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Dairy boss Roberto Brazzale: "They have a completely different experience than the boys."

Photo: Robert Messer / dpa

Roberto Brazzale is the owner of one of the oldest dairies in the country.

With his two brothers, he runs the company from the northern Italian region of Veneto, which has existed since 1784.

He only hires people over 60 for a certain branch of the company.

He was simply disappointed in the boys.

In addition to traditional products such as butter or the cheeses Mozzarella, Grana Padano or Scamorza, Brazzale wanted to market special gourmet products with butter.

The Italian was looking for employees for this some time ago.

Younger Italians had also been there to try out work, but they didn't convince him.

After Brazzale they lacked drive and energy.

For this reason, only eight men and women aged 60 and over received the jobs.

It was the right decision for the dairy boss: his new employees bring a lot of energy, passion and, above all, experience.

»They have a completely different experience than the boys.

“They understood how important the work is,” says Brazzale.

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The jobs in the dairy have now mostly been given to old acquaintances and friends, all of whom Roberto Brazzale knows either from his school days or - in typical Italian style - from the central piazza of the 6,000-inhabitant community of Zanè in Veneto.

"We're all friends and know each other well," Brazzale said.

This creates a stronger team spirit.

Demographic change is affecting Italy

What seems strange at first glance, however, has a serious background.

Demographic change is putting a strain on Italy and the population is shrinking.

Current data from the statistics agency Istat is impressive: Births fell below the threshold of 400,000 for the first time since records began in the 19th century and were 393,000 in 2022.

Children are becoming fewer and the population is getting older.

Specifically, this means that there are seven newborns, but more than twelve deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.

This trend will place a heavy burden on the economy in the long term.

The issue has also reached politics; Italy's right-wing government wants to address the problem.

There has even been a “birth minister” for more than a year.

Brazzale is concerned about demographic change as an entrepreneur.

In addition to the aging population, the self-image of older people has also changed after the Italian.

According to him, there is a prejudice that people no longer have anything to say at 60.

»Or even that at this age you just want to retire.

That is not true."

The dairy boss is enthusiastic about his employees of the same age.

He doesn't know what will happen in a few years when some of his employees retire, but for now business is going well.

His employees are simply “bravissimi”.

urb/dpa