To trace the story of today’s Sangiorgio Elio SA quarry, we need to go back to 1900. At that time, Enrico Giovanni Sangiorgio worked at Osogna as a stonecutter. He had five children: two girls and three boys, who obtained their stonecutter’s diploma and began working together in the quarries, in Pollegio in 1926 and then in 1929 in Osogna. In 1931, Giovanni – one of the brothers – decided to move to Valle Maggia to start his own business, while Luigi and Valentino started the Lodrino firm, taking on a rental contract in 1931 with the public body which owned the quarries. In 1948 Luigi left the firm, which was run in subsequent decades by Valentino, with many sacrifices, both physical and financial.

In 1961 he was joined by his son Elio, who immediately introduced a series of changes geared to improving the extraction and processing of the granite. Investment in a mechanical workshop and in extraction equipment made the workers’ lives simpler, reducing the effort required for extracting and working the stone and manoeuvring and transporting the blocks. The valuable input of Elio, who was skilled at judging investment opportunities, resulted in a rapid change in the working systems. With a degree in Business and a skilled quarryman, Elio also had a successful sporting career, reaching the top football division in the Swiss league.

In 1972 Valentino retired from his place at the head of the firm, which passed to his son, who renamed it “Sangiorgio Elio estrazione del granito Lodrino”.

Today Elio runs the business with his three children, continuing a century of tradition. After graduating in general mechanics, Tiziano wanted to learn about the manual and mechanical extraction of granite at Lausanne, working with renowned workshops in the region. He then obtained a diploma as stonecutter and stonemason, as well as attending courses on mining. After attending business school in Bellinzona, Andrea decided to gain experience in stone working, before devoting himself to the firm’s administration. He subsequently took a degree in leadership and corporate economics. Clara is a sculptor and restorer, with degrees from the Carrara academy of Sculpture and the Geneva School of Fine Arts.

In recent decades the firm has experienced strong growth, thanks to ongoing improvements in production processes, investment in costly cutting-edge machinery, training and safeguarding for staff, and respect for social and environmental requirements. Sangiorgio Elio SA today employs 20 workers, and operates on the domestic market as well as exporting stone blocks to Europe and Asia. Thanks to the many decades of experience gained in the field, Sangiorgio Elio has the ability and the know-how to manage and develop the firm, and to view the future with optimism.