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/ Magazine / Other Articles / PUNTO CLEAN, from Manerbio to Brescia: the future of laundry is already here
by
Marzio Nava
There are companies that span generations, adapting to market changes without losing their identity. This is the case of Punto Clean, the professional laundry business owned by the Berselli family. Today, with two locations in Manerbio and Brescia, it represents one of the most significant examples of how a traditional business can evolve through technological innovation, process automation, and an entrepreneurial vision built over more than seventy-five years of experience.
From its origins to business expansion The company’s story begins in 1950. The activity was launched by Giorgio Berselli’s mother, Maria Marelli in Berselli, who had learned the trade from companies such as Zucchi, one of the historic businesses in the Brescia area.
To avoid competing directly with relatives, she decided to open her own laundry in Manerbio, where the presence of the Marzotto plant guaranteed a large customer base made up of workers and employees who entrusted their garments to the professional laundry. This marked the beginning of steady growth.
In 1958, a new workshop was inaugurated on Via Magenta, always in Manerbio. A few years later, the facilities were completely renewed and the production area reached approximately 500 square metres. Demand kept increasing and, in the early 1970s, the Berselli family decided to make an investment that would mark a new phase in its entrepreneurial history: the purchase of a plot covering more than 8.000 square metres, where two industrial buildings of approximately 1.500 and 800 square metres respectively were built.
As in many other sectors, the professional laundry industry underwent profound changes. The logistics model based on vans gradually lost its central role, and the Berselli family chose instead to develop a network of local laundry shops. Numerous points of sale were opened, reaching nine locations across the provinces of Brescia and Verona.
A major turning point came in 2000. Giorgio Berselli and his brother decided to continue their businesses separately. The industrial plant remained on one side, while Giorgio rebuilt his business starting from the network of laundry shops, creating a new entrepreneurial path. Looking back today, the decision appears consistent with a clear management philosophy.
“Conosco i miei limiti e preferisco seguire direttamente quello che posso controllare”, spiega Giorgio Berselli. Una visione che lo porta progressivamente a concentrare gli investimenti su due sedi, quella storica di Manerbio e quella di Brescia, rinunciando all’idea di una crescita numerica fine a sé stessa. “Ci sono aziende all’estero, come in Inghilterra, aggiunge, che gestiscono centinaia di punti vendita, ma ogni imprenditore deve conoscere le proprie possibilità e costruire un’organizzazione sostenibile”. Oggi la gestione operativa è affidata al figlio Carlo Berselli, entrato stabilmente nell’azienda dopo un lungo percorso di esperienza iniziato nei primi anni Duemila. Accanto a lui lavorano anche altri componenti della famiglia, tra cui la cugina Elena e la sorella Daniela, quest’ultima gestisce l’attività di Manerbio nella bassa bresciana. Una continuità generazionale che rappresenta uno dei punti di forza dell’impresa. La sede di Brescia, rilevata nel 2013, è diventata il laboratorio dell’innovazione aziendale.
Quando Punto Clean acquisisce il negozio, la clientela è abituata ad attendere fino a una settimana per ritirare i propri capi. La famiglia Berselli decide invece di rivoluzionare completamente il servizio, puntando sulla rapidità delle lavorazioni e sulla riduzione drastica dei tempi di riconsegna. “È stata questa la chiave di volta”, ci dice Carlo Berselli. “Una scelta inizialmente rischiosa ma premiata dal mercato. Alcuni clienti storici hanno cambiato lavanderia, ma molti altri hanno apprezzato immediatamente il nuovo modello organizzativo, fondato sulla velocità senza compromessi sulla qualità. Il passaparola diventa il principale strumento di crescita, confermando come il miglior investimento pubblicitario rimanga la soddisfazione del cliente”.
The past year has brought further acceleration. Punto Clean Brescia has completely renewed its machinery fleet, introducing new dry-cleaning equipment, latest-generation Girbau wetcleaning systems, and modern technologies for ironing and finishing. “The goal is not simply to increase productivity, but also to improve the final quality of the treatment,” points out Carlo. In dry-cleaning, for example, the new machines ensure that garments are completely dry at the end of the cycle, while also significantly reducing solvent consumption. They also improve fabric softness and lower the number of after wash operations required before ironing.
“The finishing department has also been completely redesigned,” adds Carlo. “The new TREVIL machines for trouser and shirts finishing enable us to standardise quality while significantly reducing both processing times and operator training. In the past, it took years of experience to train a highly skilled finishing operator. Today, automation makes the work easier and more efficient, while maintaining consistently high-quality standards.” Another distinguishing feature is the automation of internal handling. Each garment is digitally identified and, once its processing cycle is complete, an automated system reassembles the entire customer order, eliminating most manual steps. The operator simply checks that the order is correct before delivery, significantly reducing the risk of errors.
Completing this evolution is a new 24/7 automatic collection system from Metalprogetti, installed at the Brescia location. Customers can drop off laundry and pick up their finished items even outside opening hours, including Sundays, aligning the service with an increasingly flexible lifestyle. As Giorgio explains, “many times, when I arrive early in the morning before the shop physically opens, I see a queue of customers waiting to drop off and/or collect their washed and ironed items at the automated point.” For the Berselli family, automation is not simply a technological investment, but a concrete response to the challenges affecting the entire sector.
“The first problem is the rise in energy costs,” says Carlo, “which heavily impacts a high consumption activity. The second is the difficulty in finding staff. Recruiting collaborators is becoming more and more complicated. Statistically, we have a turnover of about five years. When new staff arrive, I prefer them to start from scratch. It’s easier to teach our method than to change established habits.” This philosophy is made possible precisely by increasing automation, which reduces training times and simplifies the integration of new employees.
“Dry-cleaning continues to play a fundamental role for wool garments and more delicate fabrics, while professional wetcleaning is steadily growing thanks to the evolution of materials and technologies. Services for shirts and trousers remain in high demand, as these processes still require expertise, precision and organisation.” Looking ahead, Punto Clean aims to increase volumes while maintaining unchanged quality standards. This will not be achieved by indiscriminately multiplying outlets, but by exploiting economies of scale made possible by automation and digitalised processes. Seventy-five years after that first laundry opened in Manerbio, the Berselli family’s story continues to evolve. The same commitment to well done work that characterised the company’s origins, has remained at the heart of the business, and today it is supported by tools, technologies and services capable of responding to the needs of a market completely different from that of 1950.
Could this represent a new development model for the small professional laundry sector? •
DETERGO MAGAZINE # SEPTEMBER 2026
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