He joined Donati in the 1960s, when it had only been making electric chain hoists for a decade. He led the company’s expansion and development in the 1970s and 1980s, introducing jib cranes and wire rope hoist production.
The company was one of the first to push serialised manufacture of chain hoists, and kept overheads low by outsourcing sub-components.
Donati also saw a limited future in the Italian domestic export and grew the amount of export to one-third total sales revenue.
In 1992 Donati sold the business to Demag, and set up his own consulting and expert witness business at Phoenix Engineering, where he continues to advise Donati and other European hoist manufacturers and crane builders.
