Page 4 - Demo
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 OUR HISTORY Beginnings: our first recipe, “M”
1942: in a post-war backdrop, with sugar factories destroyed by bombing and the price of sugar run- ning sky high, Silvio Agostoni took over a workshop in the Alpine town of Morbegno (Sondrio) for the production of sweets and confectionary.
Scraping together ingredients of sugar, chestnut flour, and a little cocoa powder, he created the “Torta Montanina”, it was an instant success.
’60s: Carolina Vanini:
entrepreneur, businesswoman, mother
A revolutionary invention
Until then, cocoa beans were pressed vertically—a lengthy, cumbersome process for the workers, who had to put the raw ingredient into place as well as clean the machine at the end of each pressing. Collaborating with an entrepreneur named Vitali, ICAM successfully tests what would turn out to be a world first: the groundbreaking Carle & Montanari press for the extraction of cocoa butter from the beans. What made it so special? Unlike the vertical presses commonly used at the time, the Carle & Montanari was a horizontal press, saving time and la- bour. This invention was so successful that it eventually became a standard across the industry.
Following the sudden, untimely loss of Silvio Agostoni in 1961, his entrepreneurial wife, Carolina Vanini, carries his winning ideas forward, assisted by her brothers, Giancarlo and Urbano. At a time when few businesses valued the leadership and expertise of women, Carolina set the stage for a model that continues today in our company - equal career op- portunities and compensation for women.
Twice as good
During this boom economy, production facilities have to be expanded to cope with the increasing demand for our products and ICAM chocolate.
In 1967, work begins on extending the Lecco factory.
70s: Connecting directly with cocoa-growing countries
Angelo Agostoni, son of founder Silvio, embarks on several trips to Africa and Latin America, visiting the most remote cocoa-growing areas in order to learn about the farming methods that local communities have passed down for generations.
Inspired by Angelo’s travels, the Company commits itself to creating the necessary conditions for pur- chasing cocoa directly from the producers, favoring local farming cooperatives. Over the years we de- velop authentic relationships with a number of producers, allowing us to boost plantation productivity and improve the processes for producing cocoa. The fermentation and drying of the cocoa beans, for example, is especially crucial for the final quality of our fine chocolate.
Our first organic chocolate
As the first chocolate producer to rise the challenge of creating an organic product, we are awarded the CONACADO rating in recognition of our ethical and sustainable efforts in the Dominican Republic. That country goes from be- ing a producer of poor-quality cocoa to being honored with the title of “Fine of Flavor” cocoa producer in 2008.
Through collaboration with Dominican cocoa farmers, working as a cooper- ative, the first organic chocolate bars on the market are produced in 1997.
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