The history of this factory dates back to 1873, when businessmen Erasmo Piaggio, Luigi Bottaro and Pasquale Pastorino estabilished in Genova the "S.A. Stearineria Italiana" company, in order to manufacture tallow candles. In 1907 the company merged into a bigger one, called "Stearinerie Lanza", located in Torino. Later on the Great War, the national tallow candles business was shared between the Genova-Torino company and another one from Mira, near Venezia, called "Fabbrica di Candele di Mira". The rat race between them two ended into a merging, which gave birth to "Mira Lanza S.A.". It was the 9th of May 1924. During the 30s Mira Lanza spread itself quickly to reach the Italian soaps leader firm status. Exports were mainly concerned to Italian colonies Northern Africa - 22500 quintals of soaps and candles per year. Factories in Genova and Mira were the biggest of the group; others were located in Torino, Roma and Napoli. Complete workforce consisted of 1200 workers and 158 employees.
The Second World War had positive and negative consequences. Negatives led to the closure of Torino and Napoli units, too much obsolete. Positives led to a whole modernization of Mira and Genova units. The present look of Genova factory is the result of the renovation program of 1940. The strategy of these difficult years was conceived in two levels: at first, old machineries were replaced with new ones (for example, in Genova were installed some automatic blow molds, instead of hand-made work), and after the research for new kind of soaps became priority. First results arrived in 1941, when Mira Lanza laboratories discovered how to manufacture a synthetic detergent, called Miral. The way to modern washing powders was paved.
The factory of Genova came out quite intact after the war, and its laboratories continued to study and discover new products. Later on Miral, Mira Lanza started to churn out new synthetic detergents that will belong in the post-war Italian lifestyle: Nix, Neptun, Lip, Kop and later, in 1953, the best seller Ava. In 1955 the unit in Roma was closed and the production was shared between Genova (washing liquids, toilette soaps, toothpastes) and Mira (washing powders). During the 50s and the 60s the market competition was hard, and the common business strategy was based on three key-points:
- technology (first washing machines diffusion)
- large retail (first supermarkets)
- advertising (televisions)
Mira Lanza created a selling division, "Commerciale Mira Lanza" and a research center in Mira, called "Centro Ricerche & Sviluppo". In the matter of advertising, needs a mention the idea of collectible cards used to promote each product, and the notorious evening tv-advertising called Carosello. They figure in the Italian domestic history nowdays.
Looking at soap industry market shares at the first 60s, we can find in Italy five big groups over 10%: Procter&Gamble, Unilever, Henkel, Colgate and Mira Lanza. In 1968 the Italian soaps and detergents market was held by foreign companies for 64% and by national ones for 36%. Of this share, 26% was in the hands of Mira Lanza.
During the 60s Mira Lanza grew up faster and faster until 1969. In this year, conflicts between owners and labor unions led to the occupancy of Mira plant to ask better work conditions. The owners, the Piaggio's, finally decided to sell the company to Bonomi Group. During this dark period, called "Bonomi Age", Mira Lanza was slowly marginalized, until 1984, when it was sold again to a chemical leader group, Montedison. Mira Lanza, without important investments, fell behind and risked to follow Montedison into its imminent crack. Salvation came with Benckiser Group, a German-Dutch company, that acquired the rests of Mira Lanza. Mira factory was left in work, meanwhile Genova one was closed in 1989. Since 2001 Mira Lanza name doesn't exist anymore commercially and the only brand still alive is the famous Ava. This is the end of a former soaps colossus.
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