1952

The Group was founded in 1952 in Casale Monferrato by Luigi Bonzano, initially operating in the timber sector with the processing of raw materials as its main activity. The range of services expanded in a relatively short period of time and the company also began to offer itself as a supplier in the production of wooden packaging.

The ‘60s

Over the years the company has grown steadily, expanding its working horizons to logistics, with a substantial surge in the seventies, when Luigi's son Piero Carlo joined the family business. He will guide the company's entry and development in the integrated logistics sector, placing it among the leaders of the global market in the years to come.

the ‘70s

In 1976, just a few years from his entry into the family business, Piero Carlo, acquiring the different production technologies and management techniques, assumes full responsibility for the Packaging Division (which will transform into Argol in the ‘80s) and develops it with excellent results. The company Villanova was founded a few years later, in the town of the same name near Asti. The company's main activity will be focused on packaging, transport and shipping in the automotive sector. The company Villanova, together with Argol, will become the protagonist of the merger that will lead to the creation of the Argol Villanova Group in 2012.

The ‘80s

Piero Carlo Bonzano took over the leadership of his division in 1983 and transformed it into an independent company with the name of Argol, expanding its activities in order to offer customers progressively all-inclusive solutions. As the sole director, to give new impetus to Argol in a very difficult market phase with a reduction in product demands and the elevated prices of raw materials, Piero Carlo transforms and changes the mission, expanding the operational range and through the acquisition and creation of companies active in transport, shipping and logistics, Argol quickly became an important point of reference in the field of integrated logistics.

the'90s

Parallel to the acquisitions, Piero Carlo Bonzano develops activities in the industrial and integrated logistics sectors with the acquisition of international customers, giving way to the construction of new logistics centres and the establishment of new companies both in Italy and abroad. Among these, the Polish company Sistema Poland and the Brazilian company Villanova do Brasil with the branch in Argentina. The nineties are therefore marked by a solid expansion in foreign markets and by a strong development of integrated logistics activities, aimed at guaranteeing a complete offer that is more and more tailored to the customer. Warehouse and platform logistics, factory logistics, industrial packaging and intermodal transport by road, rail, sea and air thus become the Group's core business, also completed by Engineering and ICT services.

After the expansion from "Packaging Production" to "Logistics", Argol also sees a moment of important growth in the Energy Oil & Gas sector. The endeavours of the commercial and technical team, prudently selected and led by Piero Carlo, begins to bring the first significant results (acquisition of important customers such as Nuovo Pignone) that will shortly allow Argol to secure the role of sector leader, leading finally to the creation in 2000 of a new logistics centre in Guasticce (Livorno) - today considered as a global centre of excellence and a symbol of a fervent partnership with the customer.

The 2000s

Piero Carlo Bonzano’s ambitious project to enter the air cargo sector is also part of this expansion and diversification process, which began in the 1990s and was boosted in the 2000s with the establishment of Argol America and the two companies operating in China, Argol Villanova China and Argol Packaging China. Through the acquisition of Cargo Merci Fiumicino Srl (2007) and by acquiring the majority of Malpensa Logistia Europa SpA (2009) from SEA spa for the management of the freight traffic of both Milanese airports (Malpensa and Linate) the Group has established itself as one of the major operators in the handling of airport cargo, becoming the first Italian logistics operator (with the company Argol Air Logistics which will change name to BCUBE Air Cargo in 2014). The air cargo sector remains one of the most strategic areas of the Group's business.

2012

Piero Carlo Bonzano, for years the architect of the Group’s main initiatives and strategic operations, makes an important economic change, promoting and achieving the union and merger of the two family companies. After purchasing the majority of the Argol group in 2008, he also took over the majority of the Villanova group in July 2012, leading to the creation of a single entity - the Argol Villanova Group - in December 2012. The integration and subsequent merger enable the new-born Argol Villanova Group to position itself, in terms of size and capability, among the main international leaders and compete with global players, responding to new market challenges. The recognition of these industrial actions has not gone unnoticed; in fact Assologistica, the most important Italian sector association and the Chamber of Commerce of the Province of Alessandria, awarded President Bonzano respectively the 2012 Logistics Award and the 2012 Entrepreneur Award. A year later, in 2013 he obtained the appointment of “Cavaliere del Lavoro” (Order of merit for Labour), from the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano, in the "Industrial Logistics" field.

2014

In 2014, a trend bucking and very courageous choice - change of name. Aware of the fact that the future is also at stake on the communication front, Piero Carlo Bonzano decides to entrust Oliviero Toscani with the restyling of the company's image. This operation leads to the creation of the new logo and the change of name from "Argol Villanova Group" to "BCUBE"; B as the initial of the Bonzano family name and "cube" as "elevation to power and multiplier of activities", but also as the six faces of a cube and the same number of strengths: breadth of services offered, international presence, partnership with leading global industrial groups, specialization in high value-added services, customization and operational flexibility, historical continuity and managerial management.

"We asked Oliviero Toscani to renew the Group's image - explains President Piero Carlo Bonzano - because we felt the need to present ourselves on the world market with a simplified and at the same time stronger image. "Argol Villanova" is certainly a beautiful name, very evocative and stylish, but perhaps not suitable for the globalized world in which the company operates today. "BCUBE" is easy to remember, visually sharp, pronounceable in the same way all over the world. "BCUBE" represents for us a new globally oriented phase, even if the territorial links with our place of origin remain extraordinarily strong".

2015

The acquisition of minority shares in the logistics branch of the Granarolo Group - of the company Zeroquattro Logistica - a company of integrated logistics services with a specific, though not exclusive, vocation to the fresh food products market managed in a chilled chain from 0 to 4° C, represents a fundamental element of BCUBE's expansion program in the food sector and is also an important moment for the entire sector, as it leads to the birth of a new player, with unique characteristics and strongly oriented towards development, not only in Italy but also and in particular on foreign markets. With the agreement signed on 1st January 2015, BCUBE clear-sightedly enters in the logistics of Food, enriching its organization with skills, resources and dedicated means: over 150 personnel, 8 central platforms and 32 transit points in Italy, equipped with cold storage to serve the large-scale retail outlets daily. The Bologna platform becomes the main hub of the newly formed division.

In May 2019, the majority transition completes the operation started in 2015. It will be an important step towards a further expansion of the range of services at a national and international level, which will lead BCUBE to strengthen its position as an increasingly solid and dynamic reality, characterized by a high quality standard and a marked tendency towards offer personalization.

2016

Construction work was completed at the end of 2015 on the Group's new headquarters, officially inaugurated on 20th May 2016 in the presence of the most important local and regional authorities. The new BCUBE headquarters is a strong symbol of the strengthening of the group's identity that, despite its global dimension, remains strongly rooted in the territory and has always expressed its desire to enhance the framework of its city of origin. The project identifies and expresses, also architecturally, the company's extremely innovative approach and aptitude for excellence. The philosophy with which the new headquarters was designed is based on the concepts of brightness, transparency, comfort and great attention to the functionality of spaces. The entire building was designed and built according to the most advanced sustainability criteria and reduced environmental impact. "I felt that the building had to express an innovative approach and transmit energy and serenity, allowing those who work there to feel comfortable, but above all to continuously feel part of a team and a project. It is here that the pulsating heart of BCUBE beats and it is here that we have concentrated the pillars of our business" said President Piero Carlo Bonzano during the inauguration ceremony.

2018

The year 2018 begins with entry into a new sector - that of fashion and textiles. B FASHION was created from the partnership between BCUBE and M2Log (logistics spin-off of the Miroglio Group) - the new player in the world of clothing and retail logistics. The alliance, with both strategic and commercial purposes, aims to create a new terminal of logistic excellence capable of fully exploiting the best skills of the two companies. B FASHION allows the development of significant collaborations between the two realities, proposing itself as a highly competent and competitive player on the constantly evolving market of distribution logistics in the fashion sector. Thanks to this strategic partnership, BCUBE enriches its territorial presence with two new warehouses: Pollenzo in the province of Cuneo and Castagnole delle Lanze in the province of Asti for a total covered area of 90,000 m2 dedicated to the fashion & luxury supply chain. The opening of new hubs in Bologna and Florence is in start-up, in order to expand the geographical network of the sector.

2019

The year 2019 sees the establishment of a new division - BCUBE CONNECT, which was in fact created from the fusion of multiple experiences of BCUBE in the field of transport and shipping and is part of a broad path of enhancement and consolidation of the internal interactions. It is an important step towards an ever-greater integration of the Group's offer in the transport and shipping field. It is a particularly demanding sector that requires ever more flexibility, quality and reliability. The current distribution needs in Italy and globally are intensely evolving and therefore the logistics operator must also be able to respond to new market needs. BCUBE is ready to face this new and ambitious challenge and offer its customers, through BCUBE CONNECT, an increasingly specialized, complete and efficient service. The division offers a versatile and complete offer that adds value to the customers' business, contributing to their success with a range of articulated and integrated services to meet all shipping needs: from last mile management services to specific solutions for the management of returns, from the project cargo to the international offer that includes road & rail services.

2019 also sees an important growth in the Air Cargo division which takes its first step towards internationalization and becomes a new reference point in Ostend-Bruges Flanders International Airport for the European air freight market.