“Trappéto” (from the Latin trapetum, and the Greek trapetes) means ‘press’ and is the derivative from trapêin – ‘to break’, ‘to squeeze’ (olives or grapes) indicating the place where the olives were pressed to extract the olive oil, otherwise called the oil mill. In 1936 with the introduction of the first cadastral maps in the area, Antonio Tini had officially laid the foundation for a story of quality, tradition and innovation, called “Trappeto Tini” and based on the area where the plant still exists. He passed down the company to his children in 1950 and this tradition is still being practiced today.

In this decade we have the first forms of mechanization. The inclusion of the combustion engine between the machines revolutionised the production process. Through motion belts distribution the “Lombardini” hot head system diesel powered engine allowed to operate the millstones and the hydraulic pump by squeezing through hydrodynamic presses. The stacks of olive paste were made of coconut fiber diaphragms. These innovations allowed to raise the production per hour up to a maximum of 100 kg of olives pressed in one hour. The separation of the oil from the vegetation water was still carried out through the aid of tin tools.

In 1962, the area is served by “power driving force” for the first time, this was a new breakthrough in oil mill production. At that time these machines were considered quite innovative. These included: electric lift for loading olives in the millstone’s bathtub, two millstones in granite stone, electric dosing machine of olive paste, 2 presses with hydraulic pump, pump for vegetation water and olive oil. The brothers Pietro and Vincenzo introduced the first centrifugal separator in the area for the separation of vegetable water from the olive oil. The manual separation of the olive must is abandoned and replaced by a much more accurate production process.

In 1980, thanks to the determination of Carmine Tini, another progressive action was taken. The olive mill was renovated thanks to the acquisition of a new processing plant which followed the principal of the“traditional method”. The number of granite Millstones was increased to 3 and they were enlarged, the number of presses was also raised to 5 and two separate machines were inserted in the process, one of these which featured an automatic discharge. These machines raise the certified production capacity to 0,8 tons of olives pressed per hour. Furthermore, the oil mill was enhaced by a leaf stripper and a new automatic stacker. For better organisation and to cut time constraints a new reservation system aimed at gathering and pressing the olives was introduced. This became an essential requisite for high quality production. Special attention is still given to the storage of the olives before the pressing (storage in ventilated protected rooms). In 1999 Vincenzo formally joined the company, constituting with his father Carmine the community that still manages Frantoio Tini. Also Vincenzo is an expert of the olive mill having learned the art before from his grandfather and then from his father.

Almost a century after its beginnings, in 2015 Vincenzo and Carmine Tini continue to believe in the innovation of extraction methods, and with their adoption, to the enhancement of quality of olive oil products. The company does not forget the origins and ancient knowledge, realising this concept in management methods and in some choice to be framed in the proper perspective as to leave in the production cycle the possibility to break the olives with the granite millstones, for the nostalgic people who loves retro taste in the visual pleasure of the slow roll of stone on stone... Our point of view: the millstones are still there where they were once, just for the strong evocative and cultural power they represent. For us the oil mills is a ritual that is repeated every year in the autumn, is a meeting place where people exchange opinions and emotions related to the birth of the "new olive oil". The women of the family Tini have always played a vital role over the years, now more than ever, they are an integral part of the production process. Last in order of time, Roberta which with her Marketing skills add enormous prestige to the company's image, promotion and sales of the olive oil. The adventure of Frantoio Tini continue...