Login About us Products Case Studies Quality News Contact us The Company was set up in 1966 by engineer Egidio Capaccini. Today Tratos is an international cable manufacturer selling an extensive range of cables to 52 countries, with manufacturing facilities in Italy and the UK and offices worldwide. Our History Home / About us / Our History A story of passion, tradition and innovation, Tratos’ journey started during WWII when the young Egidio Capaccini had to abandon his home town in Southern Tuscany after it had been almost completely destroyed by the Nazis. With little or no work available, he packed his bags and travelled to Argentina. After taking a job as a general worker for a year he was offered a position in a factory making cables. Having swiftly risen up the ranks to become General Manager and a shareholder, it wasn’t long before he achieved his dream. After a period working as a consultant and travelling the world, he set up Tratos. Tratos cables quickly gained a reputation for exceptionally well-made cables at the forefront of innovation with Egidio at its helm for more than 13 years until his health began to decline and, sadly, he passed away. His daughter, Marta and her husband, Albano Bragagni, subsequently took over the business in 1974 and Mr Bragagni became company president. A challenging programme of investments, product diversification and technological growth started. The business grew exponentially, thanks to Mr Bragagni’s eye for innovative new products and a practice of responding intelligently to opportunities in growing markets. By 1978 Tratos started the production of Copper Telecommunication cables and Instrumentation cable for telephone companies and petroleum engineering companies. Two years later, Thermoplastic and Elastomeric compounds with low smoke, zero halogen materials were developed and Tratos set up a dedicated factory, Tramet, which still produces Insulation and Sheathing and Medium Voltage and Low Voltage compounds, as well as halogen-free, flame retardant, oil resistant, fire resistant, semi-conductive compounds. Later, Tratos became established in the UK in 1981, and in 1987, the company began producing fibre-optical cables in Italy. It became one of the major suppliers for the Energy, Trains, Transport and Infrastructure, Oil and Gas industries and became a specialist manufacturer of fire resistant cables and robust electric cables for mining and tunnelling equipment. In the 1990s Tratos was producing Medium Voltage Cables at a new factory in Catania. In the early 2000s, the third generation of the family joined the company with Mr Ennio Bragagni Capaccini as Deputy Chairman. Tratos took on the production of umbilical cables for Oil and Gas and related applications, in partnership with the Brazilian company MFX. Tratos opened Cables Tailor Made, a division offering custom designed solutions. By 2008 Tratos acquired the UK’s North West Cables Ltd, a manufacturing company in Knowsley, Merseyside, and Modular Wiring Systems Ltd, its subsidiary, renowned for creative innovation in high and low-level power distribution systems. Tratos now had three UK sites. Tratos strengthened its presence in Europe with Tratos Iberica in Spain and further branch offices in Germany and China. In 2009 the company began the production of H.V. cables and established a new factory in Pieve Santo Stefano. It went on to form an integrated group with industrial and commercial companies such as Smaltos, Braids, Tramet and Hamilton Cable. Flexibility, dynamism, constancy and reliability define Tratos’ approach and have seen it grow foreign market share. It’s now one of the largest companies in the industry globally. It all started with one man’s vision and his determination to overcome significant early challenges to build the foundations of the business it is today. The company’s future is being forged in the hands of third-generation family members. The world-renowned, expert cable manufacturer, that started with that dream fifty years ago in a small village in Tuscany, is in good hands. TIMELINE 1966 – Tratos is founded Abandoning his hometown at the end of WW2 Ing. Egidio Capaccini travels to Argentina and finds work in a cable making factory. Having learnt the skills of the trade, he returns to Italy to set up Tratos. 1974 – Albano Bragagni becomes company president Ing. Egidio Capaccini, Tratos’ founder, passes away and Ing. Albano Bragagni becomes company president. 1978 – Copper telecommunication and instrumentation cables Tratos starts Copper Telecommunication cables and Instrumentation cable production. 1980 – Tramet is born Tratos sets up LSZH Thermoplastic & Elastomeric compounds factory. Today it produces insulation, sheathing & MV/LV compounds, & halogen-free, flame retardant, oil resistant, fire resistant & semi-conductive compounds. 1980 – Fibre-optic cables Tratos becomes market leader in the production of cables for the Telecommunications market and, in 1987, begins production of fibre-optical cables for Italian and overseas markets 1980 – Fire resistant cables As Tratos’ Fire Resistant cable range grows the company becomes a major supplier to Energy, Railways & Mass Transit, Highways, Oil & Gas, Petrochemical Industry and Mining & Tunnelling industries. 1981 – Tratos Ltd is founded in UK Tratos establishes its presence in the UK with the distribution and sales company, Tratos Ltd based in Chesterfield in the East Midlands. 1990 – Medium Voltage Cable production Tratos begins production of Medium Voltage Cables after establishing a new factory in Catania specifically for this purpose. 2000 – Starts production of umbilical cables The third generation of the family joins Tratos with Ennio Bragagni Capaccini becoming Deputy Chairman. Tratos takes on the production of umbilical cables for Oil and Gas applications, in partnership with Brazilian company MFX. 2008 – Tratos acquires Knowsley-based North West Cables Ltd Tratos Cavi Iberica launches in Spain & Tratos Ltd acquires Knowsley-based North West Cables Ltd & Modular Wiring Systems Ltd. TRAMET merges with Tratos HV & offices opened in Germany and China. 2009 – Tratos begins production of HV Cables Tratos begins production of H.V. cables having established a new factory for this purpose in Pieve Santo Stefano. 2015 – Business award recognition The quality of the development was recognised by the Knowsley Business and Regeneration Awards in November 2015 where Tratos was awarded Commercial Development of the Year. 2016 – New investments for Tratos facilities In the same year further investment begins at the company’s Italian plant in Tuscany, extending its productivity capacity. 2016 – 50 years Extension work completed at Knowsley & Tratos becomes the UK’s 2nd largest cable company. Investment expands the factory four-fold & includes installation of new machinery to increase speed & capacity. 2019 – Queen’s Award for Innovation Tratos won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation for its new high-performance cable sheathing compound, Tratos JBA®. 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