The transformation of the community from a farming village to an industrial center is due to the construction of the Gotthard railway at the end of the 19th century, and the use of water power from the Ticino river, which began in 1911 with the commissioning of the Biaschina-Zentrale powerplant. The availability of large amounts of energy at a low cost, and the presence of an important transport link (the train) induced various industries to settle in the region. This helped turn the area into an important industrial center of the Canton of Ticino. Around 1910, Swiss and German businesses opened in the community, including "Diamant" (grinding materials), the "Gotthardwerke" (metal alloys), the chemical plant "Nitre" (production of nitrogen derivatives) and two carbide factories. These industrial firms, which employed more than 1,000 workers (including many Italians), flourished thanks to the production of explosive materials during World War I. After the war, the industry declined due to the changes of production methods and high railway tariffs. The first industry to collapse was the granite industry, which employed about 150 people. On 21 July 1921, an explosion at the "Nitre" chemical plant claimed 15 lives, destroyed the factory and damaged neighboring buildings.