Lucchini RS

Lucchini RS is an Italian steel manufacturing and engineering company whose principal industrial base is in Lovere, in the province of Bergamo, on the western shore of Lake Iseo. Its headquarters are in Brescia. The company is best known for railway products, particularly forged railway wheels and wheelset-related equipment, while also producing steel castings, forgings, forge ingots and tool steels. The industrial history behind Lucchini RS reaches back to 1856, when Giovanni Andrea Gregorini established the Lovere works after moving his business from Valcamonica. Railway wheels became an important part of the site’s identity after production began in 1907. The Lovere works subsequently passed through several phases of Italian state ownership and operated under names associated with ILVA, Italsider, Terni and Lovere Sidermeccanica. The plant was privatized in 1990 and sold to the Lucchini Group, the steel group associated with Luigi Lucchini. It then operated as Lucchini Sidermeccanica. The company pursued modernization and international expansion during the 1990s and 2000s. It acquired railway-related operations in the United Kingdom and Sweden in 2000 and established a Polish company in 2002. In 2007, the Lucchini family regained direct and complete control of Lucchini Sidermeccanica through its holding company Sinpar S.p.A., following the period in which the wider Gruppo Lucchini had been controlled by Alexei Mordashov’s Severstal. The railway business also began a major investment program in 2007 to replace its wheel-forging line with a highly automated production system. The new line entered production in 2010. In 2008, the company adopted its present name, Lucchini RS; the initials RS refer to rolling stock. Lucchini RS has since developed as a group rather than solely as a single steelworks. Its businesses have included Lucchini Industries, Lucchini Mamé Forge, Lucchini FA.RO., LUR in the United Kingdom, Lucchini Sweden, Lucchini Poland, Zhibo Lucchini in China, Lucchini CE in Austria, LBX in Belgium, Lucchini India, Lucchini CN in Beijing, Lucchini South Africa, Ahiyeni Rail and Lucchini North America. These operations support manufacturing, maintenance, processing, engineering and commercial activities across railway and industrial steel markets. The group’s Lovere site is vertically integrated, housing activities that extend from product design and metallurgical processing to finished components. The works covers approximately 237,000 square metres, including about 147,000 square metres of factory buildings. This integrated model supports the production of safety-critical railway components and other forged or cast products requiring controlled metallurgy, machining and quality assurance. Expansion beyond railway wheels has included the acquisition of the bankrupt Valdunes business in Belgium in 2014, creating LBX SA; the acquisition and subsequent integration of the Mamé Group, a producer of forged steel components; the creation of a majority-owned joint venture with Unipart Rail in 2015; and the acquisition of the Euras tool-steel business in 2017. In 2018, Lucchini Industries Srl was created by separating the production assets of the Lovere plant from Lucchini RS. In 2021, FA.RO Acciai was combined with Lucchini Tool Steel to create Lucchini FA.RO., focused on tool-steel distribution and service for applications such as plastic moulds, die casting, extrusion and hot stamping. Lucchini RS therefore occupies a specialist position at the intersection of steel production, railway supply and industrial component manufacturing. Its historical strength is the production of forged railway wheels, while its broader portfolio covers rail systems, heavy forgings, castings, tool steels and related services. The company remains family-controlled and internationally active, although it is not presented as a publicly listed corporation.

The Lovere works that form the industrial core of Lucchini RS was founded in 1856 by Giovanni Andrea Gregorini, who moved his business from Valcamonica. The site became associated with railway manufacturing in 1907, when it began producing railway wheels. That activity remains central to the company’s identity and later specialization in forged wheels and rolling-stock components. In 1930, the works were nationalized and operated for many years under successive state-linked industrial names, including ILVA, Italsider, Terni and Lovere Sidermeccanica. The site returned to private ownership in 1990 as part of Italy’s privatization of state-owned steel assets. It was sold to the Lucchini Group associated with Luigi Lucchini and became Lucchini Sidermeccanica. During the 1990s and 2000s, the company modernized its production base and expanded internationally. Lucchini UK and Lucchini Sweden were acquired from ADtranz in 2000, and Lucchini Poland was established in 2002. The business remained part of the broader Lucchini Group until 2007. In that year, the Lucchini family used its financial holding company, Sinpar S.p.A., to regain direct and complete control of Lucchini Sidermeccanica. The same period saw the creation of Zhibo Lucchini Railway Equipment Ltd, a joint venture with China’s Zhibo Transport Equipment intended to support wheelset maintenance for Chinese high-speed trains. Also in 2007, Lucchini RS began an investment program to replace its railway wheel-forging line with a fully automated system. The new line commenced production in 2010. In 2008, the company changed its name to Lucchini RS S.p.A.; RS denotes rolling stock and reflects the company’s railway focus. The group subsequently broadened its industrial and geographic footprint. In 2014, it acquired the bankrupt Valdunes business through the Tribunal of Liège and formed LBX SA for railway products. It also agreed to acquire a stake in Mamé Group, a manufacturer of forged steel components based in Cividate Camuno. Mamé was later fully integrated and renamed Lucchini Mamé Forge. In 2015, Lucchini RS and Unipart Rail established LUR, a United Kingdom joint venture in which Lucchini RS holds the majority share. The venture operated production sites in Manchester and Doncaster. In 2017, Lucchini RS acquired Euras, a branch of Acciai Brianza, and formed Lucchini Tool Steel. This move supported a broader strategy for the forgings and castings division and gave the group a stronger presence in the processing and distribution of tool steels. In 2018, Lucchini Industries Srl was separated from Lucchini RS to group the production assets of the Lovere plant. The group continued reorganizing its tool-steel operations in 2021, when it announced an agreement to combine FA.RO Acciai with Lucchini Tool Steel. The resulting Lucchini FA.RO. business was positioned as a European service center serving tool-steel applications including plastic moulds, die casting, extrusion and hot stamping. Lucchini RS now operates as a family-controlled international steel and railway-products group. Its main Lovere complex is designed to keep multiple stages of production on one site, from engineering and design through metallurgical processing and manufacturing to finished products. The group’s portfolio includes railway wheels and components, castings, forgings, forge ingots and tool steels, with affiliated and subsidiary operations across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.

1. 2021Lucchini FA.RO. formed

   FA.RO Acciai and Lucchini Tool Steel were combined to create Lucchini FA.RO.

   Source
2. 2018Lucchini Industries established

   The Lovere production assets were grouped in the newly carved-out Lucchini Industries Srl.

   Source
3. 2017Tool-steel business added

   The acquisition of Euras led to the creation of Lucchini Tool Steel.

   Source
4. 2015LUR joint venture established

   Lucchini RS and Unipart Rail created Lucchini Unipart Rail Ltd in the United Kingdom.

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5. 2014LBX created after Valdunes acquisition

   Lucchini RS acquired the bankrupt Valdunes business and established LBX SA for railway products.

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6. 2010Automated wheel-forging line enters production

   A replacement railway wheel-forging line launched production following a major modernization program.

   Source
7. 2007Family control restored

   The Lucchini family, through Sinpar S.p.A., regained direct and complete control of Lucchini Sidermeccanica.

   Source
8. 2007Chinese railway-equipment joint venture formed

   Zhibo Lucchini Railway Equipment Ltd was established with China’s Zhibo Transport Equipment.

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9. 2002Lucchini Poland established

   The group added a Polish operation as part of its international expansion.

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10. 2000United Kingdom and Sweden expansion

    Lucchini acquired Lucchini UK and Lucchini Sweden from ADtranz.

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11. 1990Privatization and sale to Lucchini Group

    The Lovere plant was sold during Italy’s steel privatization program to the Lucchini Group and became Lucchini Sidermeccanica.

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12. 1930Works nationalized

    The plant entered a long period of state ownership and operated under several Italian steel-industry names.

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13. 1907Railway-wheel production begins

    The Lovere plant began producing railway wheels, a product that remained central to the company’s later railway specialization.

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14. 1856Lovere works founded

    Giovanni Andrea Gregorini founded the industrial works at Lovere, later becoming the core production site of Lucchini RS.

    Source

A family-controlled, vertically integrated specialist steel group serving railway rolling stock and selected industrial markets through metallurgy, forging, casting, machining, tool-steel processing and international technical operations.

• Forged railway wheelsRailway products1907

  Forged railway wheels are the company’s signature product and have been manufactured at the Lovere works since 1907. Lucchini RS presents the business as a specialist railway supplier serving rolling-stock applications. Production is supported by integrated design, metallurgy, forging and finishing capabilities at the main industrial site.

• Railway components and wheelset equipmentRailway products

  The group supplies railway products beyond individual wheels, including wheelset-related equipment and components for rolling stock. Its international structure includes manufacturing, maintenance and technical operations intended to support railway customers in several regional markets.

• Steel forgingsIndustrial steel products

  Lucchini RS produces forged steel components for railway and other industrial applications. The group expanded this capability through Lucchini Mamé Forge, which originated from the acquisition and integration of Mamé Group, a manufacturer of forged steel components in Brescia province.

• Steel castings and forge ingotsIndustrial steel products

  Steel castings and forge ingots form part of the company’s broader metallurgical portfolio. These products support the group’s forgings and castings division and complement its railway-component manufacturing activities.

• Tool steelsSpecialty steels2017

  Through Lucchini Tool Steel and later Lucchini FA.RO., the group processes and markets tool steel for applications including plastic moulds, die casting, extrusion and hot stamping. The business operates as a service-center and distribution activity serving industrial customers.

• 2021Combine FA.RO Acciai with Lucchini Tool SteelM&A

  Lucchini RS sought to consolidate tool-steel sales, processing and service-center activities in Europe.

  What changed. FA.RO Acciai was merged with Lucchini Tool Steel to create Lucchini FA.RO.

  Aftermath. The resulting business targeted tool-steel applications in moulding, die casting, extrusion and hot stamping.

  Source
• 2018Separate Lovere production assetsStrategy

  The group reorganized its corporate structure around the production assets of the Lovere plant.

  What changed. Lucchini Industries Srl was carved out of Lucchini RS to group those production assets.

  Aftermath. The reorganization clarified the separation between the operating production company and the wider Lucchini RS structure.

  Source
• 2017Expand into tool steel through EurasM&A

  Lucchini RS aimed to consolidate its forgings and castings division and extend its specialty-steel offering.

  What changed. The company acquired Euras, a branch of Acciai Brianza, and created Lucchini Tool Steel.

  Aftermath. The group gained a dedicated tool-steel processing and marketing business.

  Source
• 2015Create the LUR joint ventureM&A

  The company sought a stronger United Kingdom platform for railway manufacturing and related services.

  What changed. Lucchini RS formed Lucchini Unipart Rail Ltd with Unipart Rail and held a 60 percent stake.

  Aftermath. The joint venture operated production sites in Manchester and Doncaster.

  Reported annual turnover. (At formation in 2015)

  Source
• 2014Acquire Valdunes and establish LBXM&A

  Lucchini RS pursued additional railway-product capacity through the acquisition of the bankrupt Valdunes business.

  What changed. The company acquired Valdunes from the Tribunal of Liège and established LBX SA.

  Aftermath. LBX became part of the group’s railway-products structure.

  Source
• 2008Adopt the Lucchini RS identityStrategy

  The company’s railway and rolling-stock orientation had become a defining part of its industrial positioning.

  What changed. Lucchini Sidermeccanica changed its corporate name to Lucchini RS S.p.A.; RS refers to rolling stock.

  Aftermath. The Lucchini RS name became the principal identity for the family-controlled railway and specialty-steel business.

  Source
• 2007Replace the railway wheel-forging lineGeneration change

  Lucchini RS sought to modernize and automate production of its distinctive forged railway wheels.

  What changed. The company began a major investment program to replace the existing wheel-forging line with a fully automated line.

  Aftermath. The new line started production in 2010.

  Announced investment. (2007 announcement)

  Source

• 2021FA.RO Acciai and Lucchini Tool Steel agree to combine

  Lucchini RS announced an agreement to merge FA.RO Acciai with Lucchini Tool Steel, creating Lucchini FA.RO. as a European tool-steel service and sales business.

  M&A
  Source
• 2018Lovere production assets are separated into Lucchini Industries

  Lucchini Industries Srl was carved out of Lucchini RS to group the production assets of the Lovere plant.

  Other
  Source
• 2017Lucchini RS acquires Euras tool-steel business

  The company acquired Euras, a branch of Acciai Brianza, and established Lucchini Tool Steel as part of its expansion into forgings, castings and tool-steel services.

  M&A
  Source
• 2015Lucchini RS and Unipart Rail establish LUR

  Lucchini RS and Unipart Rail created Lucchini Unipart Rail Ltd, a United Kingdom joint venture focused on railway manufacturing and related operations.

  M&A
  Source
• 2014Lucchini RS acquires Valdunes assets and establishes LBX

  Lucchini RS acquired the bankrupt Valdunes company from the Tribunal of Liège and created LBX SA for railway-product activities.

  M&ABankruptcy
  Source
• 2014Lucchini RS agrees to acquire a stake in Mamé Group

  Lucchini RS announced a preliminary agreement to acquire 49 percent of Mamé Group, a Brescia-area producer of forged steel components. The group was later fully acquired and renamed Lucchini Mamé Forge.

  M&A
  Source
• 2008Company adopts the Lucchini RS name

  Lucchini Sidermeccanica changed its name to Lucchini RS; the initials refer to rolling stock.

  Other
  Source
• 2007Lucchini RS regains control through Sinpar

  The Lucchini family, through Sinpar S.p.A., acquired direct and complete control of Lucchini Sidermeccanica after the wider Lucchini Group’s period under Russian control.

  M&ALeadership change
  Source
• 2007Lucchini RS begins replacement of railway wheel-forging line

  The company announced a major investment to replace its railway wheel-forging line with an automated system, which began production in 2010.

  Product generation
  Source

1. Lucchini RS