An All-Italian
Entrepreneurial Story

Bologna, 1917. Fabio Leonardi founded, in Via del Porto — an area close to the city center — the manufacturing company that still bears his name today. The choice of location was not accidental; on the contrary, it was a highly strategic one. It allowed the machinery to be powered by the hydraulic energy of the Reno Canal, which at that time was still open and used for commercial navigation.

Here, the world’s first tomato crusher was born, followed — in 1937 — by the first meat grinder made in Italy, thanks to the acquisition of an English patent.
Since then, the company has never stopped growing, becoming one of the oldest businesses in Bologna and in Italy.

World War II became an opportunity to prove the founder’s determination and perseverance. Despite the hardships and the extensive damage caused by bombings — which mainly targeted industrial areas — the Leonardi family refused to give up. They decided to move their operations to Anzola dell’Emilia, where the company’s production, logistics, and headquarters are still based today.

Over the years, production has expanded and modernized, introducing the first models equipped with electric motors. For more than a century, the company’s commitment to innovation has remained unchanged — a driving force constantly at work to meet the evolving needs of the market and to create high-performance machines for both domestic and semi-professional use.

In Leonardi machines, the most advanced technology meets the authentic taste of tradition.
And it has been that way for over 100 years.