Established in 1918 by an Italian immigrant, Cia Lilla was the first manufacturer of roasting equipment i Southern Hemisphere. Its founder, Mr. Vito Lilla, was a coffee roaster in downtown Sao Paulo, when the First World War made it impossible for him to get parts for his European made equipment, the began manufacturing parts for his equipment and later for other roasting plants. This new venture was so successful that M.r Lilla stopped roasting coffee and began to manufacture roasting machines.