Franco Polti

Italian entrepreneur, the president and CEO of a company with 350 employees, the Polti company. Starting his career as a salesman of steam irons in the ‘70s, Franco Polti was on the lookout for innovative products that would create a new market. He came up with the marketing idea of providing the customer with the potency of a commercial steam iron and in 1978, he put out the "Vaporella," a household appliance with multiple cleaning uses. In 1994, Polti launched another innovative line, "Aroma," a full range of coffee machines. In 1996, he brought out "Fresh Air," an air conditioner that purified and provided the right level of humidity for each room. In 1997 he launched "Caresse," a full range of traditional irons and "Cappuccino," an appliance capable of preparing a real Italian cappuccino. By 1999, his creative energy was in full bloom and he entered the vacuum cleaner market with a full range of updated models in both design and effectiveness, "Lecologico." Polti continued to patent new concepts in marketing devices and by the turn of the century was the major manufacturer of small steam appliances in Europe. His constantly growing sales brought in a turnover of more than 500 billion lire in 1999. Polti is one of the very few firms manufacturing entirely on their national territory and therefore is able to directly control all phases in the production process. An impassioned sports fan, he founded the Polti Team of cycle racing in January 1994, representing many champions in competitive racing. He backed newcomers and gave a chance to young drivers in the Formula I. He has also been involved in sea racing and in 1999, the Polti Team won the Italian Sailing Championship in the Mumm 30 category. Also the sponsor of basketball and soccer teams, he is one of the official sponsors of Juventus and he works with Antonio Cabrini on the Progetto Punto Juve, a circuit of soccer academies all over Italy for boys aged from 6 to 12 years. After a season as major sponsor, Polti bought the prestigious Pallacanestro Cantù in September 1995, taking the team then captained by Alberto Rossini into A1 division.