Having been around for 35 years, Unitrat LTD has a story to tell: How it has coped with job losses due to competition; shared technical experience; observed a ‘solidarity contract’ began a social cooperative for the disabled, a community health center and a summer school on Civil Economics. Caradonna takes us into the company dynamics that led to these courageous choices. “I studied and was married in Turin, Italy, where I had moved with my parents from Puglia, where I am originally from. After various experiences as a dependent worker, six friends and I jumped into an even larger venture. We put together our savings, professional skills, ideas and free time. Since some of us were from southern Italy, we decided to establish a company near to Bari, which is called Unitrat Ltd. I’m the administrator of this company which has 25 employees and 600 customers within a 500 km radius. Over the past two years revenues were reduced by 50% due to the crisis in the heavy engineering industry. When Chiara Lubich launched the Economy of Communion (EoC) in 1991, we felt that it was like an affirmation of our experience and this gave us courage to carry on. The difficulties we meet are often linked to poor infrastructure, but also to a socio-cultural poverty that has deep roots and affects participation and responsibility-taking. Despite the difficulties we have tried to build relationships of generosity, trust and reciprocity with the employees, customers, suppliers, competitors and other institutions. One example. A supply owner had a heart attack that caused serious economic problems for him. Instead of turning to other suppliers, which would have been the prudent thing to do, we continued to order supplies from him, even paying him in advance so that he could keep up with his most pressing debts. Then his managing consultant left him, so one of our employees volunteered to keep his records updated. When bankruptcy seemed inevitable, we hired two of his employees and helped a third to start his own business. We came out of this situation without any loss because, at the suggestion of the owner, we decided to purchase his equipment and were able to resell it at a price that more than recuperated our own costs. Convinced that results don’t depend only on investments, but above all on the people, we tried to involve our employees in share ownership and in the distribution of the profits, while another part of the profits would be destined for the EoC. In 2000 we helped to start a social cooperative for the disabled by entering into an agreement among a dozen companies and the Municipality of Bari, that these companies would hire children who were at risk. We arranged internships for high school students in these companies and we created scholarships for graduate students at the Polytechnic. In 2008 the Pugliese Catholic Bishops Conference proposed revitalizing an association owned by entrepreneurs, artisans and professionals (the UCID). I was placed in charge of the new association. We felt it to be the fruit of many relationships that have been built over the years. This year the Puglia UCID contributed to the Summer School on Civil Economics, which involved 50 youths from the region and which will be developed throughout the year in four training courses, the first of which has already taken place on 31 August – 4 September. Source: Economy of Communion Online