Belricetto di Lugo, 1948 – Ferdinando and Carlo Venieri build their first crawler tractor: the VENIERI – MORRIS CINGOLETTA (40 hp). This crawler is in fact a carioca or “crossbreed”, assembled from the parts of tracked military vehicles left behind by the Allies after the war and repurposed for agricultural use. At the time, no Italian manufacturer can compete with the Venieri’s creation. FIAT is one year away from unveiling its 601 – with power of just 18 hp – and its 25C (23 hp) is still two years from seeing the light of day. The Venieri brothers also build wheeled versions using the engine, transmission, differential gear and steering from military vehicles.

In 1954 Ferdinando Venieri opens a new factory in Piazza Garibaldi, Lugo. Strategically it’s an astute decision, for Piazza Garibaldi is home to one of the biggest open-air markets in the region and all of Italy. Every Wednesday (market day), Ferdinando Venieri has the chance to show off his machines to thousands of potential buyers. In the photos, the MURCO motor cultivator with BETA kerosene engine, the C30 crawler tractor with Slanzi engine, the Venieri-Güldner tractor, and machines on display at agricultural fairs in the 1950s.

As the 1950s progress, Venieri increasingly concentrates on building its own machines and produces a range of tractors specifically designed for agriculture. With an annual production of approximately 100 machines, the company performs well through a series of crises in the agricultural sector, emerging stronger and with increased scope for innovation. In an early manifestation of his ability to anticipate future trends, Ferdinando Venieri decides to start producing earthmoving machinery, the sector which is to become the company’s core business, as it remains today.
Photos from agricultural fairs in this period show not only crawler tractors but also the prototypes of the earliest loaders produced by the company.

In the 1960s Venieri’s reputation grows all over Italy, with the company participating in countless agriculture-related fairs and exhibitions up and down the peninsula, from Verona to Benevento and further south to Palermo and Catania. The Venieri brand gains increasing renown for the design and robustness of its machines.

Although it continues to produce agricultural tractors, as the decade unfolds Venieri increasingly re-orients its production to earthmoving equipment, a sector which, it senses, holds considerable promise. Early Venieri earthmoving equipment is of recognized quality and rigorous design, passing through a succession of prototypes. Output covers both crawler and wheeled models.

As the 60s draw to a close, the VENIERI brand has become synonymous with quality and innovation in the expanding Italian earthmoving sector. The company continues to make tractors and forklift trucks (in the photo, the VF109 forklift, powered by the legendary FIAT 500 engine).

In the 1970s Venieri starts producing a vast range of narrow-track tractors specially designed for vineyard use. These machines are built for the Italian, French and Spanish markets. Meanwhile, Venieri continues producing loaders (crawlers and wheel-mounted) and agricultural tractors.

On 23 November 1974 Venieri becomes a public limited company and becomes officially known as VF Venieri S.p.a., the name it retains to this day.

Although it continues to build forklifts and agricultural tractors, Venieri is now enjoying increasing success in the earthmoving machinery sector, an area to which it is dedicating more and more attention and resources. The introduction of innovations such as power-shift transmission and pedal steering in its leading models puts Venieri at the vanguard of the Italian earthmoving sector.

In 1979, Venieri opens a new factory as part of its ongoing transition to assembly-line production. The company remains in this factory today. The simultaneous restructuring of its sales network enables the Lugo-based company to definitively establish itself on the national and international markets.

In 1981 Venieri unveils its new rigid backhoe, a natural evolution of the loader. Unlike backhoes based on the agricultural tractor, the Venieri backhoe stands out for its stability and efficiency, and soon becomes a market leader.

In the early 1980s Venieri discontinues its production of crawler tractors for agriculture. In 1985, after more than three decades of cooperation with Perkins Ltd., Venieri receives the 10,000,000th engine built by the British manufacturer.

In the same decade, Venieri produces theVF 6.73 rigid backhoe loader for Dutch company WERKLUST.

In 1986, Venieri introduces its first hydrostatic articulated backhoe loader. Compared with the rigid backhoe, the articulated version with its central, cross-mounted engine (not front-mounted as in the rigid model) offers improved handling, stability and versatility of use. (In the photo, the VF 5.23). Also in this decade, Venieri celebrates the production of its 2000th machine.

From 1989 to 1993 Venieri is exclusive manufacturer of two loaders (MF613 and MF615) and one articulated backhoe (MF65A) for MASSEY FERGUSON (CANADA).
1982: Venieri discontinues production of its conventional rigid backhoe loader with front-mounted engine.

1994 to 2001: Venieri produces seven models of loader (CASE 21B – 121B – 121B/E – 221B – 221B/E – 321B – 421B) and one articulated backhoe loader (CASE 545) for CASE (USA).
1999: Venieri launches the WORLD’S FIRST ELECTRIC BACKHOE LOADER. (In the photo, the VF1.33 Elettrica).

2000 to present: VF Venieri Spa affirms its standing as a world leader in the earthmoving equipment sector. It is present inover 53 countries across 5 continents with an extensive network of dealers.

In 2002, hydrostatic transmissions are mounted as standard in all Venieri machines.
Since 2010, Venieri has been fully self-sufficient in power consumption, all produced from renewable sources.

1996 to 2006: Venieri produces the VF 4.63E wheel loader for IMER Group (France).

2003 to 2004: Venieri produces the VF 9.63 wheel loader for Ahlmann (France).

Since 2015: Venieri produces 2 models of wheel loader, the YANMAR V7 (VF 2.63C) and the YANMAR V8 (2.63C Plus), for YANMAR(Japan).

Since the turn of the millennium Venieri has received numerous accolades and awards attesting to the enduring flair for innovation of its founders and their successors, and the capacity of the Venieri family to anticipate new market trends and necessities. Prizes won by Venieri include GUIDARELLO GIOVANI (2009), PREMIO INNOVAZIONE CONFINDUSTRIA (2011), SAMOTER AWARD (2011), PREMIO INTERNAZIONALE INNOVAZIONE (2014). On 2 June 2019, Giacomina Venieri was made a COMMENDATORE of the Italian Republic.
Today, VF Venieri Spa is a leading name in the global earthmoving equipment industry.