The story of Ikaros

A desk, a telephone and a fax machine.
It is early 1994 when the current CEO single-handedly starts Ikaros Srl. The products marketed at that time are still the basis of the business as well as its winning horse: fire extinguishing powders, fire extinguisher valves and fire cylinders.
Today, as then, the carefully selected range of products purchased had to meet requirements deemed a priority:
• high quality standards;
• manufactured goods provided with product or ISO management system certificates.

The first commercial and mutual support relationships that will accompany Ikaros throughout its journey begin immediately.
Demands for machines and powders from Greece, Cyprus and Malta are considerable, and Ikaros works together with Damotek and Prophos Chemicals to meet foreign demand, going on to establish a strong bond of trust with the two companies for future projects and collaborations.

With the new millennium, just a few years after its birth, Ikaros is ready to grow and expand its product range: it begins its entry into the industrial gases sector, marketing products such as cryogenic pumps and tanks, vaporizers, cylinder charging and testing equipment, cylinders and technical-industrial valves.

In the beginning, Ikaros dealt only with the sale of gas cylinders in Italy and Greece. Over the years, however, new opportunities arose, helping to further define the company’s organization and initiating the first more structured activities at a logistical level. In doing so, in 2006 Ikaros obtained ISO 9001 certification from DNV for Quality Management Systems.

In 2008, with the growth of the Ikaros team and to meet the requests of an increasingly demanding market, it became necessary to look for a larger space: the first warehouse was purchased, making it possible to sell products directly and adding component assembly service to its offer.

Twenty years after its founding, the time is more than ripe to make a profound change in the company’s operations. Since that first desk and phone, product marketing and collaborations have increased exponentially as well as the knowledge of the industry, training technical staff oriented toward consulting and support. Ikaros moves to Viserba, expanding again both in terms of qualified personnel and in terms of offerings: in fact, the gas refilling plant is added to its product range (Co2, Ar, N2).

Soon after, new milestones are reached: Ikaros not only provides products and components for the use of pressurized gases but also offers a range of services that add value to its offer, such as the ability to test, as well as refill, cylinders on-site thanks to Bureau Veritas approval as an authorized cylinder testing center.

In compliance with the continuous search for improvement of business procedures and the quantity and quality of products and services offered, Ikaros starts the cylinder painting plant, thus streamlining the internal business procedures and at the same time adding for its customers the customization service – particular colors, logos, change of use of the cylinder, etc.

In 2020, despite the consequences triggered by the spread of Covid-19, Ikaros remains active in supporting healthcare activities through the supply of medical cylinders and accessories. At the same time, the experience leaves its mark and the company is committed to maturing through agile business development that knows how to be flexible and resilient. A new product type is also added in response to new needs: cylinder bundles.

Thanks to its years of experience in the industry, Ikaros identifies a new opportunity of which it immediately understands its potential: dry ice blasting, a machine that removes dirt without leaving residue through the use of dry ice pellets (the solid form of Co2).
Understanding the benefits of its use for both businesses and the environment, Ikaros decides to start a new important partnership with Cryonomic.

Despite the sudden nationwide Co2 shortage in July 2022, Ikaros once again demonstrates its ability to adapt to new challenges by launching an important new service in support of struggling businesses: the delivery of food-grade compliant liquid Co2 (LCo2) trucks (E290) on national soil.

30 years after its founding, throughout its life Ikaros has continued its work with perseverance, facing challenging situations head-on and proudly celebrating hard-won achievements. It certainly has not been and will not be an easy path, given the big players in the industry and the market demands for quality and safety. However, Ikaros still remains true to its initial goal: to provide quality gas storage products and services in compliance with regulations, tailoring its offerings to the demands and needs of its customers. Over the years, these skills sedimented in the company’s modus operandi have allowed to develop increasingly strong ties with renowned european suppliers and earn the trust of a customer base that knows it can count on Ikaros.