A Brief History of Bottarini

History

Our story starts in 1952: before Champion, we began as Bottarini.

Bottarini was founded by Giovanni Bottarini. He had gained experience in the field of aeronautical engineering for many years, working with leading brands such as Italian helicopter manufacturer Agusta, but wanted to establish a business that specialised in the manufacture of high-quality mechanical parts. An avid enthusiast of the motor sector, Giovanni wanted to manufacture a product that built upon motor technology. From this, the first piston compressor – the B5T-24 – was developed.

In 1960, Bottarini launched its first range of portable compressors. The post-war economic boom and the growth of Italy’s construction sector meant this was an opportune time to bring this range to market.

The next key milestone came in 1970, when Bottarini manufactured its first screw compressor range. Covering 15 to 60 HP and belt-driven, the launch means Bottarini is the first manufacturer to bring screw compressors to the Italian market. The success of the brand’s screw compressor portfolio quickly goes from strength to strength.

As the year 1985 arrives, the international expansion of the Bottarini brand begins. Over the next few years, Bottarini exhibits at high-profile industry events such as Hannover Messe and Eisenwarenmesse for the first time, extending its European operations into France and then other European markets, as well as regions including America, Africa, and Oceania.

1987 saw the start of Bottarini’s co-operation with Tamrotor, widely regarded as leaders in integrated air ends and compact compressor packages, and part of the Gardner Denver group.

In 2002, Bottarini was pleased to achieve ISO 9001, the international standard specifying requirements for a quality management system, demonstrating the company’s capability to provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements.

Bottarini was acquired by the Gardner Denver group in 2005, and in 2007 its manufacturing facility moved to a site in Lonate Pozzolo, Italy.

In 2018, Bottarini became Champion – further building upon the reputation that the Bottarini brand firmly established, as a leading compressed air brand synonymous with the highest levels of quality and reliably.

 

Air Compressor Factory Entrance

Factory Entrance

Bottarini service and spare parts support

Genuine compressor replacement parts helps make sure your system continues to run efficiently and performance is optimised. While non-genuine parts can be cheaper, they can also be detrimental to your system’s overall performance and negatively impact on a compressor’s efficiency and energy consumption levels.

In some cases, the wrong spare part can cause real damage, potentially resulting in the system failing completely. The outcome? Not only an expensive repair bill, but costly unexpected downtime too.

Today, for those seeking Bottarini spare parts, such as filters, and other Bottarini maintenance, servicing and support, we’re here to help.

Click here to contact us directly with a Bottarini support request.

Click here for our dedicated aftermarket section.

Vintage Air Compressor

Vintage Air Compressor