2015 closed with a double American acquisition for Beretta. The Lombard company continues its internationalization process by securing the entire share capital of two stars and stripes companies, STS of Beavercreek (Ohio) and Diffraction Limited of Burlington (Vermont). The transaction was concluded on 31 December and great confidentiality is maintained as regards the financial details.
The acquired companies are both part of the O'Gara group and invoice several tens of millions of euros each year with their products used by military forces around the world in the field of night vision and opto-electronics. Some rumors have set the price of the double acquisition at 50 million dollars, completed through the German subsidiary Steiner.
Beretta has been demonstrating for some time that it wants to strengthen the division dedicated to opto-electronics, that is to say the set of techniques with which electronics and optics make different devices (in particular binoculars and laser pointers): the turnover of the Gardone Val Trompia factory is guaranteed for about a fifth of the total by this sector, but we must not forget the growing interest nurtured by the holding in the American market.
The US subsidiary has been based in Accokeek, Maryland since the 2016s, but the short-term goal in XNUMX is to relocate its headquarters to Gallatin, Tennessee, as Maryland's gun laws could have a negative effect on the business. In fact, Maryland is one of the states in which new laws restricting semi-automatic shotguns and high-capacity magazines have been passed.
Consequently, the Beretta semi-automatic M9 would be illegal, but the city of Gallatin welcomed the Italian company with very interesting economic incentives. However, the double operation was not easy, also because we are talking about a particular sector and which provides for a whole series of authorizations, especially when dealing with a foreign company.
Currently Beretta can count on 26 operating companies: in 2014 it was able to make significant production investments and also in research and development, numbers that should have been confirmed in 2015 which has just ended. Small arms for sporting activities, hunting and personal defense remain the main production, but awareness is growing that technology will be increasingly important for the security sector, which is why STS and Diffraction are now part of the Beretta holding. . It will be necessary to wait a few more days before knowing the financial information of the double acquisition.