Focused on advanced technology

With names such as Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom and CAF among its clients, MSA (Mediterr Shock Absorber) SpA is a world leader in the shock absorber industry. Barbara Rossi spoke to the company’s sales & strategy director, Elena Giulivi.

Nowadays MSA SpA, belonging to the Italian Montante group, designs and manufactures high range, highly technological shock absorbers for railway and industrial vehicles and for special applications, either in standard models or according to specific customers’ demands, and is present all over the world with its two brands: MSA and Gimon. The group started its activity in the 1930s as a bicycle manufacturer and the activity then developed following international transport trends, first moving to manufacturing shock absorbers for the railway sector and then accompanying this with production for the industrial automotive sector (shock absorbers for industrial vehicles, coaches and buses).

The company has two sites at the opposite ends of Italy, with one production site in the north-western town of Asti and the other production site, as well as its headquarters, in the Caltanissetta area of Sicily. The Asti site is specialised in products for the railway industry, as well as taking care of special applications, while the Sicilian site is dedicated to the industrial automotive range. Both of these sites are very recent and innovative, with the Asti site dating back to 2005 and the Caltanissetta one to 2001 and both are equipped with cutting-edge testing and R&D facilities and commercial departments, as well as having scope for increased production volumes.

“When the Montante family had to choose whether to aim at a lower cost, large volume, but less technological product, it chose another path, a more courageous one: that of a high technological offer.” Ms Giulivi says.

All the MSA SpA production is composed of shock absorbers of high technological content, and even more so in the special application field, which comprises both the military sector and high risk buildings and structures (such as energy production plants, panoramic wheels or bridges). Moreover MSA set up TIVET, a spin off with the Politecnico di Milano, which has been active for a few years, to work on projects of particularly high technological content on the transport market. The Politecnico di Milano is

an absolute European leader in railway sector design and research and only rarely takes part in spin-offs with industrial partners. This spin-off is an independent entity, engaged in research and development in the transport sector, as well as in other fields. MSA is currently engaged in two innovative parallel research projects on smart and active shock absorbers, which have the potential of revolutionising the transport market. Both have been developed in-house and, having already undergone the prototype phase, will be shortly introduced on the market.

To this day the railway sector represents MSA Shock Absorber’s core business, followed by the automotive field and by the special application niche market. Currently MSA is present on most markets, such as Italy and Europe, North and South America, Australia and Asia. Italy accounts for 35–40 per cent of turnover share and the other markets for the remaining 60–65 per cent.

A love for innovation and investments

There are important international development plans in store, involving both North and South America, Australia and Asia. In particular, MSA SpA is setting up production in China in collaboration with local partners for railway as well as for industrial automotive products, mainly destined to the internal market. Moreover MSA, which has been active in India for several years, is expanding commercially in the country, by establishing closer partnerships with Indian entities, to achieve a more widespread presence, and is also envisaging a possible future production activity. The company has also been present in Brazil for several years and finds this market very interesting, especially for the railway sector. Again this is a market where in future there could be the establishment of a production unit. MSA is very attentive to the specific requirements of each country where it operates, paying a lot of attention to the individual country systems. In emerging markets there are promising signs of development for the railway sector products, partly due to the fact that as they are starting, at least in some areas, from a lower infrastructural level. Ms Giulivi pointed out how MSA has the advantage of belonging to the Montante group, still led and owned by the founding Montante family, courageous entrepreneurs, who love innovation and investments.

The company guarantees a total product quality, meaning that it ensures not only the high quality of its products, but also the safety and health of its employees, respect for the environment and a search for energy efficiency. MSA, as well as having produced a company code of ethics, also avails itself of specialised staff, which by employing specialised machines and equipment, regularly monitor and check the company processes. Certifications held include UNI EN ISO 9001:2000, the environmentally oriented UNI EN 14001 and German welding certificates, as well as a commitment to working towards the achievement of IRIS (the most prestigious certification in the railway sector) and SA8000.

Furthermore, MSA can be proud of the quality of life within the company. It has in fact been included, in more than one occasion, in Italy’s Great Places to Work listing, mainly assessed by means of confidential questionnaires filled in by actual staff members, ranking in 8th position in recent years, alongside names of the calibre of Google, Microsoft, Coca-Cola HBC Italia and Cisco Systems. n