In the area called ‘Maglio’ on the banks of the Reno River near Borgonuovo in the municipality of Sasso Marconi (a municipality known by different names over time: Praduro and Sasso before 1935, Sasso Bolognese from 1935 to 1938, Sasso Marconi from 1938 onwards), there has been a mill and later a copper hammer mill powered by a water wheel since the 15th century. The houses of Maglio and the water usage rights, which in the 19th century were part of an estate called ‘Pontecchio’ owned by Count Carlo Marsigli, were sold in 1873 by the count to the Brisi Company and partners. The new owners built an industrial plant there to manufacture paper using a process that originally used hemp residues and later rags. In 1876, Giuseppe Marconi, Guglielmo’s father, took over from Eugenio Brisi, and the company was renamed Società per azioni Giuseppe Marconi e soci. He was succeeded by Gaetano Dazzani until 1879, when the paper mill was sold to Count Antonio Marescalchi, who, following a plan by the English engineer Alfredo Edlmann, rebuilt it from the ground up, installing modern machinery (American-style Dutch machines) and bringing production to high levels both in quantity and quality (writing paper, ledger paper, and luxury paper). Count Marescalchi appointed Edlmann as the person in charge of running and managing the plant, which was registered under the name Ditta A. Edlmann e Co.