"In 1965, Giuseppe Manini, a building contractor, noticed that the gates were always left open in residential communities. You needed to get out of the car to open them, but no one ever went back to close them afterwards." Does this sound familiar? In 2023, people will be more dependent on technology and automation than in the past, and nonautomated gates are left open now, just as they were then. As a result, Mr. Manini saw the need for a high-quality solution to this problem and founded FAAC in 1961 in Zola Predosa, Italy, and developed one of the longest-lasting hydraulic gate openers ever produced. 55+ years later, the FAAC 400 CBAC Hydraulic actuator is STILL IN PRODUCTION and the workhorse of the FAAC actuator line of gate openers! Gate Openers Direct in Houston, Texas, has sold hundreds of these reliable, heavy-duty units. While the upfront cost of quality products is always more than cheap plastic anything,  the fact that FAAC hydraulic actuators last for decades with very little maintenance our customers find this makes them less expensive to own over time!  Of course, there have been many upgrades along the way, but the original, basic design was so robust and dependable that it is still a mainstay of the company's vast array of product lines. These include, of course, the hydraulic actuators that started it all, but now they manufacture some of the best slide gate openers, hydraulic barrier gate openers, electro-mechanical swing gate actuators, and even door actuators for building entrance automation. All FAAC products undergo extensive testing to ensure their long-term reliability. Scrupulous compliance with international safety standards ensures complete safety for people and the environment. In short, as FAAC puts in their company information,  "FAAC puts reliability and safety first!" 

FAAC employs more than 2400 people in 24 countries with 34 sales companies. As if that were not impressive enough, they have 17 production facilities in 15 countries! It is difficult to be selected as a sales partner for a global company of this magnitude, but Gate Openers Direct is humbled and proud to have been accepted as a FAAC partner over a decade ago! 

The ownership of this company is the most unique of any company in this industry.  Mr. Manini owned the company from its inception in 1965 until his passing in 2012. The company stayed in the family, and his son took over to continue the family legacy. When that son passed unexpectedly, his 51% of the FAAC company was entirely left to the Catholic Church! The Arch Diocese of Bologna, Italy, was the beneficiary of this unique gift. As a result, millions of Euros are now donated regularly to causes that might otherwise go unfunded. These benevolent gifts include funding to widows, orphans, veterans, schools, and libraries! How cool is that?! While many companies make wonderful donations, this one uses most of its profits for these kinds of projects. It was truly a wonderful gift that Mr. Mancini's son left behind! 

Some more information that FAAC publishes about their company is as follows...

  • Technologically innovative. The passion for research into new technological solutions and optimizing existing systems are the values on which FAAC’s philosophy is based. That’s the way our whole organization works, to design products that are better every day. **Nothing but quality, always. The continuous inspection of its products makes FAAC synonymous with quality and safety. From the raw materials to its suppliers and the manufacturing processes, which are carried out entirely in-house, the keyword is Quality, without compromise. **Reliability and safety above all. All FAAC products undergo extensive testing to ensure their long-term reliability. Scrupulous compliance with international safety standards ensures complete safety for people and the environment. 
  • Customer satisfaction, every day. FAAC works to make its solutions a perfect answer to everyday needs. This is why FAAC guarantees the satisfaction of its customers by carefully monitoring the market to find and interpret new needs in advance.

**Taken from information published in their 2021 Pricing and information catalog

FAAC Simply Automatic Gate Openers