Esperanza y Cia
Encyclopedia
Esperanza y Cia, SA is a well known brand of defense equipment manufacturer based in the city of Markina-Xemein
province of Vizcaya
, Basque Country
in Spain
. from its origins, Ecia has focused primarily on the design and manufacture of mortars and ammunition.
, one of the co-founders of Astra, Unceta and Cia. Ecia picked up the know how which Esperanza and Pedro Unceta had previously accumulated in Eibar and Gernika through the signature "Esperanza and Unceta", later known as Astra-Unceta.
Its first activity was the manufacture of guns, under patent from Alkartasuna Eibar, and then designed his own automatic pistol
(known as ECIA) and a light machine gun
. In the Forties production capabilities reach new levels with the development of lines of infantry mortars and their ammunition, the products that the company would prosper on.
In the seventies it became Spain's largest weapons exporter, with total sales of 10 million euros, ahead of another Basque
firm, Explosivos Alaveses. At that time there were seven companies from Basque Country
among the top ten Spanish weapons manufacturers. But the industry entered a deep crisis in the eighties, due to a decline in domestic and foreign demand.
In the Eighties, under the new name, Esperanza y Cia Explosives, entered into partnership with Rio Tinto ERT
, which grew up to 40% of the shares, and managed to survive trough projects like the Euromortar.
Ecia which became to employ about 300 people, reputedly have used loyalists prisoners of war from the Spanish Civil War
as slave labour, Its reputation also suffered from his connection with the sale of arms to war-torn countries like Iraq or Iran, for the alleged use of Israeli technology; and even for the terrorist attacks suffered by their stocks and managers.
It did not help the situation of its main shareholder, ERT, which declared bankruptcy in 1992, as Esperanza Y Cia. closed its main plant in Markina in 1994. A small part of its research units remains integrated into Alaveses Explosives-Expal, which would also ceased to operate in 2004. Another 20 workers created Ecia-Xemein to manufacture metal parts.
Markina-Xemein
Markina-Xemein is a town and municipality located in the province of Biscay, Bizkaia, in the Basque Autonomous Community, also known as the Basque Country, located in northern Spain. The origin of the town's name lies in its geographic location. The last town in the province of Bizkaia, Markina...
province of Vizcaya
Vizcaya
Vizcaya may refer to:* Biscay, a Basque region and a province of Spain ** Biscay , related senses** Vizcaya ** Vizcaya Bridge, a transporter bridge in Biscay...
, Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. from its origins, Ecia has focused primarily on the design and manufacture of mortars and ammunition.
History
The Arms Factory, Esperanza y Cia SA (ECIA) was founded in 1925 by prominent businessman Juan Esperanza-Salvador (1.860 to 1.951), HuescaHuesca
Huesca is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the comarca of Hoya de Huesca....
, one of the co-founders of Astra, Unceta and Cia. Ecia picked up the know how which Esperanza and Pedro Unceta had previously accumulated in Eibar and Gernika through the signature "Esperanza and Unceta", later known as Astra-Unceta.
Its first activity was the manufacture of guns, under patent from Alkartasuna Eibar, and then designed his own automatic pistol
Automatic pistol
Automatic pistol may refer to:* Machine pistol, a handgun-style, magazine-fed and self-loading firearm, capable of fully automatic or burst fire, and chambered for pistol cartridges...
(known as ECIA) and a light machine gun
Light machine gun
A light machine gun is a machine gun designed to be employed by an individual soldier, with or without an assistant, as an infantry support weapon. Light machine guns are often used as squad automatic weapons.-Characteristics:...
. In the Forties production capabilities reach new levels with the development of lines of infantry mortars and their ammunition, the products that the company would prosper on.
In the seventies it became Spain's largest weapons exporter, with total sales of 10 million euros, ahead of another Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
firm, Explosivos Alaveses. At that time there were seven companies from Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
among the top ten Spanish weapons manufacturers. But the industry entered a deep crisis in the eighties, due to a decline in domestic and foreign demand.
In the Eighties, under the new name, Esperanza y Cia Explosives, entered into partnership with Rio Tinto ERT
ERT
ERT can stand for:*Earth-received time, a measurement used when dealing with interplanetary spacecraft*Electrical resistivity tomography, a geophysical imaging technique...
, which grew up to 40% of the shares, and managed to survive trough projects like the Euromortar.
Ecia which became to employ about 300 people, reputedly have used loyalists prisoners of war from the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
as slave labour, Its reputation also suffered from his connection with the sale of arms to war-torn countries like Iraq or Iran, for the alleged use of Israeli technology; and even for the terrorist attacks suffered by their stocks and managers.
It did not help the situation of its main shareholder, ERT, which declared bankruptcy in 1992, as Esperanza Y Cia. closed its main plant in Markina in 1994. A small part of its research units remains integrated into Alaveses Explosives-Expal, which would also ceased to operate in 2004. Another 20 workers created Ecia-Xemein to manufacture metal parts.
Products (incomplete)
- MortarMortar (weapon)A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
- ECIA L65/60
- ECIA L65/81
- ECIA L65/105
- ECIA L65/120
- ECIA Commando
- ECIA MC-2