Gio. Ansaldo and Co
Locomotive engineers, ship builders and heavy engineers of Sampierdarena, Genoa, Italy.
1846 The Sampierdarena works were founded by Messrs Taylor and Prandi
1853 Acquired by Gio. Ansaldo et Cie and adopted that name.
1858 Giovanni Ansaldo died.
1882 Death of one of the founders, banker Carlo Bombrini. At that time the business was in difficulties, but Bombrini's sons Carlo Marcello and Giovanni Bombrini came to the rescue, appointing Ing. Antonio Omati. Some British engineers were appointed, including three who stayed with the firm for many years, namely Charles de Grave Sells, T. H. Baird, and C. H. Gilbert. The works at Sampierdarena were enlarged. and the shipyard transferred to Sestri Ponente.
1903 Ansaldo agreed with W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co Ltd., owner of the Pozzuoli artillery plant, to form a joint company Gio Ansaldo, Armstrong and Co., an industrial complex employing 16,000 workers.
1912 the agreement with Armstrong was ended and Ansaldo resumed its previous name.
For much more information on the development of the company and its products up to 1914, see The Engineer 1914/05/08 Supplement.
1922 The giant works and shipyard at Genoa faced closure
Post-WWII Ansaldo became part of the new group Finmeccanica