The story of LAMPO began in 1887 in what historians of the time called “the new Manchester”, Palazzolo sull’Oglio. It was written by the son of a dyer, Giovanni Lanfranchi (1854-1903): a dreamer who transformed an old spinning mill into an innovative button factory, destined to become the heart of a revolution. When he died suddenly and prematurely, his five sons took over a promising company with a future that was still to come: Ditta Giovanni Lanfranchi. Gentile, the eldest son, was twenty years old. Gaetano, the youngest, was only two. The factory grew with them, testing new technologies and materials – adding galalite to the classic corozo -, evolving and conquering the international market.
When Italy entered the war, button production began its decline: the ban on overseas shipping made the supply of raw materials difficult and England, the main market, became unreachable. For the Lanfranchi family, the crisis was the latest challenge, another stimulus, the beginning of a new era. They were the first to realise the charm of an accessory used for aircraft suits, the zip fastener, and to make it their business.
In 1955, the conversion became definitive: the company secured the exclusive rights for Italy to the German Ruhrmann patent, one of only two in the world, to which LAMPO would later add its own. The rest is still an ongoing story: the old spinning mill in Palazzolo has become a world leader, has 400 employees and an impeccable reputation in the fashion business. Production has expanded to four other locations where the quest for perfection never pays off. But LAMPO continues to be a family affair. In the fourth generation.
