NE WS FE AT UR E V&S sale to FERCAM is the perfect fit The coming together of Italian moving firm Vinelli & Scotto (V&S) and transport and logistics specialist FERCAM provides synergies that will bring long-term benefits to both businesses. Dominic Weaver spoke to V&Ss General Manager, Laura Busettini, and FERCAMs Head of Transport Italy & Special Services, Davide Aonso, to find out more T he sale of Vinelli & Scotto (V&S) to South Tyrol-based transport and logistics company FERCAM was finalised earlier this year, with the aim of securing a future for the longestablished Italian moving firm and its staff. According to the companys General Manager, Laura Busettini, the deal will provide a broader platform on which to base future growth for the business. V&S was founded in 1890 in Turin, by Francesco Vinelli, who left his family business to start up his own company. He joined forces with his cousin, combining their respective talents in shipping and transport to found Vinelli & Scotto. Vinellis daughter Claudina ran the business from the start of the 1930s, leading it though the turbulent years of World War II and the rebuilding process in its aftermath. She shifted the companys focus towards removal services and joined FIDI in 1967, which makes V&S one of the organisations longest-standing Affiliates. Ottavio Busettini took over the running of the company in the early 1980s and focused on developing the international reach of its services. His daughters, Renata and Laura, joined at the same time, relocating to work from the firms offices in Venaria, Turin, and Concorezzo, Milan, respectively. When their father died in 1992, the sisters took over management of the company, Laura as General Manager and Renata as CEO. During the next three decades, they continued to expand internationally and develop relocation services around V&Ss core business, achieving its goal of providing Italian and international clients with a single point of contact for mobility services. Under their stewardship, the company won several global awards for its work for clients including multinationals, banks and insurance companies, universities, and international research organisations. The sisters had previously discussed what lay ahead for the company beyond their own tenures, but Laura says the pandemic really focused their minds on the issue of succession. When COVID arrived, it made us very aware of what would happen to the company if anything happened to me or my sister, she says. Neither of us have kids, and the people in the company wouldnt be interested in taking over. But we wanted to give continuity to the 22 FF308 Dec-Jan 23 pp22-23 V&S News feature.indd 22 05/12/2022 16:50