The history of ICOS, which in December 2020 celebrated its 70th anniversary during a ceremony with which the municipality of Zola Predosa, on the outskirts of Bologna, wished to honour the longevity and excellence of some of the territory's businesses, is inextricably linked to that of its founder, Marino Leonelli, and his passion for mechanics, handed down to his children Piero, Paolo and Carmen, who today continue the path taken with the same care and dedication. "It all started in a small village in the Modena hills, where our father was born in 1925," says Paolo Leonelli. "His first job was at the Alfieri Maserati company and it was there that he began to cultivate his interest in mechanics. A few years later, in 1948, he moved to Bologna and started working in an automatic machine company for the production and packaging of matches'. It was in 1950, at the age of 25, that Marino decided to strike out on his own and set up ICOS in its first location, a shed in Via Emilia Ponente. Founded as a subcontractor in the Bolognese industrial fabric, the company gradually distinguished itself for its ability to offer an all-round service in four production areas, namely sheet metal cutting and bending, mechanical carpentry, cold sheet metal deformation-stamping, tooling and mould construction. "When business started to go well, the business was diversified by renting additional premises, intended for the construction of cages for the poultry sector. The turning point for the history of ICOS was in 1968, when our father decided to purchase an area in the industrial zone of Zola Predosa, in via Curiel, 4. The construction work was completed the following year and, at the dawn of the 1970s, the company entered the market. In addition to the industrial and mechanical mission, in the DNA of our father, who was a man of many interests, there was a passion for the land and nature and a desire to make good wine. That is why, in later years, he also created a beautiful winery in the hills of Castelvetro di Modena, the Tenuta Galvana Superiore, which today produces excellent wines,' Leonelli continues. At the height of Marino Leonelli's success and entrepreneurial commitment, ICOS's activity in the new location proved profitable right from the start, leading to immediate collaborations with new customers and an expansion of the product sectors, which ranged from components for carburettors to the automatic machinery sector, and small household appliances and automotive. "The following years were characterised by continuous growth: the company evolved and became more and more modern and technological by continuously updating its production equipment, obtaining ISO 9000 Quality Certification in 1998 and ISO 3834-4 Certification to this day. Since 2010, we have been participating in an aggregation of 12 companies in the field of mechanical subcontracting that have formed the RaceBO network contract. This team of companies, which has complementary and highly specialised activities, is able to offer finished products with high quality standards at competitive costs, which is the essence of the challenge that, in the globalised market, awaits all industries. In January this year, we also acquired a new 2,000-square-metre site in Via Curiel, 5, which will allow us to expand and improve our production,' Piero Leonelli proudly concludes, now at the helm of the company with his brothers Paolo and Carmen, in the name of tradition but with an eye to the future.