A story of passion, entrepreneurial spirit
and attachment to the territory
Astro was established in Baldichieri d'Asti in 1980, based on an idea by Luigi Strocco, who is still the company’s chairman today.
“From being a child, I believed that art was my destiny. I dreamt of an attic, a palette, a window overlooking the sea. Details influenced everything and shapes inspired new visions.
It was my passion for every expression of creativity that dictated all my choices, but the curiosity about the world I was looking out onto asked me to dare more.
Yes, art had the ability to colour my days, to create something greater, to bring benefits to future generations, those I knew nothing about yet.
The care that I devoted to every element, to every detail and, lastly, my passion for technology, with its laws, gave me confirmation of the outcome of the creative process.
The world was asking me to participate, to leave a mark that would help change the reality of things. I felt that I could do the right thing and I wanted to do it as best I could.
I was faced with a choice, a difficult but necessary one: creating art or using my creativity, my passion, to protect what the earth generously gave us.
I looked up and understood that this world is unique, wonderful. I felt that it was time to put myself to the test, to protect and to tenaciously support nature and the fruits of this land.
At that moment, I decided to create Astro.”
Astro's activity began in the field of plastic components and parts for both the industrial and food sectors, in which it became a leading player at national level in the space of just a few years.
Under the guidance of Luigi Strocco, subsequently joined by his son Davide Strocco, currently the company’s CEO, sales have grown steadily, thanks also to the success of the series of closures for the wine sector, leading to several extensions of the Baldichieri site for the installation of new production facilities.
Today Astro is an international leader in the aluminium closures market, with a turnover of several tens of millions of euros, 75% of which achieved abroad, and an annual production of about 1.5 billion closures.
1980
Astro was born in Baldichieri d’Asti
1992
The production of plastic inserts and parts for aluminium closures for the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage sector began at the Baldichieri plant in 1992. At that time the company collaborated with Alluminio Mauceri, which later became Mauceri Capsule, a prestigious company based in Borghetto Lodigiano, active on the market since 1924.
2004
As part of a vertical integration strategy, in 2004 Astro acquired Mauceri Capsule, which moved its premises to Baldichieri in the new plant built especially for the production of capsules and closures.
2018
Major upgrade of machinery and production sites to improve both the company’s efficiency and environmental sustainability. Thanks to advanced ERP software and the Wi-Fi connection of all the processing lines, the plants work synergistically with methods of “Industry 4.0”. Continuous emission control systems have been introduced onto the production lines, and innovative painting and drying techniques are being successfully tested, all of which significantly reduce dispersion into the environment.
Our philosophy: we know where we want to go and how to get there
The business strategy which has led Astro to steadily increase its turnover is based on clear assets:
All-in-one-site production
All Astro’s activities – R&D, sales offices, lithographs, design, aluminium and plastic processing – are strategically concentrated at the Baldichieri d’Asti site, guaranteeing the highest levels of efficiency, control and flexibility.
Constant innovation branded Industry 4.0
We invest considerable economic and human resources in experimenting, developing new products, improving the reliability of existing ones and optimising the efficiency of our production techniques. The rationales of Industry 4.0 are applied constantly, using specific software that guarantees perfect integration of company functions and a high level of automation and real-time control, thanks also to the fact that all the production plants are connected via wi-fi.
High quality, in functional and aesthetic terms
Our goal is for our customers to see us as the producers of the best closure systems on the market. We aim for “zero defects”: all our closures are checked online, one by one, using special optical devices, immediately rejecting those that may not be perfect. Thanks to constant research and extensive investments in systems, our aluminium closures guarantee perfect protection of content and precise and efficient application on the bottling lines. Special care has always been devoted to printing quality. Packaging is, in fact, becoming an important marketing lever in the construction of the brand image. We know how to print even the most sophisticated and complex graphics perfectly, replicating 100% of the beauty of the design as it was conceived by the creative agencies of our customers.
Strong customer orientation
We act as real partners and advisors to our customers. We try to understand their needs and offer solutions that are truly resolutive, “tailor-made” and feasible. Thanks to the commitment and dedication of our employees, we know that we are able to meet every request with maximum flexibility and promptness. Our after-sales technical assistance service guarantees highly qualified and effective support, thanks to our highly skilled dedicated team.
Attention to the environment
As far as we are concerned, there is no development rationale that does not include environmental sustainability. We experiment constantly with new paints to reduce pollution and lower emissions into the atmosphere; all our lithography lines are equipped with a system of continuous control of emissions into the atmosphere.
At our production site we work with the aim of achieving “zero emissions industry” and, thanks to the skill of our technicians, our most sophisticated decoration systems are achieving that goal.
Attention to human capital
We see our employees as a real asset in which to invest time and energy, because we believe that maximum efficiency and competitiveness can be achieved only if everyone works together. We promote teamwork and reward individual merit. We invest in our staff with continuous training to optimise their professional skills and we set individual medium-term goals and career plans, so that positions of responsibility are always covered, today and tomorrow, by the most valuable employees.