Farewell to Liviano Tomasi, who created the Inglesina company during the economic and demographic boom of 1963. Back then, the North East was not yet called that and he led the company to conquer vast market shares in over 40 nations, even resisting a powerful and relentless enemy, the demographic decline. After a long illness, the brilliant entrepreneur from Altavilla passed away, leaving behind his wife Bruna and his sons Luca and Ivan, who are now leading the company that still has its headquarters in Vicentino.
He was the one to bring baby carriages out of the niche by improving their technique, making them more elegant and functional (the high-wheeled, very springy London model set a trend), applying the knowledge he had accumulated in the racing car sector. Today, if you say Trilogy, you don't just think of a literary or cinematic saga, and the same goes for Ovetto, which is not the one with the surprise, but a safe container for small humans. Of course, the quality and convenience of use come at a price, and this also contributed to making Inglesina strollers a "vehicle" to show off like a luxury car, an indispensable equipment for wealthy families, a very welcome gift from grandparents. Strollers then openly imitated to the consecration of international success. With Inglesina's turnover reaching around 50 million euros, half of which is due to exports.
Liviano Tomasi's company and then his sons' company has always known how to be ahead of the times, but in the last decade the potential "passengers" of Italian strollers have gradually reduced by 15,000 fewer births per year. It is true that high-end products suffer less in times of crisis, but in this case the dramatic reduction in births mercilessly shrunk the market. How to stem the absolute scourge of demographic decline? By investing more abroad, in countries that are not grappling with this situation.
And then it is true that an Inglesina model is not cheap, but then how many generations is it capable of facing? How many handovers from brother to brother, from cousin to cousin. An investment, in other words. And what charm in the models inspired by the epics of the adventures of the Unit, like those of the Apollo line.
Last year the company celebrated its 60th anniversary. Passionate about racing cars, Tomasi started with children's tricycles before moving on to strollers and pushchairs. Inglesina was so called because the spring frame and large wheels resembled English carriages: the London model conquered the world.
"Veneto mourns the loss of Liviano Tomasi, father of Inglesina, a brand born in Altavilla Vicentina, in the province of Vicenza, in 1963 and known worldwide for its strollers with large wheels from princely fairy tales, capable of combining beauty, technology and well-being. Passionate about racing cars, he started with children's tricycles before moving on to strollers and pushchairs. We lose an entrepreneur who, following his passions, thanks to imagination and intuition, made the quality of made in Veneto known worldwide," says the president of the Veneto Region, Luca Zaia, remembering entrepreneur Liviano Tomasi. "To his sons, Luca and Ivan, and to the whole family, our condolences. Just in 2023 Liviano had celebrated the 60th anniversary of the company. A brand all from Veneto that creativity, innovation and attention to detail have made a reference point in the world of children's products," he concludes.
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