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HISTORY
Piaggio was founded in Genoa
in 1884, originally
outfitting ocean liners and
manufacturing rolling stock
for the developing railway
infrastructure at the turn
of the century. Due to
financial gains in this
industry, Rinaldo Piaggio
was able to build a factory
in 1906 in Final Marina.
Today, the site of Piaggio's
facility is in Finale
Ligure, where Piaggio Aero
began to manufacture
aircraft and aircraft
engines.
The
1920s served as an important
time in the company's
history when, Piaggio Aero
brought on Giovanni Pegna
and Giuseppe Gabrielli, two
aeronautical engineers, to
help develop Piaggio's
aeronautic line. Together
they created modern
technical solutions for
aviation, that brought forth
the design and build of the
world's first helicopter.
Senator Rinaldo Piaggio died
in 1938, at 71 years old,
thus ending the Rinaldo
Piaggio era. When the
battles of World War II left
the company's facilities in
ruins, it was Rinaldo's sons
Enrico, inventor of the
Vespa motor scooter, and
Armando, who began the
rebuilding process.
1948
was the year Piaggio
launched the Piaggio P.136,
a twin-engine seaplane, that
was operated by the Italian
Air Force, when liaison
transport missions were
needed. Due to the increase
of basic aircraft training,
the German Luftwaffe ordered
265 Piaggio P.149 units in
1953. By 1957 Piaggio
created the Piaggio P.166
light transport aircraft
that was marketed and
produced for the military
and civilian personnel
worldwide.
In
1960, Piaggio, under the
license of the Rolls Royce
Viper and started
manufacturing jet engines.
This move led to the
expansion of Piaggio's
current business.
In
1966, the company separated
into two separate entities,
one was Vespa motor scooter
and the other Piaggio Aero.
Though one focused on the
developments of the motor
scooter and the other on
aeronautical, both companies
still maintain the Piaggio
name.
By 1998, the assets of
Rinaldo Piaggio S.p.A.
exchanged hands and a group
of entrepreneurs headed by
the Di Mase and Ferrari
families and Piaggio became
Piaggio Aero Industries.
This acquiring of assets
brought Piaggio Aero
Industries back to its
roots, as a designer and
producer of business
aircraft.
In
2006 Mubadala Development
Company, acquired a 35%
stake Piaggio Aero
Industries S.p.A. Mubadala
Development Company is a
wholly owned investment
vehicle of the Government of
the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in
the United Arab Emirates.
In 2008, the Indian
multinational
conglomerate the Tata Group
acquired a one-third stake
in Piaggio Aero Industries,
becoming one of the primary
shareholders alongside
Ferrari and Di Mase families
and Mubadala Development
Company.
As part of the acquisition
Tata gained the right to
appoint three of the nine
seats on the board, and one
of the three seats on the
management committee
Source:
Wikipedia
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