A central figure in the Italian tanning industry. A point of reference for the entire sector, for its development and for having been able to assert himself on the international stage. On 24 August, Ezio Castellani, founder in 1977 of Sciarada Industria Conciaria (Castelfranco di Sotto), passed away at the age of 77. A man and a tanner whose life became the subject of a book, entitled Il Sogno di Testore (pictured right), presented last June.
Farewell to Ezio Castellani
An entrepreneur and tanner of marked sensitivity, not only from a human, business and association perspective. As told in the book, Castellani’s professional path (pictured left, in an archive photo from 2012) began in his teenage years as a warehouse worker at the tannery La Domani. “Belonging to one of the largest tanning groups in Santa Croce and the surrounding area, the Arno Group, which controlled up to eight companies”, Castellani described the experience as attending “the university of tanning activities”. In 1977, Castellani struck out on his own and founded Sciarada in Ponte a Egola together with Renato Di Sandro, Marino Signorini and Mario Landi.
In 1969, he married Simonetta Berti and became the father of Simone and Serena, who now run the family-run tannery. At the same time, he committed himself to numerous roles in industry representation, from those at UNIC – Italian Tanneries to the most recent, in 2021, when he accepted the presidency of Assoconciatori Santa Croce, of which he later became honorary president. All this without ever forgetting his greatest passion: the world of cars.
A leading figure of the tanning industry
“Tuscany”, said the president of the Region, Eugenio Giani, “loses one of the leading figures of a sector that is fundamental to Tuscan manufacturing”. A man who “knew how to act as a guide and inspiration for an industry in constant and profound change, able to interpret its needs and values”. “Ezio”, writes Leonardo Giovanni Terreni, author of Il Sogno di Testore, “is a seasoned captain of industry. Yet, within him still beats the heart of a boy, the same boy who dreamed with eyes wide open many years ago. He is not haughty, as might be expected of someone who has reached such heights, but rather makes humility one of his defining traits.
He acknowledges that, despite becoming a respected leader of the tanning sector, without a measure of good fortune he might not have achieved certain results. Coming from him—who faced many hardships, with a life marked by difficulties and setbacks from which he had to struggle to rise again—this only magnifies his human depth”. A protagonist in the truest sense of the word.
The tribute by Assoconciatori
“A man of extraordinary entrepreneurial ability”, reads a statement from Assoconciatori, “Ezio Castellani was a point of reference for the tanning sector. He was recognised both for the excellence of the results he achieved at the helm of his company and for the valuable contribution he made to the development of the Tuscan tanning district. He was one of the district’s leading figures, particularly during the industry’s most challenging cyclical period. Forward-looking and a champion of dialogue and collaboration as opportunities for growth, generous and possessed of great humanity, these are just some of the qualities Ezio Castellani consistently shared with colleagues and collaborators, always with humility and a spirit of service”.
