in March 1957 the first plant in Caronno Pertusella, nearby Milan, begins to operate, equipped with an electric furnace with a capability of 25 tons. The 1960s are then marked by a new production technique, continuous casting, an important success for the Group. By the end of the decade, 300 thousand tons of steel are produced per year, as a result of flexibility, high specialization and a "horizontal" structure of the company combined. In the same years, the first massive investments took place on a European level. Gruppo Riva is to be considered as a pioneer in the trade expansion of mini-steel mills around the world, while also heavily investing in new technologies, automation of the casting process and computerized systems. In 1981, production diversifies due to the acquisition of Officine e Fonderie Galtarossa (OFG) in Verona, primary producers of wire rod, while the acquisition of COGEA takes place in 1988: the consortium becomes a joint-stock company, under the name "Acciaierie di Cornigliano". This is the first privatisation in Italy of an integrated steelworks. Meanwhile, European expansion continues in Germany, France and Belgium. In April 1995 the Group takes over from IRI, the state-controlled industrial investment office, the entire capital of Ilva Laminati Piani. The success of Gruppo Riva relies on the great attention paid to product quality, environment, workplace and safety. Personnel training is also key: highly specialized technical staff has contributed to making the Group an excellence, both in Italy and abroad, in steel industry. Nowadays the Group counts more than 5,000 employees and operates 21 plants in the following countries: five in Italy, seven in France, five in Germany, two in Belgium, one in Spain and one in Canada.