The Milestones of Lombardini

1) The origins of “Officine Lombardini” go back to 1922: Adelmo Lombardini produces his first engine together with his partner Pietro Slanzi in Novellara, a province of Reggio Emilia.

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2) In 1933, together with his brothers Alberto and Rainero, Adelmo decides to start his own business and founds the company “Officine Meccaniche Fratelli Lombardini”. To do so, he buys the facilities of an existing engineering firm together with its foundry, located on the outskirts of Reggio Emilia.

After the overwhelming difficulties of the Second World War, post-war reconstruction sees Lombardini ready to meet the increasing demands of the market with its range of diesel and gasoline engines, marine engines, and a wide range of tractors and motor-driven pumps.

3) The company produces 500 engines in 1934: 482 internal combustion and 18 diesel. The company employs 20 workers at this point.

4) 1935: Lombardini takes part in its first trade fair: Agriculture Fair of Verona.

5) Advertisement 1936

6) Between 1941 and 1950 Adelmo Lombardini foresees that there will be great demand for motorized tools to reduce human workload in the fields and increase production in the agricultural sector. After the dark years of the Second World War, the strong economic revival generated by rebuilding allows the company to quickly expand its business thanks to the strong increase in demand from the agricultural sector.

7) 1950’s: the company discovers the Indian market, completing their first engine orders

8) 1957: production begins of LA series engines (single-cylinder air-cooled diesel engines)

9) 1959: the product range is expanded with production of the first tracked farm tractor: the Castoro.

10) 2 June 1957: Adelmo Lombardini receives his nomination as Cavaliere del Lavoro

11) The company's growth has progressed to the point where the production facilities on the Via Galliano, where the company was founded, are now too small. In 1963, the company decides to build a new factory, which is the current facility in Pieve, near Reggio Emilia. The company's first real international efforts also get off the ground in this period.

12) The service and sales networks are formed

13) 1964: Lombardini's first foreign branch office is founded in France

14) 1964: Adelmo Lombardini dies. His son Franco succeeds him

15) 1965: the new offices in Spain are opened

16) 1967: a new office is also opened in Germany

17) In the 1970s, the company's efforts are mainly aimed at technological progress:  in 1970 Lombardini produces its first small-displacement direct-injection diesel engine, able to run at 3600 rpm 

18) 1978: the American office opens in Duluth, Minnesota

19) 1978, Beijing: Lombardini moves into China

20) 1979 will prove to be a decisive year for the company's future development – construction is started on the R&D Centre, dedicated to Franco Lombardini who died prematurely in 1980.

21) 1981: the R&D Centre is inaugurated

21) In 1986, the specialist independent Lombardini Marine is founded to manufacture marine engines. It was envisaged that such a division could produce better results in its sector.

22) Thanks to Lombardini’s continuous efforts to raise the technological level of its products, the company is able to launch a line of water-cooled diesel engines in 1988:

FOCS (Fully Overhead Control System)

CHD (Compact Heavy Duty).

23) 29 November 1988: the three-millionth engine rolls off the production line. An important step.

24) In 1989 a branch office is opened in England and agreements are signed with developing countries to widen the company's export markets and horizons.

25) 1987: Paris du Coeur is held parallel to Paris Dakar: Lombardini donates one of its motor-driven pumps to each of the towns or villages on the route.

26) The early 1990s see the growth begun at the end of the previous decade continue, thanks to an ongoing policy of making technological improvements to the product line. This resulted in the revision of production strategies at the various factories.

With its continual drive to improve, the company already achieves ISO 9001 quality certification in 1995 

27) In April 1999 the company becomes part of the American group Mark IV Inc. The positive effects of the change in ownership soon became clear, and an investment program begins aimed not only at research, but also at gaining a stronger competitive position.

The first results are seen the same year, with the important purchase of Ruggerini Motori, Lombardini’s traditional competitor in the Reggio Emilia area.

28) 2000: opening of the Martin plant in Slovakia. Production of the high-tech CHD water-cooled engines will be concentrated here.

29) In 2001 a new plant is opened in Aurangbad, India. Its facilities include special assembly lines for single-cylinder diesel engines to power light motor vehicles in the Indian market; these are very popular in the country to transport both goods and passengers.

30) In 2002 Lombardini is certified as meeting the environmental quality standard and the specific QS9000 standard for companies doing business in the automotive sector.

31) 2006: CT Move is launched, the smallest two-cylinder common rail diesel specifically designed for microcars.

32) 2007: The Lombardini diesel range is enhanced by the Kohler range of gasoline engines (0-40 hp), particularly well-suited to use in the Lawn&Garden sector. The year 2007 saw Lombardini enter the Kohler group. Located in Wisconsin and one of the largest private companies in the United States, Kohler engages in a wide gamut of businesses, from ceramics to furnishings, and from hotel chains to engines for electric power generators. Lombardini - the world’s third largest producer of diesel engines up to 50 kW and the leader in its market segment - joined the Kohler Global Power Group, and contributed to its growth.

33) 2008: Lombardini celebrates 75 years with a photographic exhibition during EIMA in Bologna.

34) 2011: Kohler organizes the Bold & Gracious Tour – one adventure, three girls, five countries. A Kohler lawnmower crosses Europe: 2000 km, from Oxford to Reggio Emilia, with a dealer event every day along the way.

35) 2011 sees the first Kohler branded diesel engine completely manufactured in Italy. KDI, Kohler Direct Injection, is launched around the world by a live streaming event on-line. 

36) KDI wins Diesel magazine's “Diesel of the Year 2012” at INTERMAT (Paris).

37) 2012:  production of the KDI engine begins.

38) 2012: THE FUTURE NEVER ENDS. The product line update continues! Kohler launches the KD15, a single-cylinder air-cooled diesel.