Minimax

Minimax was founded in the mid-1970s by Luigi Lazzari, who had already been working with SCM for the Sandya (sanders) and Samco brands, which later would become part of the SCM Group. Lazzari was one of a group of entrepreneurs who contributed to the birth of the Rimini Wood District: a group of people who were competitors at work yet joined by mutual respect and friendship.

Minimax entered the market with a combined solution, the C22, which was designed for the advanced D.I.Y. market and for small carpentry shops and was an enormous instant success. The C22 was a revolutionary machine, still conserved as a collector's item by fans, with a number of patents to its name and a revolutionary, inexpensive and very simple gear change which used to good advantage the elasticity of the transmission belt. This very innovation made the earlier mechanical gears obsolete. The product line included circular saws, band saws, routers, lathes and a modern-concept belt sander which could be folded, occupying little space. Lazzari had entered this market coming from the professional machinery sector; the concept behind Minimax called for applying the technology developed for professional tools to machines intended for advanced hobbyists, with a number of features, including cast iron workbench tops, which had not yet been introduced to this market. A typical Minimax customer was someone who worked in two jobs, quite common in those years, producing furniture for family use or for discount sales to friends and acquaintances. Minimax immediately became a major supplier for discerning hobbyists and small carpentry shops that required simple and compact machines that were reliable and affordable.

In 1984 Lazzari found himself having to deal with health problems and decided to sell Minimax to SCM. Sale was completed between 1985 and 1986. Thanks to the quality of its machines and to the wide SCM distribution and sales network, Minimax could now reach global markets – though admittedly it already had an established American branch and enjoyed some success in European countries. Since then Minimax products have been continuously developed.

The company currently produces over 10,000 machines annually at a 15,000 sq m plant located in Republic of San Marino. Minimax is a world leader in its sector. It offers an extremely wide range of products – more than 50 models – which provide advanced hobbyists, small carpentry and joinery shops with professional machines that can produce high-quality products in small batches.