“Extraordinary, impressive”. This is what German Chancellor Helmut Kohl said during one of his visits to Italy, when he was taken to travel through that immense industrial hinterland of Milan and Brianza that was so much talked about in Europe and Germany. And in fact, the most trusted suppliers of the great German Konzerne, especially those in the automotive sector, had been active here since the 70s. And among these SMEs, the one that had stood out for years from Lissone was OEB Allen Key, Officine Egidio Brugola, today a worldwide symbol of excellence Italian company in the sector, known in Italy as well as abroad, with an export share reaching 90%.
Brugola OEB, a century of innovation: from the Moon to the car
Its critical bolts secure the engine to the cylinder head in one in four cars worldwide. The probe Apollo Mission which, in 1969, took Neil Armstrong to the Moon was also built with Allen screws. The company was founded by the brilliant Egidio Brugola in 1926, on the basis of an innovation: the hexagonal socket head screw with twisted shank, which completely replaced the traditional, fragile Allen screws. And which, after being patented in 1946, then came perfected in 1993 by his son Giannantonio, equally brilliant, highly cultured and polyglot, with an even more performing version, the Polydrive, with a polyhedral head. From that moment on, with a growing internationalization, thanks to the innovation achieved and the philosophy Zero Defect applied in Brugola, the company has become a valued and privileged supplier of the world's major car manufacturers, such as the group Volkswagen. Founded in 1926, this Italian jewel will turn one hundred next year, an extraordinary milestone for a family business, extraordinary also for the complexity of the global economic scenarios in which it operates and the difficulties of its direct reference sector, the automotive sector.
How to Resist Market Crashes
The automotive world is today shaken by real techno-economic tsunamis that are causing very heavy losses along the Italian supply chain. But not at Brugola OEB. “The company recorded in 2024 – he tells FIRST online President Jody Brugola, grandson of the founder and also heir to that multifaceted genius that has distinguished the family – a consolidated figure of 186 million euros, with only a slight decrease of -2% compared to 2023, in the face of generalized market collapses. And with an Ebitda growing to 11%, with investments of 9,5 million euros and the strategic acquisition of Fimeur Srl, a historic and strategic partner of the Company, specialized in surface coatings for fastening elements”. Not only that, right in theannus horribilis for the sector, 2024, in April the company is returned to 100% family ownership, with the repurchase of 80% of the shares of the holding ABFSrl, previously held by A. Agrati SpA and Fontana Finanziaria SpA, which, in turn, indirectly held 30% of the Brugola group.
Behind the successes, the myth of the Zero Defect
The OEB Allen key is a classic path of entrepreneurial pride which, in an incessant industrial quality process, makes German, French and American companies aware of what Zero Defect means. “That is, thanks to a process managed in self-control by the various operators and the selection of 100% of the products, we put defect-free fasteners on the market”.
The family business becomes, thanks to this production record of high resistance and quality products, increasingly strong as a specialist in high-quality screws exclusively for the automotive sector. But the major changes that are taking place with the electric motor certainly require a reconsideration of programs, research, and investments. “We have been ready for electric mobility for some time, we are not against this evolution and have long been manufacturing small screws for all types of power supply, as well as specific fastening elements for batteries and electric cars. Our goal is to expand our customer portfolio, but we also want to understand and anticipate the future of the sector. Ultimately, I am optimistic about the company, while maintaining a realistic approach to the economy. We have been exploring new markets for years, supplying our products to customers all over the world.”
The secret, industrial flexibility
Precisely with a view to preparing for a transition that will not be without heavy consequences, the company has expanded customer range, types and materials, for example, using special steels such as A286 stainless steel. “But we are also using aluminum and copper to create an increasingly wider range of screws and special components. For this reason, five years ago, we hired a technical director with great experience in the automotive sector”. Radical changes in the industrial structure usually require large and frequent resources for new platforms. “Our lines and automation technologies for cold stamping,” Brugola replies, “can also be used with other alloys”.
The past and future unknowns
Two certainties characterise the path of the Italian multinational: the two main product innovations are protected by patents and the quality of the made in Brugola is now unrivaled. But there are also two unknowns: the decline of the traditional car and, in general, of the automotive industry and counterfeiting.
How did the Brianza-based company react to protect itself from these risks?
“We have won the lawsuits brought against us by German companies that contested the legitimacy of the patents. As for counterfeiting: behind each fastener there are years of know-how, studies and design. Counterfeiting a screw is not such a simple process”.
The decline of the automotive industry?
"Too many times the car has been given up for dead only to then become important again. And in any case, the company is ready to manage the big changes, even if we do not hide the heavy industrial and employment effects determined by the collapse of production and sales in Europe".
A prediction about the future, or who will be the only winner between the traditional car and the electric one?
"The ideal solution is to offer consumers the freedom to choose the type of fuel that best suits their driving, economic and family needs, thus leaving the possibility of opting for new-generation internal combustion engines, electric or hybrid. Obviously, at the same time, technologies are evolving to ensure low emissions, with an eye always on environmental sustainability. There are studies that state that today it is realistic to predict up to 20% of the circulating fleet of electric cars".
An opening for the automotive sector from Europe
After the competition from Chinese electric cars has become increasingly aggressive, the near immobility of the European Commission has been subjected to very harsh protests in the face of this growing danger for the entire European automotive supply chain and in particular for companies that, like Brugola, are an integral part of the supply chain. Above all for that sort of fundamentalism shown in focusing everything on the transition to the electric motor. Fortunately, something has moved in Europe, because Ursula von der Leyen has shown a more open technological approach.
