Before valves, quick couplings, and international markets, there was a bicycle.

Every morning, Angelo Facchinetti, born in 1930 and founder of GEMELS, would ride his bicycle to his small workshop in Trescore Balneario, in the province of Bergamo, northern Italy. A tiny space, almost unimaginable compared to today’s industrial reality, where every machine barely found its place.

Just a few square meters, a few tools, and a big idea: do things properly, with precision, without compromise.

There were no expansion plans or global strategies. Only hands, time, and the determination to make everything work correctly. From that small beginning, among lathes, milling machines, and the smell of metal, and from a basement beneath Piazza Cavour in Trescore Balneario, the company that would become GEMELS S.p.A. was born in 1969.

Angelo learned his craft first at Somaschini in Trescore and later in Switzerland, like many workers who emigrated in search of experience. After returning to Italy and getting married, he decided to open his own small workshop, a true artisan “bottega”.

The early loss of his parents left a deep mark on his character and outlook on life. In particular, the disappearance of his father remains part of his personal history, still surrounded by unanswered questions.

The story of GEMELS is one of growth built step by step, through work, choices, and resilience.