Valsella Meccanotecnica
Encyclopedia
Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA (also Valsella) was one of Italy
's largest manufacturers of mines. The Company's headquarters
initially were in Montichiari
and with two production plants in Castenedolo near Brescia
, Italy.
It ceased production of mines in 1994 due to the Italian Government moratorium on production of anti-personnel mines, and in 1999, prior to bankruptcy it moved to complete civil production of engineering and vehicle projects.
Along with Tecnovar Italiana SpA, and Misar SpA (both companies started by former Valsella employees) these three companies were the centre of the production of Italian mines.
, Liechtenstein
based company of which one of the Valsella founders, Cristofano, was an attorney. In 1980 Valsella Meccanotecnica Spa was formed from the two companies, Valsella SpA and Meccano Tecnica MT SpA. Meccano Tecnica was a company, based in Castenedolo, that produced furniture, chairs and plastic containers especially for televisions. Meccano Tecnica was founded in 1962 but put into liquidation in 1979 just prior to its joining with Valsella. Meccano Tecnica was 50% owned by the Redon Trust.
Valsella owned 50% of a Milan-Rome company, Valtec, which was responsible for sales, and 32.4% ownership of Motomar, a Milan-based manufacturer of marine motors. Overall, Valsella, via the Redon Trust was controlled by a Swiss-based Italian, Paolo Jasson resident in Collina d'Oro
, Switzerland until the arrival of Fiat in 1984.
, was formed and sold to a former Valsella employee, Ludovico Fontana, and renamed to Tecnovar Italiana SpA. In 1993 the then owner, Vito Alfieri Fontana (who inherited the business) had concerns as to the impact of his business as a mine manufacturer and started a program of restructuring the company away from certain weapons, and in 1997 shut the company.
In 1976, following a legal dispute, the Valsella founder, Francisco Rena, resigned from Valsella and joined Società esplosivi industriali SpA (SEI) - the company that Valsella used to fill their mines with explosives.
, these were assembled by Chartered Industries of Singapore in Singapore for export out of Singapore.
In 1983 Valsella sold its shares in Valsella Meccanotecnica to Meccano Tecnica. Meccano Tecnica is controlled 90% by Valsella and 10% by Dukan Sas.
via the Fratelli Borletti SpA (which was subsequently 100% owned by a Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli in 1985) and via another Fiat company, Gilardini, obtained 100% of the capital of Meccano Tecnica (and thus of Valsella Meccanotecnica). This gave full control of both Valsella and Misar to Fiat. For a time Fiat effectively took over control of Italy's mine industry; a position that it consolidated in 1988 with the purchase Simmel Difesa
which purchased the assets of Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino
(BPD).
From May 1986 - September 1987 the president of Valsella was Ferdinando Borletti (of Fratelli Borletti), and who, in September 1986, purchased 50% of the company. Cesare Somigliana was president from 1987-?)
Valsella sales though fell through to 1986 and in 1987 exports were stopped when an investigation by Swedish customs was leaked by the French weekly, Envenement du Jeudi, causing an Italian investigation into the company and another company Tirrena Industriale (Pomezia
).
The allegations were related to the estimated 9 million anti-personnel mines that were sent to Iraq via Singapore. These mines were used by the Iraqis during the war with Iran, the Gulf war and the attacks on the Kurds.
In 1994 the Italian Government adopted a moratorium on antipersonnel mine production and trade and by 1995 Valsella only a fraction of its sales were for military production. Through to 1997 its production collapsed, its military production was decommissioned and migrated to civilian use and, prior to bankruptcy, it was taken-over in 1999 as a production site for Bremach and then finally merged into the company Pro.De Srl in 2005.
The manufacturer of mines and related technology was finished in Italy following the signing into law of the Italian legislation banning the manufacture, sale and use of these weapons - Law 374/97.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's largest manufacturers of mines. The Company's headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
initially were in Montichiari
Montichiari
Montichiari is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on December 27, 1991....
and with two production plants in Castenedolo near Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, Italy.
It ceased production of mines in 1994 due to the Italian Government moratorium on production of anti-personnel mines, and in 1999, prior to bankruptcy it moved to complete civil production of engineering and vehicle projects.
Along with Tecnovar Italiana SpA, and Misar SpA (both companies started by former Valsella employees) these three companies were the centre of the production of Italian mines.
History
Valsella was formed in 1969-1970 by Brescia-based entrepreneurs, Francisco Rena and Antonio De Cristofano, with ties to the Italian Ministry of Defence and the Redon Trust, a SchaanSchaan
Schaan is the largest municipality of Liechtenstein. It is located to the north of Vaduz, the capital, in the central part of the country. As of 2005 it has a population of making it the largest administrative district in Liechtenstein, and covers an area of 26.8 km², including mountains and...
, Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
based company of which one of the Valsella founders, Cristofano, was an attorney. In 1980 Valsella Meccanotecnica Spa was formed from the two companies, Valsella SpA and Meccano Tecnica MT SpA. Meccano Tecnica was a company, based in Castenedolo, that produced furniture, chairs and plastic containers especially for televisions. Meccano Tecnica was founded in 1962 but put into liquidation in 1979 just prior to its joining with Valsella. Meccano Tecnica was 50% owned by the Redon Trust.
Valsella owned 50% of a Milan-Rome company, Valtec, which was responsible for sales, and 32.4% ownership of Motomar, a Milan-based manufacturer of marine motors. Overall, Valsella, via the Redon Trust was controlled by a Swiss-based Italian, Paolo Jasson resident in Collina d'Oro
Collina d'Oro
Collina d'Oro is a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. It was formed from the 2004 union of the villages of Agra, Gentilino, and Montagnola.-History:Gentilino is first mentioned in 1210 as Gentarino...
, Switzerland until the arrival of Fiat in 1984.
Formation of Tecnovar Italiana
In 1971, Valsella Sud Srl, located in BariBari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, was formed and sold to a former Valsella employee, Ludovico Fontana, and renamed to Tecnovar Italiana SpA. In 1993 the then owner, Vito Alfieri Fontana (who inherited the business) had concerns as to the impact of his business as a mine manufacturer and started a program of restructuring the company away from certain weapons, and in 1997 shut the company.
In 1976, following a legal dispute, the Valsella founder, Francisco Rena, resigned from Valsella and joined Società esplosivi industriali SpA (SEI) - the company that Valsella used to fill their mines with explosives.
Formation of Misar
In 1977, Misar SpA, also Brescia based, was founded by technical staff of Valsella in conjunction with SEI, Società Esplosivi Industriali. Misar was incorporated into the Fiat subsidiary Whitehead SpA in 1990 (now part of the Fiat subsidiary, BPD Difesa e Spazio which since 1996 is now wholly part of Fiat Avio) and then in 1995 the Misar sea and land mine product line was sold from Whitehead to SEI.Establishing presence in Singapore
In 1982, Valsella Meccanotecnica Pte Ltd (Singapore) (Valsella Pte Ltd) was formed as a subsidiary of Valsella via its finance companies Finabel SpA and Dukan sas. The finances were managed by Rimon Srl, Falcom Spa, and Unione Fiduciaria Spa. The mines were provided by Valsella, and along with explosives from BoforsBofors
The name Bofors has been associated with the iron industry for more than 350 years.Located in Karlskoga, Sweden, the company originates from the hammer mill "Boofors" founded 1646. The modern corporate structure was created in 1873 with the foundation of Aktiebolaget Bofors-Gullspång...
, these were assembled by Chartered Industries of Singapore in Singapore for export out of Singapore.
In 1983 Valsella sold its shares in Valsella Meccanotecnica to Meccano Tecnica. Meccano Tecnica is controlled 90% by Valsella and 10% by Dukan Sas.
Sale to FIAT
Through 1984, FiatFiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
via the Fratelli Borletti SpA (which was subsequently 100% owned by a Fiat subsidiary Magneti Marelli in 1985) and via another Fiat company, Gilardini, obtained 100% of the capital of Meccano Tecnica (and thus of Valsella Meccanotecnica). This gave full control of both Valsella and Misar to Fiat. For a time Fiat effectively took over control of Italy's mine industry; a position that it consolidated in 1988 with the purchase Simmel Difesa
Simmel Difesa
Simmel Difesa is an Italian firm located in Colleferro that manufacturers land and naval munitions. Founded in 1948, Simmel specialized in the production of large-caliber munitions. In 1988, Simmel was acquired by the Fiat Group. During this period, Simmel itself acquired the assets of...
which purchased the assets of Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino
Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino
Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino , was a chemical company founded in 1912 by Giovanni Bombrini and Leopoldo Parodi-Delfino to produce gunpowder and explosives. Around its location in Colleferro soon grew a small town attracting manpower from the nearby farms...
(BPD).
From May 1986 - September 1987 the president of Valsella was Ferdinando Borletti (of Fratelli Borletti), and who, in September 1986, purchased 50% of the company. Cesare Somigliana was president from 1987-?)
Valsella sales though fell through to 1986 and in 1987 exports were stopped when an investigation by Swedish customs was leaked by the French weekly, Envenement du Jeudi, causing an Italian investigation into the company and another company Tirrena Industriale (Pomezia
Pomezia
Pomezia is a municipality in the province of Rome, Lazio, central Italy. In 2009 it had a population of about 60,000.-History:The town was built entirely new near the location of ancient Lavinium on land resulting from the final reclamation of the Pontine Marshes under Benito Mussolini, being...
).
Iraq mine sales court case
In 1991 the Valsella’s managers, consultants and administrators, (Antonio De Cristofano, Mario Fallani (director of Casalee Italia), Gabriel van deuren (manager of Cofitec), Cesare Somigliana, Calista Calisto, Paulo Jasson, Paolo Torsello, Vito Taddeo, Peter Kurt Maier) were charged with illegal trading with Iraq but plea-bargaining at their 1991 trial and though they acknowledged having committed irregularities, the Supreme Court acquitted the managers of the serious crimes of illegal arms trade and violation of the currency regulations.The allegations were related to the estimated 9 million anti-personnel mines that were sent to Iraq via Singapore. These mines were used by the Iraqis during the war with Iran, the Gulf war and the attacks on the Kurds.
Withdrawal by FIAT
In 1994 Fiat announced that (via Fiat Ciei SpA) that it ceased to have any participation on the board of directors of Valsella and in 1994 Fiat Ciei is merged with Whitehead Spa. In 1995 the land and sea mine production of Misar (which was already incorporated into Whitehead in 1990) is sold to Società esplosivi industriali SpA (SEI) (SEI had 30% with the remaining 70% controlled by Societè Anonyme d'Explosifs et de Produit Chimique (EPC Groupe), though in 1995 SEI is mostly (70%) owned by EPC Groupe with the remaining owned by the Sorlini in Brescia).In 1994 the Italian Government adopted a moratorium on antipersonnel mine production and trade and by 1995 Valsella only a fraction of its sales were for military production. Through to 1997 its production collapsed, its military production was decommissioned and migrated to civilian use and, prior to bankruptcy, it was taken-over in 1999 as a production site for Bremach and then finally merged into the company Pro.De Srl in 2005.
The manufacturer of mines and related technology was finished in Italy following the signing into law of the Italian legislation banning the manufacture, sale and use of these weapons - Law 374/97.
Products
- VS-HCT mineVS-HCT mineThe VS-HCT series of mines are Italian plastic cased anti-tank mines that use Misznay Schardin effect warheads and have a dual seismic and magnetic fuze. The mines are no longer produced and differ in size and shape.-VS-HCT:...
, anti-tank mine - VS-1.6 mineVS-1.6 mineThe VS-1.6 is an Italian circular plastic-cased scatterable anti-tank blast mine. It has very few metal components and is resistant to overpressure and shock. The mine can also be deployed conventionally and from helicopters...
, anti-tank mine - VS-N fuzed minesVS-N fuzed minesThe VS-2.2, VS-3.6 and SH-55 are Italian circular plastic cased anti-tank blast mines that use the VS-N series fuze. They have very few metal components and are resistant to overpressure and shock. The VS-2.2 and VS-3.6 can also be deployed from helicopters. It was produced by Valsella...
, anti-tank mines including the Sh-55, Valsella's first mine - VS-50 mineVS-50 mineThe VS-50 is a circular plastic cased anti-personnel blast mine, formerly manufactured by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defense industry specialized in area denial systems which was also the manufacturer of the Valmara 69 and one of the first industries in the...
, plastic cased anti-personnel mine - VS-MK2 mineVS-MK2 mineThe VS-MK-2 is a plastic bodied scatterable anti-personnel blast mine formerly manufactured by the now-defunct Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA, an Italian high-tech defense industry specialized in area denial systems . The mine is extremely difficult to detect because of its low metal content...
, plastic bodied scatter-able anti-personnel blast mine - Valmara 59Valmara 59The Valmara 59 is a large cylindrical Italian bounding anti-personnel mine. It is the first in the "Valmara" family of mines produced by Valsella Meccanotecnica, and was followed by the Valmara 69 and VS-JAP. The mine's body is plastic with a distinctive five-pronged head. The central prong has a...
, bounding anti-personnel mine - Valmara 69Valmara 69Valmara 69 or V-69 is an Italian bounding anti-personnel mine manufactured by Valsella. The mine was developed from the V-59 mine, and although the mine is no longer produced in Italy, a number of copies were produced in other countries e.g. the "SPM-1" manufactured by Singapore.The South African...
, bounding anti-personnel mine - VS-JAP mineVS-JAP mineThe VS-JAP is an Italian bounding anti-personnel mine. It is the latest of the Valmara family of bounding mines that includes the Valmara 59 and Valmara 69. The mine has a waterproof plastic faceted cylindrical body with a three-pronged cap, with a central fixing point for a tripwire...
, bounding anti-personnel mine - VS-T mine, illumination mine (and VS-T-86)
- VS-SATM1 mineVS-SATM1 mineThe VS-SATM1 is an Italian scatterable anti-tank landmine that was produced by Valsella Meccanotecnica SpA. The mine can be scattered by a GRILLO-128 man-portable single-tube launcher system or a VS-MDH helicopter based system...
, scatterable anti-tank landmine
- Istrice (mine-laying), a vehicle-mounted mine-laying system (1987)
- GRILLO-128 (mine dispenser) man-portable single tube launcher system and VS-MDH helicopter mine dispenser
See also
- Italian support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war
- Singapore support for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq war
- (Italian) Whitehead Alenia Sistemi Subacquei
External links
- http://www.opalbrescia.it/Pubblicazioni/Michele%20Cottini/Michele%20Cottini.html
- http://www.the-monitor.org/index.php/publications/display?url=lm/1999/italy.html
- (Italian) http://www.unimondo.org/Notizie/Io.-lavoratrice-della-ex-Valsella
- (Italian) http://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/1985/12/03/bari-una-seconda-inchiesta-sulle-armi.html