Re turns 50, a story of innovation that began in a small basement in Milan. Five people, united by a vision and a lot of passion, have created a company that today is a global point of reference for Italian excellence.

Let’s retrace together some of the key stages of Re’s history, told by the company itself.

1974: The beginning

It was 1974 when Re was founded in a small basement of about 80m² in Milan. It was a small mechanical workshop with five people, which in the early years produced water-cooled brakes and rotary joints for the packaging, printing and steel industry in Italy. The company is small, everything is hadcrafted, but investors have high expectations of its future development.

’80: Expansion and Structuring

The 1980s were the years of company structuring, expansion outside Italy and the use of electronics. The garage soon became too small and in 1981 the first move in an area to the east of Milan took place in a factory of around 300 m².

The company expanded its product range with load cells, conical clutches, powder brakes and the first tension controllers. In 1984, began a collaboration with the Italian Navy to equip eight ships with friction clutches. These were also the years of the first attempts at international expansion, with commercial agreements mainly in Germany and Spain.

’90: The great commercial growth

At the beginning of the 1990s, Re moved to Bussero, a small city close to Milan, in a warehouse that will be our home to this day. This decade is characterised by significant commercial development both in Italy and abroad, thanks to an increasingly structured sales network.

One of the most important dates is 1990, the year in which we launched the Combiflex brake, an air-cooled single-disc brake that immediately became a benchmark and the most copied brake in the converting industry and enabled us to become a leading company recognised worldwide.

In 1995 another key event, we develop the first web guiding systems a product that will provide us with an important technological development and set the course for the future.

2000: Internationalisation and Innovation

The new millennium marks an important change in mentality. On the one hand, the development of electronic products becomes increasingly important; on the other, the management works to make Re a multinational company.

In 2006, the internationalisation process begins with the opening of the first foreign subsidiary, Re Latina, in Brazil. In 2008, following the important growth of the Asian market, we founded Re China in Shanghai and a few years later Re India was established in Ahmedabad. Finally, to complete the expansion also in the United States, in 2018 our fourth subsidiary, Re USA, is founded in Boston.

2024: Celebrating 50 years of successes

Today, it is time to celebrate an important milestone: 50 years of history. One would never have thought that starting from a basement we would arrive at celebrating half a century of a multinational company. A history made up of people, passion and courage that forms the solid foundation on which we base our expectations for future achievements. From the beginning, we have believed in the importance of people, building a solid and qualified team, of innovation, always expanding our offer and keeping it in step with the times, and of customer service, always taking care to satisfy every need from product selection to after-sales service.

We think these are the three pillars that have allowed us to grow steadily over the years. The thing we have always had most at heart is to keep the know-how of each individual product in-house through a completely Made in Italy production. All our solutions, in fact, are developed and managed in our Headquarter, from R&D to technical offices, production, sales, marketing and service to always guarantee the best service.

We feel strongly linked to the Italian territory and among the spokesmen in the world of that Made in Italy of which we are very proud. For us, exporting the Re brand means exporting Italian skills and style. We look to the future with enthusiasm and determination, ready to face new challenges and achieve new goals. We thank our incredible employees, customers and partners for being part of this extraordinary journey. Without them, none of this would have been possible.

With these values, we continue our journey, confident that the best is yet to come.

Let’s celebrate 50 years of success together: a party for the whole family

To celebrate this important milestone, we have organized a special event dedicated to our employees and their families: a Family Day dedicated to sharing, fun and recognition of the values ​​that unite us. Watch the video to relive the best moments of a day that paid homage to the people who have made Re S.p.A. a real family, for 50 years now.