From post-war Sicily to ebike, Lombardo bikes continue to race in Europe

The first Lombardo bicycle was literally put together by salvaging war remnants, painted with Ddt spray, later banned but then very much in vogue. The year was 1952. Gaspare Lombardo was convinced that two-wheelers would be the future of mobility on Sicily's dirt roads. In Buseto Palizzolo, near Trapani, he had his blacksmith's shop, 30 square metres: his speciality was horseshoes but he had started repairing bicycles. Then in the 1980s, when horses were hardly to be seen any more, he decided to focus on the mobility of the future with a first shed of 600 square metres and machinery designed at the intersection of his experience and his ingenuity.

'In a town devoted to agriculture they took him for a fool. But he was driven by passion and the desire to prove that even in Sicily it is possible to do business, despite the logistical difficulties,' recalls Emilio Lombardo, the youngest of Gaspare's three sons who took over the company at the turn of the century and who is now Lombardo's managing director. Today that shed covers 25,000 square metres, with a warehouse, painting plant, offices, research and development division, as well as a nursery and gym for the employees, about twenty of them with qualified experience in two-wheelers. In the early years production was around one hundred pieces per year, today between 400 and 500 come out of the plant proudly remaining in Buseto Palizzolo every day, for a turnover that has risen to 40 million euro.

The gamble of doing business on the island was therefore won, as was that of producing bicycles in Italy, under national ownership. Today, the 180 models, ranging from the traditional city bike to the ebike, from racing to mountain bike, all have names inspired by Italian localities: starting from Etna and Mondello, climbing up via Maratea, Amalfi, Cassia to Garda, Bormio, Brenta. But it stops at the border. At least as far as models are concerned, because in reality Lombardo has a strong international projection with 63% of production crossing borders and ending up abroad. On the other hand, the new generation has focused on internationalisation right from the start. In 2007, a branch was opened in Germany, near Stuttgart, as a bridge to the two-wheeler evolved Northern Europe: "For us it represented the projection towards a developed market that allowed us to confront the culture of mobility, responsibility and the importance of quality," continues Emilio Lombardo. Today, outside Italy, the main markets are Germany, France and the United Kingdom. 'We are aiming at new markets, such as the United States and South America, but we are primarily focusing on Europe because it still has great potential. The important thing is to continue with that gradualness that allows us to build on our strengths'.

For Lombardo, the bicycle is primarily a family product, not just for enthusiasts: the customer is to be pampered with the customisation of the product, with colours chosen by the individual, but also with the sense of responsibility that leads to choosing correct prices, commensurate with quality. On the other hand, that of the family is another bet that has been won, since the generational transition has taken place without a break: all three brothers are active in the company, Emilio guides the strategies, shared by the other two brothers on the board of directors. And also by dad Gaspare, who still comes to the company to supervise the machinery and technical aspects. "But always with great respect and discretion: he was able to pass on the passion, but left us free to make mistakes".