From Naples to Germany to offer jobs: the Menarini Group's success story is a "reverse emigration." Born in a Neapolitan pharmacy, the Group gradually expanded to Germany and Eastern Europe. In 1992, it acquired Berlin Chemie, one of the most important pharmaceutical companies in the former GDR, founded in 1890 and nationalized after World War II. Today, Berlin Chemie is an Italian excellence that has defied German skepticism, operating in more than 30 Eastern European countries with annual revenues of €1.6 billion and a 15% increase in production over the past five years. But, far more importantly, it employs 6200 people, 2300 of whom are German, including many young people: "I like to recall our origins, also to explain a little about the company philosophy," says Attilio Sebastio, Managing Director of Berlin Chemie. "The Group was founded in Naples and first established itself in southern Italy. When it was "ready," it expanded throughout the peninsula. Then, it expanded first into southern Europe and then into France and Germany. At first, it seemed impossible that Italians could launch a business project in Germany, partly because of the prejudices that often surround us. Instead, not only did we enter Europe's largest pharmaceutical market and the former Soviet Union when the Wall fell, but we also brought a lot of work during a difficult time of transition. In fact, instead of dismantling the company and laying off employees, we invested in production, marketing, distribution, sales, and medical-scientific information. The result is that today we are one of the very few success stories in the privatization of companies in the former East Germany." In addition to production, great importance is given to research: "Berlin Chemie is now the Group's largest production site (which also includes hubs in Florence, Barcelona, and Singapore), and in 2012, a major research project in oncology began." Finally, great attention is paid to young people: "Young people are our asset, and we dedicate a great deal of training to them through school-work programs. In a certain sense, we create a "breeding ground" for young people who come to learn from us and then have the opportunity to join the company after having truly acquired a series of skills." Thus, when they graduate from high school, they are ready for work, because there is no "disconnect" between the world of school and the world of work: "Even people with disabilities are hired by our company and are included in the staff like everyone else. We currently employ 40 of them; we assign them simpler and less tiring tasks, they are supervised by two specialized people, and they all feel like an integral part of our large family."
Simonetta de Chiara Ruffo
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