The history of the Odorizzi Group

1950: First experiences in the world of porphyry.

The young brothers, Arnaldo and Dino Odorizzo, start working in the quarry located in Montegorsa, one of the few active ones at that time in the town of Albiano, in Trentino-Alto Adige. All the work is carried out manually and there are very few machines for moving and loading material.

1960: Odorizzi Porphyry is born.

Thanks to the spirit of enterprise and the valuable experience gained, Dino and Arnaldo set up “P.P.A. (Produttori Porfidi Albiano) of Arnaldo and Dino Odorizzi”, renamed “Odorizzi Porfidi” in 1970, which begins its activity in the “ai Lini” area of Albiano, characterised by the presence of slabs of porphyritic rocks with smooth grey/brown coloured surfaces. The products derived from mining include slabs, blocks, tiles with a natural cut and cladding stones.

1965: Orientation towards innovation.

The two Odorizzi brothers, animated by the spirit of innovation that sets them apart, realise that market is evolving from the traditional “cobblestone” flooring towards more sophisticated products. This awareness drives them to setting themselves the ambitious goal of broadening the range of products on offer and, by creating a special laboratory dedicated to tailor-made porphyry cutting with diamond blades, launching a new line of products with sawn sides and natural surfaces on the market. Shortly afterwards, the first industrially polished surfaces makes its appearance, followed by the semi-gloss surface: This unique finish, obtained by polishing only the most protruding parts of the natural surface, removes the irregularities of the quarry floor material and allows a completely new product to be added to the Odorizzi commercial range. From this moment onwards, the company is widely recognised for its technological leadership and the quality of its products.

1986: The expansion of production in Argentina and Porfiris®.

Arnaldo and Dino discover porphyry rocks in vast areas of Argentina which they purchase in order to open their quarries there, making considerable efforts to export the skills and professionalism gained by the company Odorizzi to those regions. To this end, adequate training and education activities are put in place for the labourers, as well as establishing appropriate quality checks to ensure production comparable to that in Italy. The range of products mined from the quarries in Argentina and marketed under the Porfiris® brand offers a natural quarry floor material which is similar in its technical characteristics to the Italian one, but differs in colour. The Porfiris® blocks of material, unavailable in Italy in those particular sizes, allow further development of products with a processed surface which can now be produced more easily and faster.

1990: The enlargement of markets, materials and services

The company broadens its reach globally through the expansion of the commercial market in Europe, South America, the Middle East, Japan and in North America with the birth of Porphyry Usa Inc., a commercial company for the US market. Activities are extended from the mere mining and processing of porphyry to the commercialisation of natural stone (granite, basalt, quartzite, sandstone, etc.). The company also decides to expand the range of services offered to customers by setting up a specific internal design studio in order to provide qualified advice to architects who use porphyry in their projects and teams of fitters to be able to provide customers with “turnkey” solutions.

1999: “Total Quality” target.

The company, which became a joint-stock company in 1996, is the first company in this sector to obtain ISO 9002 Quality Certification, an international standard which certifies the quality of products and services provided to final clients.

2000: Red D'Avis Camparta porphyry and the utmost care in installation.

The Group further expands its structure focusing on installation in particular, a complementary service the quality of which becomes a key factor in maintaining market leadership. To this end, the “Arki” consortium is formed, associating both producers and fitters of natural stone and providing a turnkey service through its member fitters, under the constant control of the Odorizzi Group. The company “AdArte” is also founded, allowing for the more important and prestigious jobs to be carried out directly and using labour from the Trento area.

In the same year the famous D'Avis Camparta quarry is purchased, currently the biggest porphyry mining site in the world, whose mined material is distinguished by its hardness and unique red-gold colour, as well as its high physical-mechanical characteristics.

2003: Constant and continuous quality.

As a result of installation work, the company obtained a qualification certificate, which allows them to carry out public works, issued by the appropriate Society of Attesting Offices “S.O.A.” which allows public works to be carried out directly and participation in public tenders.

2010: Crossing the threshold of the first 40 years of activity.

On the day of the Saint Barbara festivities, the Group proudly celebrates its 40 years of trading.