The world’s leading manufacturer of socks and hosiery knitting machines Lonati has received the Italian Quality Mark (IMQ) international certification for its environmental management system in accordance with ISO 14001:2015 for the design, manufacture, installation and service of circular hosiery machines.

The Italian Quality Mark Institute is an independent, nonprofit association with clear objectives: the protection of the producer and the consumer, the moralisation of the market and the reduction of waste, the enhancement of quality and improvement of the competitiveness of companies, and the dissemination of a culture of safety and quality.

Sensitivity to the environment in which we live is a basic duty and for Lonati it brings definite ethical, social, and entrepreneurial responsibilities that require a direct and deep interest in and commitment to aspects of industrial activity and its impact on the planet every day, the company says on its websites.

Other certifications obtained by Lonati include the Integrated Management System (IMS) and for environmentally sustainable qualities, the Green Label based on ISO 14040 series standards.

Like other major Italian companies, Lonati was founded at the end of World War II, in 1946. Founded by Cav. Francesco Lonati in Rezzato, a small town in the province of Brescia, it was to be the first production unit of circular machines for men’s and children’s socks.

In 1952 the new Brescia plant already measured 1000 square metres and employed 30 people, and in 1956 the world’s first circular machine for the production of women’s socks with two feeds wss unveiled. In 1960 exports expanded beyond Europe to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Mexico, Chile, South America, North America, and the Scandinavian countries. Under the leadership of the second generation, brothers Ettore, Fausto, and Tiberio, the company kept growing, and in 1980 Lonati became a world leader, producing 90% of the machines used in hosiery production worldwide.

Over time, other important industrial entities became part of the Lonati Group. in 1985 Dinema, which deals with electronics, and Tecnopea, another historic mechanical-textile company was acquired in 2000. This allowed the production of all components in-house and to expand growth to new sectors of the economy ranging from real estate, metallurgy, education, and food.

www.lonati.com