MERMEC Spa is based in Apulia, in Monopoli, and is one of the world’s leading companies in the railway safety sector.
A company born and bred in the name of innovation, a multiple award-winner at MIT Boston, Silicon Valley and included in the ranking of the 30 European companies capable of developing the most innovation.
From Apulia to the world
The company, part of the Angel Group, develops solutions for the rail, digital mechatronics and aerospace sectors and has a major presence in Australia, with an office in Melbourne and one in Sydney.
Piero Angela was so fascinated by it that five years ago, he dedicated an episode of SuperQuark to this outstanding company from Monopoli, which has become famous above all for its ‘diagnostic railcars’ capable of carrying out a health check on the railway network, together with laser sensors that analyse old tunnels, detecting any damage, even millimetric damage.
Cutting-edge high-tech solutions
But how did it get here? The history of Mermec began in the 1970s and is the result of a mix of work, vision, solidarity and, above all, the talent and Made in Italy spirit of initiative of Angelo Pertosa, who assembled agricultural trailers for Lamborghini in his workshop. In 1988, he founded the family-run company Meridional Meccanica, hence the name MER MEC, seizing the opportunity in the 1990s to expand the business to railway maintenance and diagnostics. However, it is with his son Vito Pertosa (Monopoli, born in ‘59) and his continuous investments in technology that the company expands.
Today, it has 19 branches worldwide and sells in 71 countries, including hyper-technological Japan and South Korea!
Support for startups and emerging companies
Petrosa is a model entrepreneur who combines talent with generosity and foresight. In 2008, he decided to use 6 million euros of his income to set up Angelo Investments (in honour of his father), a fund created to support startups and emerging companies, aiming not to speculate by reselling them but to create new jobs. The results were not long in coming: having started with three startups employing 20 people, within three years, the number of employees had risen to 280, and the company continues to grow.
Over the years, Vito Pertosa also initiated collaborations with leading universities and research centres.
Appointed Knight of Labour in 2009, he holds prestigious roles in various organisations, including Confindustria.
Today, MerMec Spa is part of Angelo Holding, maintains its headquarters in Monopoli under Vito Pertosa’s chairmanship, has thousands of employees, and has a turnover of hundreds of millions of euros.
Congratulations to those who bring Made in Italy high-tech to the world!
Learn about other companies that showcase Italian innovation and technology.