With the inherited capital, the brothers started the company together with their cousin Gaetano Caltagirone, an architect already working as a manufacturer.

In 1984, he took over Vianini Lavori S.p.A. – now part of the Caltagirone Group – which operates worldwide in the field of large infrastructure projects.

In 1992, he took over Cementir S.p.A., the fourth biggest Italian company in the cement industry, acquired by IRI (Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale) through a public auction.

In a few years, under the guidance of his son Francesco Caltagirone Jr., Cementir S.p.A. became a multinational company with a significant presence in Scandinavia, Turkey and the Far East.

[7] He is married to Luisa Farinon (the sister of former TV presenter Gabriella) and has three children: Francesco Jr., Alessandro and Azzurra,[8] the ex-wife of the Italian politician Pier Ferdinando Casini.