The founder
The research is never finished
When Giancarlo Ghiotto founded Mondeo in 1986, he had a clear and courageous vision to guide him: to bring a truly innovative product to market, capable of combining quality, efficiency and industrial sustainability. This great curiosity was a defining trait of his character, so much so that when asked what was the last thing he thought about before falling asleep, he would reply: “I always think about what I could do, mechanical solutions for example — it helps me sleep.”
With the passion of someone who deeply believes in their work, he loved to describe products as living beings, with a birth, an evolution and a maturity. For him innovation was not a destination but a continuous process: “The research is never finished,” he often repeated.
His entire professional career is a testament to this continuous search. After obtaining his diploma as an electrical engineering technician, Giancarlo was hired at Officine Pellizzari, where he quickly took on positions of responsibility. Yet already at the age of 26, he felt the desire to create something personal and so he resigned to dedicate himself to the production of single-phase motors. GG Motori was born and subsequently, in partnership with Vinicio Mettifogo, the pump company Calpeda. After some time Giancarlo decided to leave the partnership but continued to dedicate himself to pump production, founding Lowara. These were intense years in which the company continued to grow in Italy and abroad, attracting the interest of an American multinational. Once again Giancarlo chose change and charted a different course without abandoning the fluid handling sector.
With the founding of Mondeo, Giancarlo chose to focus on a pressed stainless steel valve: a niche solution, then unprecedented, that combined the performance of a premium material with an accessible price. A far from straightforward challenge, which required significant investment and the ability to believe in a market ready to recognise the value of quality. It is no coincidence that the first major feedback came from countries historically sensitive to technical excellence, such as Germany.
From those first check valves, Mondeo grew to develop a wide range of valves, manifolds and stainless steel components. At the heart of this journey, Giancarlo Ghiotto always placed product engineering, hydraulic efficiency and attention to processes, with a constant eye on cost optimisation and energy savings.
He loved to sketch ideas on paper, then discuss them with the technical office, convinced that technology — from 3D design to simulation — was a valuable tool, but never a substitute for thinking.
Today Giancarlo Ghiotto’s legacy continues to live in the philosophy of Mondeo: innovate with rigour, grow with consistency and never stop searching for better solutions.