INTRODUCTION

In 1989 in my last year in high school, I didn’t want to study any longer or go to work.

So I took the latter choice.

I took courses in Rome and Northern Italy and I ended up training other employees.

Shopping mall job in Hong Kong, I went out for the big bucks (Italian businesman Algalite)

The Hong Kong contractor there offered me another opportunity

I had 2 skills: English and I was a trainer.

So I went from a 2 month contract to a 1 year contract. That was 2004.

Then I was given a 4-year contract till the crisis ended. Got an apartment there.

A good friend of my mine in Singapore was developing a Marina.

Then I invented my own line with my own products selling in South East Asia , Australia, USA. Not Europe yet, even tough I have a Showroom in Palermo.

My dad was a farmer emigrant to St Louis, and so was my mum.

I came back aged 15, having gone through kinder-garten, junior high and the first year of high school.

I got married in 1996 and didn’t have money to pay rent.

My daughter is a designer student, my son is in high school.

Asia is the land of opportunity, they the money and also the knowledge and skills.

Service culture is Asia’s religion, and that’s what missing.

Macau, Philippines, Cyprus = 60 employees

SUSTANIBILITY

People want sustainabilty. We’re concentrating on lime for that reason because bacteria killer.

Socially sustainability it’s all about family, trust, relationships. People who work for me know that there is no hierarchy (unlike Asia, where the boss is the boss). In my first company, my 15 employees had lunch with me and it was their first time.  

Economic sustainability: it took 6-7 months for the big job to arrive (2008), I was sorry I had to force pay-cuts. They all went with it, and then I gave the money back when the job came in. Initially, my  employees wouldn’t  accept my belated refund, but I insisted till they did on the grounds that they had proven to me that I could count on them. So a sense of co-ownership is key.