GIMA 100 year history

10,000 Customers

165 Countries

10,000 Products

96% Service level

15,000 m2 Warehouse
  • 1926
    The Foundation
     

    Giulio Manzoni founds G.I.M.A. (Gruppo Industriale Milanese Aghi – Needles Industrial Group based in Milan) and starts manufacturing needles and metal and glass syringes.

  • 1941
    GIMA Catalogue
     

    First GIMA Catalogue, the company’s main means of communication.

  • 1955
    2nd Generation
    and Domestic Expansion
     

    His son, Attilio Manzoni takes over the company and changes its legal status in GIMA S.p.A., transferring production to the Gorgonzola factory. GIMA expands distribution at national level, selling exclusively to dealers.

  • 1970
    The Turning Point
     

    GIMA undergoes a radical transformation, from manufacturer to commercial company, acquiring exclusive distribution of prestigious brands. The company starts creating a new and larger GIMA brand product portfolio.

  • 1995
    3nd Generation
    and Business Development
     

    Manzoni's third generation joins the company: they start broadening product range and further strengthening GIMA brand. Meanwhile, the catalogue is significantly redesigned, in terms of style, content and number of items featured and starts being distributed on a large-scale.

  • 1996
    The Beginning of
    International Expansion
     

    The launch of the first international English catalogue and its worldwide distribution mark the beginning of company’s growth into international markets.

  • 2003
    The new Headquarter
     

    Thanks to domestic and international expansion, GIMA moves to the new 1,600 m2 Headquarter in Gessate.

  • 2005
    Custom
    Product Development
     

    GIMA starts the outsourcing production of customized products (such as rapid diagnostic tests and medical devices) for GIMA brand and third parties, such as large distribution brands (ANGELINI, LINEA F, FARMAMED, ROCHE, MENARINI...).

  • 2005
    Doctor Shop
     

    GIMA founds Doctor Shop, a new e-commerce company dealing with online direct sales to end users, in compliance with the strict GIMA pricing policies to safeguard GIMA dealers as primary distribution channel. Over time, Doctor Shop becomes the leading online sales website for medical supplies in Italy.

  • 2007
    ISO Certification
     

    GIMA obtains ISO 13485 certification which, together with ISO 9001 certification, guarantees an excellent quality management system that covers all the processes and products. GIMA becomes manufacturer of various IVD and Medical Products.

  • 2011
    New Green and
    Innovative Headquarter
     

    Opening of a new 10,000 m2 Headquarter in Gessate, powered by the latest technologies in terms of logistics (automatic picking and compact storage mobile rack on rail for long-term stocks), security and environmental sustainability (photovoltaic and geothermal energy) to support continuous growth.

  • 2018-2023
    Awards
     

    GIMA is awarded among the 500 Italian companies with the highest growth rate by Corriere Della Sera at Milan Stock Exchange six years in a row.

  • 2018
    Hi-tech Picking System
     

    Installation of Miniload which consists of 6,300 totes for automatic digital picking system

  • 2019
    Outsourcing
     

    Warehouse expansion through outsourcing of goods in collaboration with the biggest logistics companies.

  • 2019
    Statutory Audit
     

    GIMA starts working with a professional and reliable auditing company for high quality legal audits and accounting services to provide transparency and efficiency in reporting. For the three-year period 2025 to 2027, EY S.p.A has been appointed to conduct the statutory audit.

  • 2022
    QMS Strong Implementation
     

    Regulatory Affairs team expansion due to new MDR conformity assessment procedures, working with notified bodies and external consultants for support.

  • 2024
    Telemedicine
     

    GIMA starts making investments in Telemedicine and Digital Health market. In line with this initiative, GIMA has introduced its own application, GIMApp.

  • 2026
    Future Prospects
     

    GIMA obtains ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications. The company is investing in cutting-edge environmental sustainability technologies, new logistics facilities and products. GIMA is also engaged in the pursuit of responsible and ethical business practices with high standards of safety and personnel management, in addition to the creation of ethical regulation.