Terno Scorreloli's story began a few years after the Second World War in a period in which the Italian economy was characterised by a wide-scale economic and financial crisis. This precariousness actually pushed two resourceful young businessmen, Agostino Terno and Giuseppe Dedè, to set up their own company despite the fact that adequate space, equipment and, most of all, the security of solid capital were missing. In 1950, Terno&Dedè came into being: a company that was initially composed of its two owners and subsequently enlarged to include some of their family, including Benito and Franco Terno. The company's history can be divided into different stages, characterised by the most important events and structural modifications. The period from 1950 to 1954 can be defined as the first stage of production: the company produced clips for the backs of radio equipment, brake hinges, runners for furniture and shop display cases. These articles and, in particular, articles A1, A2, B1 and B2, which are still produced and in the catalogue (as article 11, 12, 21 and 24 respectively), were used in the early '50's for sliding furniture such as that used in bars with radios and phonographs. The first significant change took place in 1954 and represented the company's first material opportunity to increase production. The appearance and wide-scale spread of the television stimulated the design and production of new articles, such as different types of castors for furniture housing televisions. Since its incorporation, the company has always been very aware of external trends and has an active research & development unit. Obviously these innovations required modifications in terms of space and equipment and the company moved from Via S Luigi to Via XXV aprile 51 in Limbiate (MI). In 1955, one of the owners' brothers, Luigi Terno, set up his own business consisting of mechanical processing which was complementary to that of Terno&Dedè. 1956 was another stepping stone in the company's history: Agostino Terno designed a new wheel, which he called double differential wheel and this completely changed the use thereof from then on. This type of double wheel allows the piece of furniture to move in any direction thus reducing friction with the floor to a minimum. This design was deposited as an industrial patent on 11 September 1956, unfortunately only in Italy for 15 years which meant that many other foreign companies were able to copy this innovative mechanism. However, it represented a considerable success for the company. The most obvious example of the use of this new article can still be seen today in office chairs which move easily and without effort. This article can be considered a real technological breakthrough as the design and most of the production of wheels, blocked for any years with old models with single wheels, only took off at the beginning of the '60's. The ten years from 1958 to 1968 were the most productive in the company's history. All production of sliding articles and wheels for furniture, brass trolleys with glass shelves for food was increased; the company acquired large customers both in the wholesale hardware sector and in the furniture industry. This increase in production made it necessary to enlarge the business in 1960 and a second workshop was built beside the original one. Further to the increase in demand for the articles already produced, the company began to design and construct hoarding on metal frames which were used for advertising purposes by leading companies such as Ferrero, Buitoni, Pepsi Cola, Perugina. Another example of the innovativeness of the company is the design and sale of plate racks throughout Italy; the company replied to market and consumer demand concurrently with the birth of the 'American style' kitchen. After eighteen years of intense cooperation, the two owners, Agostino Terno and Giuseppe Dedè, found themselves in the position where they had differing opinions on how to manage production and what to concentrate on. They jointly decided to wind up the company and to divide the business and production. On 1 May 1968, a new company Officine Terno was incorporated and since then it has concentrated on the development of sliding articles for display cases, joints for bars, food trolleys and brake hinges. It began to design and purchased the equipment necessary for the production of pneumatic sewing machines for upholsters and carpenters. During the period from 1968 to nearly the end of the '70's, this company grew at a satisfactory level as did its production; in fact, the equipment, machinery, presses, sliding articles for display cases and furniture were increased. The wife of the owner, Mrs Margherita Lavezzari and later their two sons Giovanni and Francesco (in 1971) also began to work in the company. In the early '70's, the company started to export its products successfully to some EU and non-EU countries. In 1978, Terno Minuterie, managed by the two sons, Giovanni and Francesco, was set up to work with Officine Terno due to the significant increase in production of slides for furniture, serving the entire furniture sector from wardrobes, kitchens, halls, sitting rooms and internal doors. A research & development unit was created to study new articles. In 1979, both companies successfully participated at their first (regional) trade fair. The first half of the '80's was a period of reflection for both companies on their current and future positions; certain articles for the special hardware sector were eliminated as obsolete and it was decided to specialise in slides for furniture and doors. Mrs Maria Adele Villa, the wife of Giovanni Terno, joined the company as manager in charge of the administrative office. In the second half of the '80's, the company completed its sales network in Italy using regional representatives. The adjustable slide for wardrobes was patented in Italy, adopted by many other companies in a slightly different form, and fast became the best selling article of the sector. It was presented immediately in 1988 at the company's first international trade fair, SASMIL Milan, at which it participated due to the significant increase in demand for slides for furniture and doors and made the first contacts with major foreign companies. During these years, Omodei Export Department worked intensively with the company looking after its foreign customers. In 1990, an advertising campaign in specialist magazines and at national and international trade fairs, foreign catalogues and communications was undertaken. Due to the level of growth, the two companies, Terno Minuterie and Officine Terno, decided to pool their resources and jointly agreed to merge to become Terno Scorrevoli in 1991. In 1993, due to its rapid growth and significant demand for products, the company acquired new offices suitable for the increase in production in Via XXV aprile 73, Limbiate (MI). Again in the early '90's, the range of articles was extended, some of them were patented such as the hide-away rod for doors, the hinge with the release spring for wardrobes, the guide for a slide for folding doors and the automatic release sliding guide for wardrobes. In 1994, the Artisan Chamber of Commerce (Camera di Commercio Industria dell'Artigianato) awarded gold metals to certain of the many companies that had consigned detailed reports about their operations attaching information about their patents. One of these companies was Officine Terno s.n.c. di Terno Agostino for 26 years of praiseworthy activity. The ceremony took place at the Scala Theatre of Milan where the famous conductor Riccardo Muti directed a special concert (he also received an award together with the then European Commissioner Mario Monti). Many important persons were present such as the mayor of Milan and the president of the Lombard Regional Authority. In the mid '90's, production and sales levels increased both for Italy and abroad due partly to the increasing demand for slides suitable for use with aluminium doors, the traditional ones were tubular. In 1997, the company registered an international patent for an article for aluminium doors, assembled without having to use any type of external processing. Thanks to this innovation which eliminated many different technical problems with punching, milling and precision positioning, furniture makers are now able to stock bars with a length of six metres and subsequently cut them to the length requested by the customer and thus deliver them in a very short period of time. This innovation increased once again the request for slides for aluminium doors used for furniture. In 1998, the company received the prize for technological innovation from the Lombard Regional Authorities for this patent. In 1999, given the enormous success of the company both in Italy and abroad and the continuous increase in orders, Terno Scorrevoli decided to concurrently increase both its warehouse to include new machinery and equipment and the semi-finished goods warehouse, used for aluminium and accessories. It thus doubled its covered and uncovered work area.