From ovens to cookers
to food storage systems. Design, aesthetics, and innovation in professional
catering. Angelo Po's recipe, from the Carpi workshop opened in 1922 to the
world markets. Giampaolo Colletti interviews Massimo Aleardi, CEO of Angelo Po
for FARE INSIEME
di Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
In an Italy
that innovates - especially aiming at excellence - success stories lurk almost
everywhere and grow in the shadow of artisan shops. Well, if you look closely,
those workshops contain an extraordinary potential. Thus, to that somewhat
American vision of the stars and stripes garage - with start-uppers who think,
rethink, make mistakes, try again and eventually succeed - we can replace those
realities, which are scattered throughout the Italian province. After all, this
is the story of the colossus of excellence, now known in the world of
professional catering as Angelo Po. In fact, everything originates from an
artisan shop opened in the historic centre of Carpi, 80 thousand inhabitants in
what is the most populous town in the province of Modena. Here, just a century
ago, in 1922, one of the best blacksmiths in the city opened his business.
Already at the time, Angelo Po had passion, tenacity and a strong will. A start-upper blacksmith who would have climbed
markets and turnover over the years. You would have guessed already at the time
that he was a genius. Five years after opening his workshop, in 1927, the young
Po created an enamelled kitchen that he named Carpigiana. Shortly thereafter
another model, the Americana, arrived: with an elegant and refined appearance,
embellished with modern innovations. Then in 1935 the production of the
so-called "barilotto" began, a sawdust stove made to heat the houses
of Carpi during the cold winters of those difficult years between the two world
wars. With the advent of rationalism, in the first post-war period, Mr. Po
focused on functionality, other than aesthetics: he moved on to the
introduction of gas and the first professional kitchens for canteens, barracks,
hospitals were born.
Being a
hundred years old with the agility of a start-up in understanding the changes
in the market, in grasping the needs of customers, in addressing questions
about the future, is no joke. Today Angelo Po is the market leader in the design
and production of complete systems for professional catering all over the
world. From ovens to cookers to food storage systems. «Preparation, cooking and
preservation techniques have evolved through the use of increasingly smart
equipment. The Cook & Chill system (or "Cook and freeze") is an
example, a system with which our customers can save time and money thanks to a
better work planning and a careful management of the purchases of raw material
with a global reduction in the waste of ingredients and in the transformation
costs. Today there is the use of electronics, the so-called Internet of Things, which allows an
increasingly precise and remote control of the activities in the kitchen,
making the kitchen environment more comfortable, efficient and stress-free
compared to the past. But the passion for designing and producing large
kitchens and for listening to the customer's voice has certainly not changed»,
says Massimo Aleardi, CEO of Angelo Po. We have come a long way, but the
compass is still oriented towards tomorrow. «Like Angelo Po, since 1922 we have
been inspired by the world to design the future. Today, thanks to the
international scope of our parent company Marmon Foodservice Technologies,, an American company belonging to the well-known US holding Berkshire
Hathaway Inc., Angelo Po has ample room for growth and can best represent the
Made in Italy», explains Aleardi.
Human capital. Ideas, products,
services, solutions designed by a team that makes the difference. «Most of the resources come from the
territory. We have bet on training with an internal academy. In our factories
we have great experience in steel processing, foaming processes and assembly of
series and customised products», says Aleardi. Research guides future choices:
so in addition to the more traditional skills, Angelo Po is well acquainted
with all areas related to combustion, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics,
electronics, software and certifications. And then, by operating in the
catering sector, there is a strong knowledge in the preparation and storage of
food thanks to the support of expert chefs who have been collaborating with the
company for years. The winning key is to offer solutions for every professional
catering sector, but to bet on targeted post-sales and training activities: so
every year Angelo Po organises more than 250 hours of training and updating in
Italy and abroad. The design, as mentioned earlier. In fact, it is that
distinctive trait that links style and functionality. In the design you will
find ease of cleaning, ergonomics, as well as flexibility of use. «Once again,
it's the people who make the difference. Our skills in designing large kitchens
allow us to transform the concept of the kitchen as a work environment into a
space that becomes an expression of creativity and for a safe, healthy,
efficient, and sustainable environment», says Aleardi. For Angelo Po, steel is
still the common thread and with its durability and brightness it links the
past, to the present and the future. Of course, the industry has moved from
pure mechanics to the use of electromechanical components and with an eye to
electronics. So, basically, you never stop but always evolve. In the search for
significance, style, and quality.
The obsession with
quality. When you think of Angelo Po the many chefs who
have chosen these kitchens (many of whom are well-known in every corner of the
world) immediately come to mind. « Quality is an obsession! For this
reason, quality and reliability are fundamental characteristics, simple but
crucial elements during the strong labour of the kitchen service», says
Aleardi. In the future there is technology, with hi-tech proposals related to
home automation. The future is played out between the optimisation of space and
the innovations of the sector. «But catering will always have a fundamental
role in people's lives. Clearly the pandemic emergency has introduced new
habits, but the search for greater sustainability will push operators to
automate processes, by using multifunctional equipment with the aim of
increasing food quality and safety and of reducing waste. The industry 4.0 and
the arrival of the new generations of chefs have pushed the use of connected
solutions in recent years. Also in this case we have chosen the line dictated
by our values and we have recently launched the Apolink platform: it allows
you to connect different elements of our kitchen. The digitalisation of the
professional kitchen will take off more and more», concludes Aleardi. After
all, the kitchen is also moving to smartphones or tablets, going beyond the
cooker.a piattaforma Apolink:
permette di connettere diversi elementi della nostra cucina. La
digitalizzazione della cucina professionale prenderà sempre più piede»,
conclude Aleardi. In fondo la cucina si sta trasferendo anche su smartphone o
tablet, andando oltre i fornelli.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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