Protagonists of the wood industry

Trade and woodworking since 1922

A hundred years of history and innovation

A hundred years old company, like the wood we work

In 1922 the company history began, that year after year has been enriched with new chapters and new protagonists, always under the guidance of the founder's family. Going through the most important stages of this journey, we find the strength and inspiration to look to the future with the same confidence as those who have preceded us.

1922
1932
1942
1950s
1961
'80s -' 90s
1992
2005
2007
2014
2019
2020
2021
2022
March 2023
1922
1932
1942
1950s
1961
'80s -' 90s
1992
2005
2007
2014
2019
2020
2021
2022
March 2023

The sawmill was born

In Tirano, in the province of Sondrio ,on the border with the Canton of Graubünden, in the postwar period, Paolo Ninatti, a surveyor, started a sawmill business in collaboration with the Ferdinando Carini firm.Initially it counted on 8 workers.

The death of the founder

Just ten years after its foundation, the company was hit by the sudden and premature death of its founder. His wife, Cesira Maraffio, succeeded him at the head of the business; over time she demonstrated excellent entrepreneurial skills, leading the sawmill to further expand its range of action.

The new plants in Valtellina

Those between the '30s and' 40s were years of growth for the company, which inaugurated a second sawmill in Tirano, opened a plant in high Valtellina, in Isolaccia, and transferred its registered office to Sondrio. In 1942 the new sawmill in Bormio joined the production plants, which remained active until the end of the Second World War.

Postwar period

The slow economic recovery after the end of the war allowed the sawmill to continue its activity, even though with many difficulties. In the early 1950s, one of the two plants in Tirano was closed and the first operating site outside the region was inaugurated, a sawmill in Vipiteno in Trentino-Alto Adige, which was then sold in 1958.

The final name and registered office

The company was named “ Industria Legnami Tirano “ name that it still has today, and was managed by a representative of the Carini family and by Elio Ninatti, son of Paolo and Cesira. The registered office returned to Tirano: first it was in the city centre and then, in 1969, it was moved where the current industrial zone is located.

The development and re-launching of the company

The activity grew over the years, increasing its production volumes and orders, also thanks to the favourable conditions of the Swiss market, where most of the wood came from. At the beginning of the Nineties, however, the ILT was forced to face a period of contraction of the demand and difficulty at an international level: in this period, the company chose to invest in technological innovation and in the expansion of the company's spaces, with the objective of increasing efficiency and diversifying the production.

Montana wood and secondary processing

ILT acquired Montana Legno, a company from Valtellina specialized in the construction of urban furniture and outdoor wooden structures, with a wood carpentry workshop, and transformed it into its own internal division. At the same time the secondary processing department was also started, which expanded the range of sawmill products.

Legno & Sondrio

Industria Legnami Tirano opened a sales point in Sondrio dedicated to DIY, named Legno & Sondrio: an area of about 4000 square meters, addressed mainly to hobbyists , for purchases and small processing, which still represents the ILT headquarters in the capital of Valtellina today. In the same year, the company obtained the authorization to carry out Heat Treatments (HT) on semi-finished and finished wood packaging material.

Always keeping up with times

Under the guidance of Paolo Ninatti, namesake of the founder, who took over from his father Elio at the beginning of 2000 as Sole Administrator, ILT continued the path of differentiating its offer: It was no longer a simple sawmill, but a complex and modern system made of diversified production companies, able to satisfy all the needs of an ever-growing clientele. In fact, ILT incorporated the Arbor Legnami company in Mazzo di Valtellina, which brought to the company an additional plant of 20,000 square meters, about ten specialized employees and specialized know-how in the design and production of wooden structures and roofs, as well as the creation of an internal Technical Office with professionals and cutting-edge tools.

Galli Legnami Lecco

The company's acquisition plan was enriched by a new chapter. This time it was the Galli Legnami to join the group, a historical reality in Lecco founded in the same years of ILT and specialized in the construction and installation of roofs, houses and large wooden structures. The Lecco headquarters also became an important commercial outpost for Industria Legnami Tirano to manage new orders throughout Lombardy.

Upgrading every department

After almost a century of life, ILT confirms itself as one of the main protagonists in the wood industry in Italy, and continues to operate according to its history and tradition, always looking towards the future to anticipate the evolutions of the market and of the entire sector. In recent years the company has carried out improvements in all its departments, to be able to respond to the requests of every client promptly and with the highest quality.

Transfer of our structural carpentry business unit to our affiliate Legnotech

On 1 January 2020, ILT sold its carpentry unit and associated technical department to its affiliate Legnotech S.p.a, a company specialising in the construction of wooden structures and buildings, also headquartered in Tirano, Lombardy. This deal enabled the two companies to create a leading national enterprise in the timber construction sector.

Remodelling of our offices

Remodelling of our office building, in line with the ‘Passive House DomusMia’ protocol, began, completed in March 2022. The existing structure, made entirely from traditional materials (bricks and concrete), was redeveloped using eco-sustainable insulating materials, reducing energy consumption by up to 90%. Particular care was devoted to cladding of the ventilated façades, made from seasoned and naturally treated pine wood. The result is particularly striking from an aesthetic perspective.

ILT celebrates 100 years of history

In 2022, Industria Legnami Tirano celebrated a century of operation. 100 years have gone by since the birth of the business and Paolo Ninatti’s sawmill evolved through the 20th century and entered the new millennium in the spirit that has always set ILT apart: a tireless quest for improvement and innovation, never for their own sake but always with the aim of meeting - and, where possible, anticipating - market demands and satisfying an ever broader clientèle with increasingly diverse requirements.

Industria Felix Award

Industria Felix Magazine awarded Industria Legnami Tirano the ‘High Budgetary Honour’ for best small business headquartered in the Sondrio province for management performance and financial soundness, in collaboration with the leading Italian information provider Cerved.

ILT locations

Operating in Valtellina, present in Lombardy and throughout Italy

Tirano headquarters

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Sondrio headquarters

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Lecco headquarters

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ILT -Tirano headquarters

That of Tirano is the historic headquarters of Industria Legnami Tirano, located in the industrial area of the city on the border with Switzerland, in a strategic position for the supply of raw materials from across the border.
Here, on an area of 35 thousand square meters, there are the wood processing plants, all modern and highly technological. The company also has large outdoor spaces for the storage of domestic and foreign wood, which guarantees immediate availability for quick deliveries.

ILT - Sondrio headquarters

The presence of Industria Legnami Tirano in Sondrio is linked to the historic store Legno & Sondrio dedicated to DIY, with wholesale and retail trade of the main ILT products, from semi-finished wood products to cutting to size, and also where small processing is carried out for private clients.
The Sondrio headquarters also serves as a commercial reference point for the middle and lower Valtellina.

ILT - Lecco headquarters

The ILT Lecco headquarters is located in Galbiate, in the place where until 2014 the local company Galli Legnami was, which was then acquired by Industria Legnami Tirano. An historical reality, also born in 1922, specialized in residential construction and wooden roofs.
Today the Lecco headquarters play s a purely commercial and representative role in the heart of Lombardy, offering the company's quality services to the territories of Como, Lecco, Erba, Brianza, Milan and its province.

Paolo Ninatti

Sole Administrator

Ettore Salandi

Head of the administration and of the sawmill waste department

Monika Toppi

Administration and Purchase Management

Monica Izzo

Quality System Management

Sandra Moratti

Head of management control

Elia Mora

Head of research and development

Simona Della Bona

Safety health precautions, Head of round and sawn wood department

Gianmario Pedrotti

Linea Montanalegno® manager

Stefano De Campo

Head of Linea Montanalegno® department

Germano Gianoncelli

Sawmill manager

Antonio Signorelli

Head of the sawmill department

Roberto Gabrielli

Head of round planing department