On 18 September 2026, Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta celebrated its 500th anniversary in Gardone Val Trompia, near Brescia, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni attending. The company calls itself the world’s oldest manufacturer still run by the same family. Few firms last even a century, so what kept this one going?
The 1526 Venice document that dates Beretta
On 3 October 1526, the Arsenal of the Republic of Venice was to pay 296 ducats to Bartolomeo Beretta, a master barrel maker from Gardone, for 185 arquebus barrels (an arquebus was an early long gun). The document is kept in the State Archives of Venice. It shows the earliest date on paper, not the day the business began.
Italy issued a commemorative stamp in April, and the State Mint struck a €5 silver coin in 7,000 proof pieces. Labour Minister Marina Calderone, Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida and Defence Undersecretary Matteo Perego di Cremnago came with Meloni. Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta has about 950 employees, many of them in Gardone, according to the trade site all4shooters.
Who owns and runs Beretta
The family counts fifteen generations. In the company’s own wording, Pietro Gussalli Beretta is chairman and chief executive of Beretta Holding, the parent. His brother Franco is president and chief executive of Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta, where a non-family manager, Carlo Ferlito, is chief executive and general manager. Franco’s son Carlo represents the sixteenth.
Beretta Holding was set up in the 1990s and is based in Luxembourg. It describes itself as a family-owned group with more than 50 subsidiaries and over 20 brands, among them Benelli, Sako, Tikka, Franchi and, since 2021, Holland & Holland. The news agency Teleborsa reported 2025 revenue of about €1.68 billion, roughly 40% from defence, and more than 6,000 employees.
What has helped Beretta last
- One owner. Pietro told Forbes the group has “a single family owner”. Forbes also reports he helped his father buy out a minority stake held by Belgium’s FN Herstal. A holding company keeps the shares in one place.
- Succession by choice. Pietro told Milano Finanza that joining was never imposed: after the Second World War his grandfather asked his children whether they wanted to continue.
- Spread risk. According to Forbes, no subsidiary brings in more than a quarter of revenue.
- Hired managers. Pietro argues a company cannot grow on family resources alone.
For shorter histories, see HEMA, which changed owners many times, and the Koç Group.
A fair caveat
The five-century line rests largely on the company’s own history, and much coverage comes from trade publications. Titles vary too: the Italian “presidente” appears as both “president” and “chairman”, even in Beretta’s own English material.
What to watch
- The Sturm, Ruger deal. Beretta Holding’s offer of $44.80 a share for about 15% of the U.S. gunmaker expired oversubscribed on 15 October; once settled, its stake should rise from about 9.9% to about 25%.
- Whether the sixteenth generation moves into senior roles.
- How civilian and defence sales shift as European defence budgets grow.
Questions to bring to your advisors
Where do our family’s shares sit, and could an outside minority stake block a decision? Do we ask the next generation whether they want to join, or assume they will? These are questions to bring to your advisors, not advice.
