Last week’s sale of kitchen appliance manufacturer Indesit, the latest in a long line of large Italian family businesses recently sold to foreigners, could be a wake up call for the government to make the country more business friendly, a family business academic says.
The Merloni family sold its controlling 60.4% stake in the company to US competitor Whirlpool for €758 million, bringing to an end four generations of family control. It was the largest producer of home appliances in Italy.
