FATA European Group SpA (materials and storage and retrieval sytems manufacturers: 1978-: Turin, Italy)

Fabrica Apparecchi de Sollevamento & Transporto ed Affini SpA ( FATA SpA ) was established in Turin, Italy , in 1936 , specialising in the manufacture of materials and storage and retrieval systems for the transport industry. By 1978 , Babcock & Wilcox Ltd , boilermakers, Glasgow, Scotland, had acquired the company along with a number of other FATA subsidiaries in France, Spain, Britain and Italy. FATA European Group SpA was established by Babcock & Wilcox Ltd as a management company in 1978 with head offices based in Turin, Italy, to control these subsidiaries and provide administrative, management, technical and commercial support and production co-ordination. The Group was divided into 4 sections: sales, production co-ordination, personnel and engineering.

The board of directors consisted of the directors of each of the subsidiary companies. In 1978, the FATA companies were FATA Torino SPA , Turin; FATA Sud SpA , Caserta, Italy; FATA SA , Paris, France; FATA SA , Barcelona, Spain; FATA Ltd , Milton Keynes, England; Nuova Aguido , Spain, and Aguido Basil , Spain. These companies provided machinery and robotic systems for car plants such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Citroen and between 1978 and 1984 built 22 monorail systems within Europe and the USSR.

By 1984 , the company had restructured into two distinct sections. The Automation section produced automated machinery for factories, foundries, plant engineering and construction. The Non-automation section produced aluminium casting, rolling and conversion plant, packaging plant and food processing systems, most of which were produced by the subsidiary FATA-New Hunter Engineering SpA , Italy.

By 1985 , FATA European Group SpA was co-ordinating the groups commercial, technical and research activities. It took the lead in designing developing and engineering of all FATA product lines and provided technical assistance to other companies in the group. In 1985 the operating companies within the group were FATA Sud SpA , Italy; FATA Industrie SA , France; FATA SA , Spain; Babcock FATA Ltd , UK; Deutsche FATA GmbH , West Germany; FATAluminium SpA , Italy; FATA-New Hunter Engineering SpA , Italy; Froude Consine Ltd , UK; and Froude Engineering Inc , USA.

In 1979 , Babcock & Wilcox Ltd, the parent company of FATA European Group SpA, became Babcock International Ltd and then Babcock International plc in 1982 . In 1987 , Babcock International plc merged with FKI Electricals plc, engineering company, London, to form FKI Babcock plc . In 1989 , FKI Babcock plc demerged to form FKI plc and Babcock International Group plc and FATA European Group SpA was retained by Babcock International Group plc. It appears that at some point prior to 1991, Babcock International Group plc sold-off FATA European Group SpA and in 2002 it continued to trade in Italy.

From the guide to the Records of FATA European Group SpA, 1978-, materials and storage and retrieval systems manufacturers, Turin, Italy, 1930s-1985 (predominant 1970s-1985), (Glasgow University Archive Services)