CREMONA, ITALY — Ocrim SpA hosted a two-day event for grain and flour industry professionals, friends and customers from around the world Sept. 20-21.
 
The events began the evening of Sept. 20 in the courtyard of the Palazzo Pallavicino where Ocrim had arranged a stage and chairs for a moderated discussion of “The Italian Industrial Reality.”

Managing Director Alberto Antolini welcomed the guests before they were treated to a viewing of the Ocrim 2014 video. Ocrim arranged for Alessandro Milan, a famous Italian journalist and television personality, to moderate the discussion. The company also arranged for a number of prominent guests.
• Gian Domenico Auricchio, president of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture of Cremona;
• Gianluca Benamati, group leader of the productive activities commettee of the Democratic Party (PD);
• Carlo Altomonte, associate Professor at European Economic Policy;
• Maurizio Marinella, owner of the clothing company E.Marinella;
• Giovanni Rana, founder and face of the fresh pasta company Pastificio Rana SpA; and
• Sergio Antolini, vice-president of Ocrim SpA.

The discussion ranged across a broad group of topics. A few of the topics discussed included: government support for businesses;the importance of emphasizing quality; and the uniqueness of the Made in Italy brand. Following the discussion, hors d'oeuvres and refreshment were served in the garden of the palazzo. A dinner of fine pasta and regional products followed in the ballroom.

The second day of the event was hosted at Ocrim’s headquarters in Cremona. After a welcome coffee and breakfast reception in the courtyard, the presentation and signing of an agreement between Ocrim and FMB srl — a spinoff of the University of Parma for R&D in the field of fluid dynamics and plant design — was held in the Silvia Paglierani conference room. "We believe that research and development is the right key to give to Ocrim engineers in order to let them use their genius and competence to obtain the best quality,” said Alberto Antolini. “We've chosen to encourage these young and brilliant brains guided by well-experienced engeneers and technicians, because we never forget that great present and future cannot exist without a such great past."
 
Following the signing, a debate entitled: “What are the expectations for the mill of the future” was held. The moderator was Maurizio Monti, president of the National Association of the Italian Milling Industry’s Technicians (Antim). The guest speakers represented milling interests from four continents.
• Kelly O’Brien, plant manager of Rogers Foods Ltd., Canada;
• Carlos Mejia, executive chairman of Group GUMARSAL, San Salvador, El Salvado;
• Guezout Adel Toufik, president and owner of Ouled El Karmi, Setif, Algeria;
• Carmine Caputo, chairman of the board of directors of Molino Caputo; and
• Marco Galli, director of Ocrim’s technical department.
 
Among other things, this group discussed the future of automation, the human/technology balance and the relationship between millers and equipment suppliers.
 
After the debate, the Antolini family unveiled a new garden representation of Ocrim’s logo for the company’s 70th Anniversary.
 
After a lunch in the Ocrim courtyard, guided tours of the premises of the company’s via Massarotti and via Riglio locations were conducted. Later, the company was opened up to local community for tours of the workshops, the Milling Technology School and the “Ocrim Core” museum.