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| HISTORY |
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50s
In the mid 50s the area around Tione has been interested by massive public construction work. Dams, tunnels, streets etc. are being built.
Adelmo Pellegrini and Pietro Caresano, 2 traders of protective garments for the construction workers decide to team-up and start a Company to sell protective garments, called Urania.
Soon the business picks up to the point where it becomes convenient to buy the rubber coated fabric and to internally saw the garments.
60s
In the early 60s, Urania buys used mill mixers, dissolving mixers, spread-coaters and autoclaves from Pirelli. At the same time one of the first solvent recovery systems in Europe for rubber coating is installed in 1962.
This marks the beginning of Urania in the rubber coated fabric market.
In the early to mid 60s the big construction projects in the area are finished so the marketing efforts are redirected into supplying different agencies of the Italian State.
Railroad, Post Office and Military workers are dressed with Urania garments.
An opportunity to expand into inflatable products (floating bridges for the Italian Armed Forces) leads to the birth of Novurania in 1964 which manufactures inflatable products with the fabric made by Urania.
Production of inflatable boats starts soon thereafter to become a time filler between one public contract and the next.
Also in the 60s, Urania begins offering rubber coated fabrics on the market, not using it only internally anymore.
70s
In the 70s, the production of rubber coated fabric for outside customers, and the production of inflatable boats outgrows the production of rubber coated fabric for internal use and the production of military inflatable products respectively.
In the second half of the 70s, Zodiac, the biggest manufacturer of inflatable boats switches from glued rubber coated fabrics to welded PVC, thus changing “the rules of the game”. Novurania is forced to heavily invest in quality, design and image, to justify the higher cost of the products manufactured by hand with a traditional technology.
Pietro Caresano dies in 1972. His family has no interest in the business and his shares are bought by outside investors.
Urania sets up an R&D department with laboratory, to properly prepare competing in the global market of rubber coated fabrics.
80s
In 1981 the production of protective garments is discontinued. The orders still coming in are filled out buying the garments from outside contractors.
In 1982 Urania and Novurania are merged, to simplify interchange. Since Urania is selling rubber coated fabric to industrial customers, while Novurania is selling inflatable boats to the public, the name Novurania is kept after the merger.
In 1983 Novurania of America, Inc., is born in Torrance California, to sell into the US market the inflatable boats manufactured in Italy.
In 1984 the first offset underblankets are produced.
1986 The first RIBS are produced and put in the market. The new series MX are launched on the market.
1989 The first fiberglass hull is built in the US by an outside contractor. The MX 430 is made in California, and marks the first US made Novurania RIB.
90s
1991 Novurania of America is moved from California to Florida, to take advantage of a more developed marine business environment.
Fiberglass production is started in-house by Novurania of America in 1991 in Miami.
In the course of the next 10 years, the production of all fiberglass hulls for all models is moved to Florida.
In the same time Novurania of America starts specializing the products more and more as tenders for megayachts.
1995 The R&D department for the marine business is moved from Italy to the US.
2000
In 2000 the fiberglass for all models is being produced in the US, and the last complete boat is manufactured in Italy.
2010
2010 The production of tubes (which are the last part of the boat still manufactured in Italy) is moved to the US.
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