When did Piero Bambi, La Marzocco Honorary President, start building espresso machines? What is it that Melania, electrician in La Marzocco Home department, likes the most? Why does Enrico, Product Improvement Manager, ride his bike everyday on the hills surrounding the factory in Scarperia? We are sharing passions, stories and habits of some of the people who work for La Marzocco. That’s because our love for coffee goes along with passions that are strictly connected to the company philosophy.
PIERO BAMBI, HONORARY PRESIDENT LA MARZOCCO – 84 YEARS OLD
My first memories are about espresso machines. Coffee came later.
When I was a kid I just needed to go downstairs to be in the workshop. Getting to know mechanics was way easier than learning to recognize a good espresso. I used to join my father and uncle for machine installations around Tuscany and those are the first coffees I remember drinking. That’s also because when you are a kid, you usually just drink caffellatte. When I was 14, I went with my uncle to install a lever machine at a cafè and two usual customers were there to assist the entire installation. Once we were done, my uncle offered them an espresso.
He asked them if they found the coffee tasty and they replied that they preferred the one brewed with the old machine. Then the cafè owner grabbed a portafilter with some old coffee grounds and added some new grounds. The two customers found it excellent. Caffeine gives you addiction so when you get used to a certain blend, it is hard to change. That episode taught me not to ask how the coffee tastes, but instead to say something like “It’s good. Isn’t it?”; this way I express my thought on a certain blend and I tend to encourage a positive opinion.
DAVID – 28 YEARS OLD
I remember the satisfaction in the eyes of my grandma when I was planting some seeds or picking an eggplant, and I remember as well my grandpa who kept saying how lucky we were, being able to eat the fresh tomatoes from our garden for a snack and to have lunch with the vegetables that we’ve grown ourselves.
I saw them smiley and happy and it felt so good.
Face to a vegetable garden everyone is equal; you put things into perspective, no matter who you are and what you do. That’s why I like taking care of my vegetable garden, it’s like going back in time and space and with dirt underneath your fingernails you learn to respect nature and to value the beauty of waiting.
SCOTT – 33 YEARS OLD
Scott first discovered specialty coffee while in university in the beautiful beach town of Santa Cruz California. He was lucky to start his career in coffee as 3rd wave coffee was becoming popular in the United States, working for a number of iconic roasting companies. Starting his career as a barista, Scott went on to jobs in both coffee sales, and machine repair before moving to Seattle to work for La Marzocco USA.
During his time at La Marzocco USA Scott has held a number of positions moving from bench testing to product manager. Scott now works as Product Manager for La Marzocco globally. Scott’s role of product manager has him working the Research and Development team on new machine design, and the Marketing team on product related marketing. When he is not at work, you can often find Scott cooking with his wife Katy, or out for long walks with his dog Gibson.
ELEONORA – 35 YEARS OLD
To me yoga is a lifestyle and a continuous learning, and it is breath. There was a time – especially at the beginning – when I focused only on the physical exercise , then as time went by I have started paying more attention to the texts, the history and the principles of this complex and antique discipline.
I was lucky enough to spend a couple of months in India, just realizing how complex the history of this country is. Yoga is a constant reminder of that and it helps me to change perspective and to look at the world with fresh eyes.
ENRICO – 37 YEARS OLD
I love riding my bike, because I think it is the most efficient way to go from A to B. It’s less boring and draining than running, it is fast enough to bring you pretty far in a short amount of time and slow enough to enjoy every and each shade and detail of the surroundings. My passion for triathlon is emblematic of my restlessness, I have many passions that are intense and yet very fleeting.
I love this sport because it combines three different disciplines and I don’t have time to get bored going from one to the other. It’s a challenging sport, where your aim is not to get first place, but to complete the race. The true victory is over yourself.
DOMENICA – 30 YEARS OLD
When I wear my trainers and go for a run I feel like I am faster than my thoughts. When I began running, I started measuring my mood, questioning my body, my legs, my heart, my lungs and my head to understand how they were feeling. The true beauty of a run is that what is at the finishing line doesn’t matter, because what you’re feeling when running is more important: the strength of the start, the weariness, the fear not to make it.
Running allows you to do something for yourself, teaches the body to bear the strain and the struggle trough long trainings, and most of all makes us feel able to reach a goal. I love running because it is something that we can do on our own, by leveraging our willpower. In the end it doesn’t even matter if we get the results. When you go out for a run, you are alone with yourself and the most important thing is to push through your inner limits.
MELANIA – 33 YEARS OLD
Life can really take you somewhere unexpected, working for a company like La Marzocco, or practicing a sport like rugby – the least usual for a woman.
In May 2013 the Amazzoni – team that I still belong to -took part for the first time in the Italian seven-a-side rugby championship. Unfortunately, the first years we didn’t reach any satisfying result, but courage, perseverance and our being a family more than a team brought us to reach the first valuable result during the 2016 season and to qualify for the national finals. From there I moved to Calvisano, a memorable team where players like Paul Griffen (half back and previous player of the Italian national rugby team) have played. In 2017 and 2018 we qualified as best team both in Tuscany and in Italy. A huge achievement!
After an injury, this year I am back at it as a trainer for kids from 6 to 9. I help them approach this amazing sport and understand that your team is your second family and that you get to share happy and sad moments with your teammates. Even though I am no longer on the field, I am thrilled to pass along my passion for rugby to younger generations.
ANDREA – 31 YEARS OLD
My passion for slot cars started just randomly. While cleaning up the attic with a friend of mine, I found an old Polistil racetrack and we decided to try it to step back in time. Since then we have started wondering how slot cars had evolved and with research we discovered a world made of small artisans and designers who had turned their hobby into something bigger and made slot cars electronic.
Motivated by this huge passion, I had an exact replica of the Mugello racetrack installed at La Marzocco headquarter. The system was digitalized and each car features a chip that records times, laps, tyre wear and lots of other data. This remarkable system is now available for everyone to use, so that during our breaks at work we can drink an espresso and have a quick competition.
ALLA – 29 YEARS OLD
My name is Alla, 29. I’ve been working at La Marzocco for about 6 months, as Marketing Coordinator. I welcome guests as a Factory Visit Specialist, manage content on our social media networks, write blogs and articles, and provide support in partnerships/ collaborations. Wearing many hats in the Marketing and Communications office, anywhere help is needed!
My life changed drastically in these past years, moving from a fast-paced lifestyle in Los Angeles, California to a calm and quaint Being in the countryside here in Tuscany. Life is a journey, you really never know what beautiful gifts it will bring- keep putting your best foot forward and doing your best.
Credit: Michael Gardenia – Fusillo Lab
