the italian Cristoforo Randon arrived in Brazil in 1888. Today his name is immortalized in one of the most solid business conglomerates Brazilians.
The story began when the wave of Italian immigrants looking for a new horizon of Job opportunities brought young Cristóforo Randon to the country. He landed in Brazil on the day November 22th, 1888, aged 21, coming from Cornedo Vicentino, small town in the upper valley of the Agno river, in the province of Vicenza, region of Veneto.
He arrived in the country and came to Caxias do Sul, at Rio Grande do Sul, where the first settlers from Veneto began to emigrate in 1875, populating that region. As an educated young man, he found work helping with land measurement em Bento Gonçalves and later bought a few hectares to grow wheat, corn and grapes.
After all, it ended up becoming leadership in the region, a kind of justice of the peace for Italian families. Despite also being a newly arrived immigrant, he had conciliatory personality, perhaps as a result of the experience of having 18 children. If a couple had a fight, he would advise and ask them to come back a week later, the right time for them to make up.
One of Cristoforo's 18 sons was Abramo Randon, who started working with the brothers in Caxias do Sul as agricultural implement blacksmith, but at just over 20 years old he left for Tanager, a village of just over eight houses, in the fields of Santa Catarina.
Cristóforo Randon searches for his loved one
In the first year of his stay in Tanager, his only entertainment was receiving the letters from girlfriend, which he had left in Caxias. However, one fine day, she received a letter from one of her friends, warning her that she should go and get her loved one. Elizabeth, because she was being very courted.
Thus, in 1923, Abramo Randon married Elisabetta Zanotto, One very religious Italian, energetic and determined. As she didn't like living in Tangará, she convinced Abramo to return to Caxias do Sul with her children, Hercílio, Isolda, Raul and Zilá, as well as Beatriz, still in Elisabetta's womb.
In 1938, the family was back in Caxias do Sul. From there, Abramo Randon rented a small shed by Bortolo Triquet, Italian owner of a foundry and Raul started working with him. At 18 years old, Raul was one year in the Army and, when he returned, in 1949, his brother Hercílio had learned the trade of mechanic and took him to work together, doing everything, from overhaul of press engines.
The company's official founding date is January 21, 1949 , when the brothers realized that they worked well working in partnership and decided to run the business that way, taking advantage of the father's workshop facilities, Abramo Randon.
The beginning of a dream
In 1952, the Randon Mechanics Ltd. was incorporated and began operating effectively on January 2, 1953. The business resulted in a partnership with the Italian immigrant Antonio Primo Fontebasso. He had a workshop for truck and automobile repairs and began manufacturing compressed air brakes for trailers. The partnership lasted until 1955, when Fontebasso became ill and had to leave.
In the following decade, with the pace of accelerated industrialization in Brazil, Randon started manufacturing semi-trailers, from third axle for trailers and rocker suspension system, meeting the determinations of the Scale Law and expanding the load capacity.
In 1963, the company was already aware of transformations of society and concerned about its staff. Proof of this was the creation of the Abramo Randon Assistance Foundation. It was the first of several initiatives aimed at liability policy of the group.
In the following years, the Randon brothers' company began to work on achieving new customers and markets. In this way, the mechanical workshop gave way to industrial installation, to face the technological innovations and increased demands.
In the decade of 1970, Randon built a new factory, opened capital, started manufacturing off-road vehicles, created a Distributor Network and joined the international market.
The internationalization of a power
A globalization of the economy in the following years led the company to format a new management model, involving international partnerships. In 1986, Master Equipamentos Automotivos Ltda. was born, a joint project between Randon and Rockwell for the production of brakes.
Along the same lines, in 1992 the holding Randon Participações SA and defined the business segmentation in the areas of road implements, auto parts, special vehicles and service provision.
The following year, the a joint venture with the North American Carrier Transicold Division, manufacturer of air conditioning for buses and refrigeration for the transport of goods.
In 1994, the Randon Argentina, based in Rosary, Province of Santa Fe. In the same year, the special vehicle segment began to have its own space with the creation of Randon Veículos Ltda.
The start of operations of the brake lining and pad manufacturing units, phrases, which operate in United States and China, at the end of the 2000s, expanded their proximity to international customers and agility in service of your demands.
It was also at the end of that decade that the company's president, Raul Randon, began the process of succession of the position to the eldest son, David Randon, until then vice-president of the group. From 2010 onwards, the Randon Bank and Randon Technological Center.
Raul Randon's farewell
On March 3th, 2018, businessman Raul Randon died, aged 88, leaving his wife Nilva and children David, Roseli, Alexandre, Maurien and Daniel. His brother Hercílio had died on April 28, 1989, at the age of 64.
Randon brings together nine companies, headquartered in Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, in the transport solutions. The group brings together manufacturers of auto parts, road implements e vehicles, besides a consortium company.
They are divided into three segments: automakers (road implements, wagons and special vehicles), auto parts (manufacturers of linings, pads, brake systems, axle, suspension, joint and coupling sets) and financial services (consortium administration and sales support). Furthermore, the company operates in several projects and social actions, developed by the Elisabetha Randon Institute.
Legacy of a life of work
The group is responsible for Florescer Program, which until 2019 served 5.700 children and adolescents in the Randon and Fras-le centers, in Caxias do Sul. Florescer is a community service for children and adolescents, through artistic and cultural activities. Other social projects of the company are the programs Volunteer, Life Always and Randon Memorial.
The estimate of gross revenue of Randon for the year 2021 is in the $ 12 billion. The company is expected to close this year with investments in order of R $ million 320.
All of this is the result of dream of a family who came to Brazil without much money in your pocket, but with determination to conquer their lot in the new land, with much hope in the heart, very callus on hands is very sweat on the face.
By Roberto Schiavon/Italianism
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