Overview
- Acqua Sant’Anna and the Bertone family announced his death on November 11, describing the entrepreneur with “immense sorrow” in an official statement.
- Reports from Italian media said Bertone had been fighting a serious illness for months before his death.
- He founded the company in 1996 and led it to national leadership with capacity of about 20 million bottles per day and a highly automated plant in Vinadio employing more than 130 people.
- A key to the brand’s rise was the Rebruant spring at 1,950 meters in Vinadio, whose exceptionally light water was bottled without treatment.
- In late October a criminal hearing tied to a competitor’s complaint alleging market interference and defamation was postponed for health reasons, while regional leaders offered condolences and praised his impact on jobs and innovation in Piedmont.