the italian Mario Pozzani arrived in Brazil at the end of the 19th century, at the age of three. At fifty, with the help of his children, he founded the transport company Pozzani brothers.
This story of yet another Italian immigrant who built his professional life and left his mark on the trajectory of national business begins with the arrival of Mario Pozzani – his surname was registered in Brazil as Possani.
Born on September 9, 1894, he arrived in the country in 1896, with just two years old, alongside his parents, coming from the city of Verona, in the region of Veneto, the Italy. Later, he went to live in Jundiaí, at interior of São Paulo, where he lived part of his life with his wife Bertina Hoff, with whom he had eight children.
Difficulties
Like every Italian immigrant, he had a hard life in the following years, of a lot of work, to be able to establish himself in his new land. During the period of the president Getulio Vargas, which coincided with the 2nd World War, he lost everything he had achieved until then.
O disruption of commercial relations from Brazil with the axis countries triggered a series of rigorous discipline and national security measures in immigrant and descendant communities Germans, Italians e Japanese.
In summary, the Vargas' foreign policy was identified with fascism, because at that time it wanted to “Brazilianize” the immigrant colonies, with the excuse of creating a cultural identity and a “uniform nationality” in the country.
Mario Possani and his children
Even so, many Italian immigrants did not give up working and prosper in Brazil. This was the case of Mario Possani, who had the help of his eight children, all truck drivers, to found, in 1937, the carrier Pozzani Brothers, in the region of Ribeirão Preto, in the interior of the state of São Paulo.
A few years later, the family and company moved to Sao Paulo City, where Mario Possani ran the transport company until his death. The model of family business proposed by the Italian immigrant and his children was responsible for union and integration of his family, all gravitating towards the business.
The love for Praia Grande
In the 1950s, Mario Possani bought a house in Florida Spa, municipality of Big beach, on the old Rua 16. At first, the idea was to use the place to rest and leisure of your entire family. However, soon the Italian immigrant began to develop political relations e social projects in the region.
He started working as Regional Administrator of Balneário Florida, seeking solutions to regional problems. The leisure house then became a reference point for the local community and a meeting point for politicians, authorities, businesspeople and residents, to discuss issues such as water treatment, lighting, garbage collection and cleaning the water tank that supplied the region.
Mario Possani also participated in the founding of Rotary Club of Praia Grande, becoming one of the directors and a regular member. He also contributed to the maintenance of the Children's City, making donations and helping to transport donations made by other employees.
The Cidade da Criança association was founded in late 1940s, with the aim of sheltering and providing education for underprivileged minors, providing culture, leisure and sports to young people assisted by the project.
Partnerships
It is worth remembering that, in the beginning of the carrier, the company counted on the help of loyal customers, with emphasis on the Castelão Cigarette Company, which in the future would be absorbed by Souza Cruz S/A.
With 84 years of history, the transporter Irmãos Pozzani currently has a own fleet of trucks and cutting-edge technology in its vehicles, such as satellite tracking and high capacity chests (105 m3), in addition to internal fleet maintenance.
The company is installed in its own garage located in São Paulo, in New World Park, close to Via Dutra, Airton Senna and Marginal do Rio Tietê. At this headquarters, the offices, offices, facilities for drivers e supply area.
In the year of 1996, the company started in the international road transport via Mercosul, and opened a branch in Buenos Aires, the Argentina, headed by the current president of the company, Ademir Pozzani. The company also has branches in Campestre-MG and in the municipality of Ilhota-SC.
Legacy of Mario Possani
Em tribute to the Italian-Brazilian businessman, who dedicated part of his life to solving problems and sponsoring educational projects in the municipality, today the city of Praia Grande has the Mario Possani Municipal School, as a way of immortalizing the name of his patron.
Mario Possani died May 5, 1969, aged 75, at his home in Balneário Florida, in Big beach, the city he chose to live in and where he left his mark forever. For Brazil, this Italian immigrant left one of the largest companies in road freight transport, which he founded and grew, despite all the difficulties of the path.
By Roberto Schiavon / Italianism
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