expo is over, but the challenge has just been accepted. Now customers are waiting for the same quality of service as we showed at our stand. All together we can do it and even more. Special thanks go out to all the people who worked so hard, with passion and commitment, making all our competitors burn with envy. And words of gratitude to Anna, Anna, Stanislav, Fabrizio, Luca, Guerrino and Daniele. VIVA ELICA, VIVA RUSSIA! ДА ЗДРАВСТВУЕТ ЭЛИКА, ДА ЗДРАВСТВУЕТ РОССИЯ.MEBEL 2014.

MARCO GARBUGLIA

6.The prototypes on display made during the workshop by the Industrial Design course students.

6 22/14

MARIO BARTOCCETTI RETIRES.FROM DATA CENTRE TO IT, 37 YEARS WITH ELICA’S COMPUTERS.

Our story begins at the end of 1977, when Ermanno Casoli bought Elica’s

first computer from IBM, a System/32. I had just graduated in computer science, we met, I was hired, and from that moment Elica’s "data centre" was up and running.The S/32 was like a big desk with keyboard, printer and a small monitor that could be seen through a periscope. Data loading (prime entries, invoices, etc.) was done using 8" diskettes, which were stored in an external drive, a task handled by two of my colleagues. Users, however, were not autonomous and any request had to be dealt with by me.After a few years, with the increase in the volume of data, stations were needed that would make users autonomous. So, in 1982, we bought an S/34, which made it possible to connect terminals that were installed in various offices. The first green phosphorous terminals were very bulky, occupying almost half the desk, but their size went down over the years. We also activated the first remote connection to our Jesi plant, SIC, finally bringing our

colleagues a little closer.But the 80s were the beginning of Elica’s growth, we purchased the warehouse near the Fabriano head office, and, with more work stations needed, in 1986 an S/38 was bought. The first PCs were also becoming more common at that time and these began to replace the old terminals, so that users had a more efficient tool to work with.One curious fact is that, in 1987, we proposed the first EDI connection to Whirlpool for fast order entry, sending confirmations and stock – until then we had used the fax. We took a PC, a modem and the data exchanger application to Comerio and they liked the idea – we were the first supplier to have that kind of integration. The EDI link changed and evolved over the following years, but the fact remains that we were the first to offer it to our most important customer.The 90s arrived, plants were built in Serra and Mergo, management became more complex and a new application and a more powerful processor were

required. We purchased an AS400, the type of processor that has come down to the present day, and over the years we have only changed the model in order to obtain more computing power. In 1996, we installed the BPCS management system, which we used until 2010, and in those same years we started to make use of e-mail, first with Outlook and then, a few years later in 2001, we switched to Lotus Notes.Design software also went through changes at the same time as management software, first with the installation of CADAM and then moving on to Pro/Engineer.The 2000s were characterized by the acquisitions of companies such as Fime, JetAir, Fox, Turbo and Gutmann, the founding of Elicamex and partnerships with other companies. This meant bringing in a multinational software that could integrate all these various elements and the choice fell on SAP. In 2003 we started off with the accounting/financial area and from 2009 onwards we continued

with the management sector by installing SAP in all the Group companies.From the 90s onwards, there was a huge expansion of hardware and connection systems. We had to integrate all the Italian and foreign factories, and we also needed more and more new servers for all the software that we were using. There are 3 server rooms now, two in Fabriano and one in Mergo, all fibre connected. The server farm has reached 150 machines, including both physical and virtual. The number of users currently connected to our systems is about 900, spread all around the world.It is very difficult to describe 37 years of IT, and Elica, history in just a few lines, without, sadly, all the emotion, without all the stories, of the men and women who have made these goals possible. I have been lucky enough to know these people, to experience these emotions alongside them, and I know I’m leaving everything that has been accomplished over the years in good hands.

The quality of air and its infinite nuances: this has always been Elica’s

guiding force. And it has led today to Marie, the smart fragrance diffuser, an innovative design object that neutralises odours in the kitchen and spreads its perfume in a natural way throughout the house.Marie, the smart fragrance diffuser, employs easily interchangeable, reusable essence capsules. Its compact size and USB rechargeability make it extremely portable, so it can be carried effortlessly from the kitchen to any room in the house.There are ten naturally-based fragrances in all, specially designed to provide perfumes for different environments and situations. The "Chef Secrets" line is ideally suited for the kitchen, thanks to the special cooking-odour neutralising Neutralyx molecule, freshening the environment with notes of herbs, citrus and tea. This line features White Wine, Tomato & Bell Pepper, Aromatic Herbs, Verbena & Green Tea, and Juniper Berry & Lime. For the living area, the "Senses Emotions" line provides oriental notes of spices and wood for shared moments of relaxation and well-being, with the fragrances

MARIE: THE SMART FRAGRANCE DIFFUSER BY ELICA.

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Oriental Woods, Mont Blanc, Kilimanjaro, Forest Amber and La Marie.Featuring striking hi-tech design and cool-mode operation, the Elica-designed diffuser is practical and safe, perfuming the environment and neutralising kitchen odours while demonstrating great versatility and practicality of use. Marie comes with a handy remote control and can be used cordless thanks to the lithium battery, rechargeable via USB cable. The naturally-based alcohol-free capsules are also easy to replace, with a convenient one-touch compartment.Each capsule has an average duration of one month and can be used in two different ways: 60 minutes in continuous mode or alternating on/off every 10 minutes.Marie is available in a variety of colours at our Milan showroom, Via Pontaccio 8, and at all authorised retailers.

8.In the photo,

Mario Bartoccettiearly in his career.

DEBORAH CARÈ

www.fondazionecasoli.it

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SAVERIO VERINI

9.The procession through the streets of Fabriano.

10.Children visiting the From Giotto to Gentile exhibition.

11.The Fabriano city band performs the Italian national anthem in the Elica piazzetta.

12.The greeting card signed by Maloberti.

13.The institutions present at the inauguration of Via Ermanno Casoli.

14.Via Ermanno Casoli is a reality.

A year after the first appointment with artist Mario Airò,

E-STRAORDINARIO for Kids returned to occupy Elica with an army of children. And not just Elica: this time they extended their temporary dominion to the city of Fabriano, thanks to the parade conceived by Marcello Maloberti, which involved a procession through the streets of the Old Town. But Mini Italy – the title of Maloberti’s project, curated by Marcello Smarrelli – was much more: a project that gave families the chance to work together in choosing the images that could represent our country; a guided tour of the prestigious exhibition From Giotto to Gentile, organised in and around the Fabriano art gallery; and an educational workshop to introduce children to the processes of contemporary art.But let’s take the events of the day, 10th September, in order. First, we start with the significant number of participants, these being 50 children between the ages of 6 and 10. A number that indicates Elica’s attention to its employees and their families, who were involved in this workshop right from the start. In the preceding months, Maloberti had asked children and parents to collect images, taken from magazines and newspapers, depicting iconic places relating to the national identity: monuments, the famous and the not-so famous, such as actors, singers and politicians, or natural elements and landscapes such as mountains, seas, lakes and villages. This selection formed a sort of archive of popular, national, Italian imagery, a starting point that the children could refer to in order to realise their own freehand drawings. The drawings were then glued on boxes to be worn as "backpacks" during a parade through the winding streets of the city’s historic centre:

a colourful and festive multitude joined by the hearty accompaniment of the Fabriano brass band, with the intention of paying homage to all the many facets of the Italian identity, mixing references to both popular culture and to the country’s great national heritage of landscape and history. The children marched around town with a 20 meter-long Italian flag, to which a special "extension" was added, made with the fabric of the typical red and white checked tablecloth, another traditional element of our culture, and one often used by the artist in his performances.The day culminated with a historic event for Elica: the inauguration of a Fabriano street, Via Ermanno Casoli, dedicated to the founder of the company. The presence of the children and the band, together with all the employees, the local authorities (Marche Region President, Gian Mario Spacca and Fabriano Mayor, Giancarlo Sagramola) and the Casoli family, turned the celebration into a spontaneous and lively celebration.The images of the day, tangible traces of the second edition of E-EXTRAORDINARY for Kids, will be displayed in Elica’s leisure-area “piazza”, enriched by a Maloberti "mural". But that’s not all: one of the photographs was chosen as a greeting card that Elica is going to send all around the world.

LITTLE ITALY? NO, MINI ITALY.

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