Salvatore Tafuro, Founder and President of RI Group, has been inducted into the Modular Building Institute’s 2025 Modular Industry Hall of Fame, joining a distinguished group of professionals whose careers have made a significant contribution to the development of the modular construction industry.
The Hall of Fame recognition is awarded by the Modular Building Institute (MBI) to industry leaders whose careers stand out for longevity, business success, corporate citizenship and original ideas that have contributed to advancing modular construction. In 2025, Salvatore Tafuro was selected as the Hall of Fame inductee representing RI Group.
More than 50 years dedicated to modular construction
Salvatore Tafuro’s entrepreneurial journey began in 1973, when, still in his twenties, he started producing metal structures and aluminium fixtures from a small garage in Leverano, in the heart of Salento.
That early experience laid the foundations for what would later become RI Group, today active internationally in the design and production of modular systems. Over more than five decades, the company has developed projects across Italy, Africa, the Americas, Australasia, Europe and the Middle East.
The recognition awarded by MBI reflects a professional path built around the ability to adapt modular technologies to very different operational needs, from civil and humanitarian applications to highly specialised solutions.
Innovation and international experience
Among the milestones highlighted by the Modular Building Institute are RI Group’s collaborations with international institutions and organisations, including the United Nations, the European Union and NATO. MBI also recalls the company’s role during the COVID-19 emergency, when RI Group developed mobile field hospitals and modular bio-containment solutions following a request from NATO’s NSPA.
Over the years, the company has also developed patented technologies and specialised modular systems, including bio-containment units, energy systems and solutions designed for deployment in complex operational environments.
A recognition shared with the entire RI Group team
For Salvatore Tafuro, the Hall of Fame induction represents not only a personal achievement, but also recognition of the people who have contributed to RI Group’s development over the years.
In his remarks published by MBI, Tafuro described the award as a recognition of the dedication, passion and teamwork that have accompanied his career, while also reaffirming his commitment to continuing to innovate and contribute to the growth of the modular construction sector.
The award also reflects a forward-looking vision focused on new applications of modular construction, particularly in the healthcare sector and in solutions designed for areas affected by conflicts, humanitarian crises and limited access to essential services.
For RI Group, Salvatore Tafuro’s induction into the MBI Modular Industry Hall of Fame represents an important international recognition of a journey that began more than 50 years ago in Salento and has grown into a global industrial experience in modular construction.
Further information:
Modular Building Institute – Salvatore Tafuro joins the Industry Hall of Fame
Modular Building Institute – Hall of Fame
