QUALITALY_134

May/June 2023 V MAGAZINE Fortunately, our factory in Cesena, a few kilometres from the flooded rivers, was not damaged. We stopped production, which then gradually restarted within a few days. It was an indispensable action to secure our workers and to avoid displacement in areas where it was necessary to leave room for rescue. Having said that, at the moment we are making all the assessments on a restart of activities in the countryside, reassuring our customers that the stocks in our warehouse allow us to meet the orders planned for the coming months. In addition, to cope with any production shortages, we are determining how we can make up for them both locally and through our production plants in Veneto and Basilicata. From a structured company like Orogel, are there any suggestions or advice you can give to small farms and entrepreneurs to cope with the situation? It is difficult to give advice when faced with disasters such as the one that has just occurred. We can only emphasise how belonging to the cooperative system allows us to have the cooperation, help and support of organised and qualified structures. This is precisely why we are convinced that, by remaining united, difficulties will be overcome. Active for complete restart Ambrogio Tampieri , Commercial Director of Leone Decorazioni, a leading hotel and restaurant supply company based in Lugo (Ra), also speaks out about the damage caused by the flood. “The force of the water broke the banks and the flooding, in the company, brought damages of about 500,000€ for damaged goods... not to mention lost sales! In addition, we have to add about EUR 200,000 in structural damage to one of our premises between the electrical system, forklifts, etc. Other figures to highlight are the cost of personnel employed in cleaning and the days when we could not carry out our business regularly. When will you be able to resume full production? Like good people from Romagna, we rolled up our sleeves and expect to complete the restoration work by the end of June; today we are 80 per cent operational. Many of our staff were themselves personally affected by the floods, which is why they have not yet been able to resume normal working hours. Are there products that will be affected more than others in the long term? Will there be price increases for the Horeca? Working with careful stock planning in anticipation of the summer season (which is already underway), damage and loss of some items, particularly disposable ones, may cause delays and shortages in availability. Nevertheless, we hope to minimise the problem. As far as price increases are concerned, we do not expect to make any price increases on our goods. How did your employees react? Clients and employees from all over Italy, as soon as they heard the news, showed great willingness and generosity, making us deliver much sought-after equipment during the emergency such as rubber boots, water pumps and cleaning products, materials that we shared with those in need. A gesture of generosity that we greatly appreciated. How are you working in this post-flood phase? We are currently completing the cleaning and restoration of the flooded warehouse, which is indispensable for us to be able to get back to business as usual. __________________________________ BOX Tin bota, Romagna There are several initiatives organised to raise funds to support Emilia Romagna. Among the many there is the one created from the collaboration between Aquila Basket and the Hotelier Trentino of Levico, realities that operate in the province of Trento. “Aquila Basket has always been very sensitive in doing initiatives of this kind, plus there’s a special and ancient bond with the region, both because of our captain Toto Forray and because of a successful event after the war, when the inhabitants of Lugo di Romagna helped those of Mori (Tn), and also because of the active and massive intervention of Trentino’s Civil Defence during the hardest days of the flood. This is what Stefano Trainotti , head of the Tin bota, Romagna dinner and coordinator of the Aquila Basket Trento solidarity projects, says. The dinner, based on typical Romagna dishes such as lasagne, piadine, crudo and squacquerone cheese, was hosted at the Grand Hotel Imperial in Levico. 130 people attended and about 20,000 euro were collected, which the Fondazione Aquila per lo Sport Trentino decided to allocate to the municipality of Lugo di Romagna. A figure also reached thanks to the charity auction of the game outfits worn by the Dolomiti Energia Trentino champions during the season and autographed. __________________________________ AT PAGE 22 FOCUS ON Italian cuisine knocks on UNESCO’s door GREEN LIGHT FOR CANDIDACY AS INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY. WHICH PROMISES TO BE A TOOL TO ATTRACT EVEN MORE TOURISTS TO OUR COUNTRY. TO THE ADVANTAGE (ALSO) OF RESTAURATEURS AND WHOLESALERS by Manuela Falchero ‘We have two years ahead of us in which we will have to promote our food in Italy and around the world’. This is how Culture Undersecretary Gianmarco Mazzi commented on the candidature of Italian cuisine in the Unesco representative list Ambrogio Tampieri , Commercial Director Leone Decorazioni