The “Compagnia Italiana Magneti Americani” (CIMA) was founded in 1915 and it was taken over by Giovanni POMATI and one of his “comrade-in-arms” at the end of the Great War in 1922.
The aim of the company was the maintenance and the manufacture of the ignition magnets and of the electric installation of cars and lorries which were used for the American expedition in Europe during the First World War.
The seat was located in Casa Tanzi (Tanzi’s Home) in Largo Donegani in Milan.
The name was changed into “Compagnia Italiana Magneti Accessori” (CIMA).
Immediately after the Great War, there was a particularly favourable moment for the car industry. Therefore the company, which had been known for the maintenance of its products, obtained the Italian representation of two of the greatest American manufacturers of magnets and electric installation: American – Bosch and Eiseman.
Afterwards CIMA was chosen also by the English “LUCAS” one of the greatest factories, all over the world in that sector, at that time.
With the spread of fascism, the Anglo-Saxon countries decided to limit the exports towards Germany and Italy.
Giovanni POMATI had so the intuition to place, near the maintenance and sales activity, the production in Italy of some manufactures which were imported from foreign countries.
At the beginning of the 30s a productive factory was inaugurated in Milan in Via Fabio Filzi near the future Central Railway Station which at that time was under construction.
This choice proved to be the winning one : in 1935 the United Nations Society, due to the Italian attack in Ethiopia, decreed the “Economic Sanctions” so that Italy couldn’t import almost anything from the occidental countries.
Few years after the opening of the first factory, another one was inaugurated in Via Volta, which was dedicated to the production of injection pumps of the diesel engines.
At the beginning of the war, the activity seemed to be the same without slackening in production: the supplies for the civil means diminished but, the military ones grew.
The war action of the English Aviation was almost inexistent until 1943, when the first bombardment of Milan took place.
The dropping of a great quantity of fire bombs led an enormous quantity of fire, which caused a devastating effect on the city and on the population.
The two principal CIMA’s factories were both destroyed by the bombs but, fortunately, an underground storeroom which was decentralized from the factories rescued and it would be very important for the future : at that time , as a matter of fact, the industrial warehouse and the roofs of the houses were made of wood, so they were highly flammable.
The following years were particularly dark: the work was paralysed and the government wasn’t able to pay war damages (they will be indemnified only in 1970).
The company moved to a seat in Niguarda (Milan), where the machines and the equipment were slowly reconditioned.
Around 1950 the economic recovery started but CIMA lost LUCA’s representation, which at that time represented an important part of the revenues : the English company had decided to open a direct branch in Italy.
In those years the production restarted: at the beginning it was in a factory located in Via Padova, then in Via Leoncavallo.
When Franco POMATI, son of the founder Giovanni, became a member of the company, the manufacture of the electric spare parts for cars was abandoned and the company decided to restart working for the Italian state railways and it focused on the production of DC electro wound field motor.
This kind of motor has different uses: within forklift trucks, for lifting as electropumps or for traction connected to reducers; in the sailing it is used to drive windlasses, turn jibs, mainsails and winches.
In 1971 the new factory was built in Cologno Monzese and the company is currently headquartered there.
Nowday
When Luigi POMATI, grandson of the founder, became a member of the company, the manufacture of permanent magnet motors was introduced and the AC motors were improved.
The technical office was empowered, renewed and provided with advanced calculating systems and with test rooms for the new products.
This made possible the development of new production lines.
In order to fight the decline in revenues of the nautical sector, the company has strongly internationalised taking part in fairs in Europe and in Far East and placing itself in an international market, as the company did at the start of its production.
Nowadays CIMA exports to all the continents and it goes on investing in new industrial and civil sectors in order to face at the best the challenges of the future.
Therefore the company has invested in its growth obtaining two important certifications: UNI-EN-ISO 14001 (ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM) and the UNI-EN-ISO 9001 (QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM).
After 100 years, the leading values continue to be the same: internationalisation, development, competitiveness and a good relationship with its collaborators.
Giovanni POMATI would be proud of this.
