1927 was an important year for Righetti Combustibili. It was the year Carlo Righetti began trading wood and coal, and transporting goods for third parties such as the Birra Lugano brewery, supported in no small part by his wife Luigina, who was integral to the company’s success.
In 1931, fueled by strong initial results and ambitious growth plans, the company relocated to dia Via Besso 44 in Lugano. Initially, there was a shed on the site for storing coal and firewood plus an administration building.
It was not until 1947, when son Tom joined the company, that significant expansion took place. This included installation of a heating oil storage facility and the purchase of the company’s first fuel truck.
Addition of new services
In the twenty years that followed, the company went from strength to strength and, in 1965, added tank cleaning and overhaul services and heating oil system modernization to the service offering. These services, closely linked to the core business, were considered strategically meaningful and profitable. From then on, customers received all the services required from a single source.
But let us return to the development of Righetti Combustibili.
During that time, rail became an important means of transport for both private individuals and businesses. This growth led to the purchase of the Taverne depot in 1972. The location was chosen because it could be supplied directly by rail, and still can today, if required.
In 1974, Carlo Junior became the third generation of the family to join the business. His skills and inventiveness would secure the company’s continued evolution over the next decades.
Righetti Combustibili SA
By the early 1990s, the company was firmly established in the canton and doing well. To ensure a healthy, durable company structure in the face of rising business challenges and ongoing market developments, the company changed its legal form to a joint stock company named Righetti Combustibili SA, with no changes to the characteristic family structure.
In 2002, following in the family tradition and in light of increased personnel requirements, Luisa, the youngest of the third generation of the family, also joined the company management.
Foundation of Righetti Service SA
As with all family businesses, Righetti Combustibili has a long and unabated history of innovation, as illustrated by the founding of Righetti Service SA in January 1993, a pioneer in sewer and drain cleaning. See the website for more information.
In 2011, Carlos’ second son, Andrea, took over management of Righetti Service. At the beginning of 2012, his eldest son Paolo also joined the company as a salesman and head of the tank repairs team for Righetti Combustibili SA.
In October 2016, after more than 85 years, Righetti Combustibili SA moved from its historic headquarters in Via Besso in Lugano to new premises in Mezzovico.
Forward-looking partnership with volenergy AG
In 2020, the rapid development of the fuel market led to an important chapter in Righetti Combustibili’s existence, with an equity purchase by the company that would later become volenergy AG. The Righetti family has long recognized the importance of finding a partner to secure the company’s future by introducing new and more efficient operational processes. A partner who believes in family businesses, loyal employees, and the importance of being anchored in the region.
We were lucky enough to find all this in volenergy. The transfer was thus arranged and has proven itself with time.
Into the future from 2024 with volenergy ticino SA
Paolo Righetti is the fourth generation of the family to head up the family business, which has continued to evolve and move with the times to provide its customers with the best possible energy services.
At the beginning of 2024, therefore, the merger between Righetti Combustibili and Pina Petroli was completed under the umbrella of volenergy Ticino SA. Together, the two are the lead suppliers of liquid fuel in the Ticino market and continue to proudly bear the historic energy brands Righetti Combustibili and Pina Petroli.
