From War-Torn Italy to Orchards Around the World: The Story Behind Billo

Born in northern Italy just weeks after World War II ended, Enrico Billo grew up in a family that knew hunger, hardship and survival — and went on to build one of the orchard industry’s most respected labour platform companies.

Today, Billo machines operate in orchards across Europe, Australia, Canada and South America, helping growers improve safety and productivity all year round. But the company began with almost nothing.

1970s one of the first Billo towed platforms

“My father started from zero,” says Giorgia Billo, who now leads the family business.

“No money, very little schooling, no opportunities. He reinvented himself.”

After working as a waiter and labourer, Enrico attended night school for mechanics before building simple agricultural tools in a small workshop attached to the family home.

Those early ideas eventually became some of the first orchard labour platforms designed to make orchard work safer and more efficient.

For Giorgia, the business shaped her childhood.

“My earliest memory is simply how hard my father worked,” she says. “Sometimes we wouldn’t see him for days even though the factory was attached to our house. He came home after we were already asleep.”

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Over the decades, Billo evolved from simple towed platforms into advanced hydraulic self-levelling and electric machines — always designed around the needs of growers.

Unlike many manufacturers, Billo still custom-builds machines with adaptions to suit individual orchards rather than producing standard models.

“Every farm is different,” Giorgia explains. “We listen closely to growers and dealers because flexibility is what keeps farmers productive.”

IMAGE: Giorgia Billo centre with her father Enrico, son Tommaso and Michela Billo

Joining the business herself was not easy. Entering a male-dominated industry as a young woman meant constantly proving herself.

“Suppliers and customers would ask to speak with my father instead of me,” she says. “But I never gave up.”

Today, her father remains involved in the company at 80 years old, still supervising production and inspiring the next generation.

What drives Giorgia is a sense of pride about the durability of her product.  She still receives calls for spare parts for machines built more than 30 years ago.

“In today’s world, everything feels temporary,” she says. “I’m proud when growers tell us their old machines are still working every season.”

That philosophy — building machines designed to last — has helped transform a small Italian family workshop into a globally recognised orchard equipment manufacturer.

And despite advances in automation and technology, Girogia believes the future of orchard platforms still depends on supporting growers first.

“Without agriculture, there is no future,” she says. “If we want productive orchards and safe workers, we must continue investing in farmers and the next generation.”

Founded in 1973, Billo builds 200 machines per year that are exported to 19 countries.

Learn more abut our range of Billo platforms