“An orchestra is made up of many elements, all important. Some may seem relevant compared to others, but this is not the case. All are indispensable, from the first to the last, from the biggest to the smallest. And Ocrim is like this, it could not exist without all its elements”
Alberto Antolini, CEO of Ocrim, opens the second – intense – day of “Wheat, flour and…” with this message and this reflection. But his speech continued by referring to Artificial Intelligence and its use, since he considers it “a formidable means that enriches our ‘Ocrim Orchestra’, our Human Capital, which cannot be cloned or replaced by anything else”.
Saturday, September 14
As on the previous day, at 10 in the morning the conference room was full of people, this time to watch and listen to Alberto Antolini, who did not fail to amaze the audience with his speeches related to current issues – such as AI or other topics discussed on both days of “Wheat, flour and …” – connecting them with the Ocrim world, or rather with “the Ocrim Family” and with the “Ocrim Orchestra”. To give guests a concrete vision of his speeches, he showed a video whose protagonists are the sounds, the “noise” of the processes, as well as the internal production of minority micro-objects, but essential for the implementation of a milling plant. A real “industrial and productive orchestra”, in which all the components are indispensable and fundamental for an excellent final result. The long-awaited corporate video “E il cerchio è sempre più rouge” was then shown, a true tribute to the sense of community and feeling of solidarity that constitute and nourish Ocrim. Human values are the true protagonists of the video, which features people from associations and entities that have long collaborated and are supported by the company.
It was then the turn of Francesca Bocchi, a long-time friend of Ocrim, who has been working with the company as a set designer for several years. Bocchi described the work environment as stimulating and welcoming, where Made in Italy is not just a slogan, but a concrete choice, carried out every day with coherence and deep gratitude. “Ocrim goes beyond the simple concept of Made in Italy, transforming it into Made in-with-for Italy,” explained Bocchi, describing the various projects linked to both corporate and territorial well-being, since – among other things – in collaboration with the Prefecture, Ocrim has implemented an integration plan, hosting twenty-three migrant families in its company boarding school for over a year. These people have not only been welcomed, but also trained, allowing them to integrate and develop skills that they can take back to their countries of origin.
The world granary and its changes
The conference – moderated by Giovanni Palisto, journalist of Cremona 1 TV – was opened by Francesco Pugliese, CEO of BF Educational and director of R&D BF spa, with a speech on ” Precision agriculture and innovative cultivation approaches”. Pugliese underlined how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed global balances, increasing the importance of the supply of raw materials. He spoke of the need to adopt an analytical approach to manage variability in agriculture, with a strong focus on research and development.
Gabriele Cola, researcher at the Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dept. – Università degli Studi di Milano, illustrated the ” Global challenges for wheat production the role of climate change and environmental factors”. During his speech, he explained that the Italian environment requires an efficient and targeted use of resources, suggesting referring to concrete data to better understand the agricultural seasons.
Gabriele Canali, professor at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza, Department of Agri-food Economics, addressed the topic “War and international crisis: effects on the international grain trade”. Professor Canali described how global events – in particular the swine fever epidemic and the war in Ukraine – have influenced prices and supply chains.
Lorenzo Morelli, professor at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Piacenza and Cremona, Dept. for Sustainable Food Process Faculty of Agriculture, food and environmental sciences, focused his speech on the question “Tomorrow’s granary will feature different cereal options?”. Morelli spoke about the future of grain cultivation, emphasizing how important it is to invest in Research and Development, for better management of water and, therefore, plant resources.
Finally, Marco Galli, director of the Ocrim Milling Technologies Department, focused his speech on “Wheat cleaning concept: Ocrim applied technologies” and on the importance of responding promptly and concretely to new customer needs. He also explained that it is a duty to improve cereal selection processes through advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (but not only), to guarantee a cleaner and more sustainable final product, thanks to the reduction of waste. Galli, during his speech, spoke of the need to focus and also rely on the needs and judgment of the final consumer, since he is more aware and prepared than in the past.
At the end of the conference, Palisto invited the president of Ocrim, Sergio Antolini, on stage to present the OP-prize, a prize that has the appearance of Pinocchio, an Italian literary and cultural icon. Like last year, the awards went to employees of both Ocrim and Paglierani, who stand out for noble or natural reasons, which may concern work achievements, young age or reaching a certain number of years of work.
But here is Alberto Antolini who gives a big surprise to his brother Sergio and to the entire audience: he rewards him for his long and intense career, made of passion and continuous growth, both professional and human. It was an emotional moment for the Antolini brothers, but also for those who attended and lived this experience with them, the delivery of a truly special OP-prize for career.
The day in the conference room ended with the screening of an exciting video presented by Alberto Antolini. The video, composed of a series of scenes from Ocrim videos from the last fifteen years, was a true celebration of the extraordinary evolution of the company. Under the enlightened and far-sighted guidance of the Antolini family, who took the reins of Ocrim in 2008, the company has experienced an unprecedented rebirth, thanks to targeted investments and a strategic vision that have brought it to levels of absolute excellence. The video, as a visual metaphor of unstoppable growth, testified to the commitment and dedication with which the Antolini family has led Ocrim towards increasingly ambitious goals, bringing it closer to the prestigious milestone of eighty years with an awareness and enthusiasm that suggest an even brighter future. Their leadership has transformed the company into a beacon of innovation and success, further strengthening its role as a global leader in the sector.
And for Saturday night, an Italian dinner was served, consisting of fried food, pizza with different types of dough and ice cream. Music could not be missed and, for this occasion, a rock band was invited that also played Italian songs known throughout the world, leading the guests to dance until late at night.
At the end of the event, many people complimented and thanked us for having found an organization and attention to every detail. Someone even asked us what we could have thought of for next year, the eightieth anniversary of Ocrim, given the success and the “richness” of this edition that has just ended…
To be continued…