Gunpowder has been continuously produced in the Spanish city of Granada for an incredible 700 years. This unique historical milestone was celebrated on May 31 by Fábrica de Municiones de Granada (FMG), a company that carries on the tradition of gunpowder production in Granada and is still producing this product seven centuries later. Since 2020, the Slovak MSM Group, a member of the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), an industrial and technological group, has been helping it to produce gunpowder and more.
The first written reference to the use of gunpowder produced in Granada dates back to the 14th century, during the time of the Emirate of Granada. In 1324, Sultan Ismail I of Granada of the Nasrid dynasty used gunpowder from Granada to lay siege to the city of Huéscar. It is to this event that FMG traces its historical roots. In its 700 years of existence, FMG has never left the city limits of Granada, and it has been based in the suburb of El Fargue since the 16th century.
Fábrica de Municiones de Granada
Throughout its history, FMG has been an important and stable employer not only in Granada and Andalusia, but also throughout Spain. As the renowned Spanish historian Francisco Gonzalez Arroyo mentions, FMG once even had its own school, which produced generations of skilled craftsmen, chemists, mechanics, designers, and other professionals. Meanwhile FMG has always been a company where many spend their entire careers. This is also the case for FMG’s CEO, Antonio Caro Chena. “I started here as an intern in 1984. By January 1985, I had my first employment contract. That means I’ve been with this company for 39 years. I’ve worked in virtually every department, I’ve worked my way up through the production and quality departments, and I’ve been CEO since 2007,” said Chena.
CEO FMG Antonio Caro Chena
Since 2020, MSM Group, the Slovak branch of the CSG industrial and technological group, has been helping to build up the 700-year tradition of gunpowder production in Granada. In 2020, this Slovak group bought the FMG factory from the arms manufacturer GDELS, a European subsidiary of General Dynamics, and it has been successfully developing FMG and improving its financials for the last four years. Last year, a new powder charge production facility began operations at the Granada plant, which led to an increase of the annual manufacturing capacities of this product.
Tank ammunition production
Today, FMG is a major manufacturer of single-component and two-component powders and powder charges, as well as tank ammunition, which is one of the company’s key products. Its tank ammunition portfolio consists of 105- and 120-millimeter caliber ammunition, which the company regularly presents at trade fairs worldwide. FMG is also the supplier of 120mm tank ammunition for the Spanish Army’s Leopard 2 tanks. In addition, the company produces 60-, 81-, and 120-millimeter mortar ammunition; 105-, 106-, and 155- millimeter artillery ammunition, pyrotechnic equipment and individual components for the Meteor and Mistral missiles, and the Spike and Spike LR2 anti-tank missiles.
Production in Fábrica de Municiones de Granada
Jan Marinov, Managing Director of CSG’s Defence Division, stresses the uniqueness of the 700th anniversary of gunpowder production at FMG. “CSG includes several companies with long traditions, but no others can boast a 700-year history like FMG. We are developing FMG with respect for the work of previous generations and ensuring it will also have a long future ahead of it,” Marinov says. “The combination of in-house powder production and a broad portfolio of large caliber ammunition under one roof makes FMG a unique company within Europe. Our collaboration with our Spanish colleagues is excellent, and I am convinced that FMG will experience significant growth in the coming years,” adds Pavol Čahoj, Director of Strategic Development at MSM Group—the Slovak company above FMG in the hierarchy.
The celebration of the 700th anniversary of gunpowder production in Granada took place on May 31, 2024. The entire accompanying program was in the spirit of Andalusian traditions, with which FMG and its rich history are deeply intertwined. The event was also attended by representatives of the Spanish and Slovak Ministries of Defence.
About MSM Group
MSM Group is an industrial and technological group that has united several traditional companies with a long history in the defence industry—ZVS holding, VOP Nováky, VÝVOJ Martin, and FM Granada. These companies cover the complete munitions life cycle, from development and production through inspection and life extension on to disposal. They additionally develop and manufacture defence equipment, including tank protection systems and special containers designed for use by nations’ armed forces. In the civilian sector, they specialize in the manufacturing of e.g. radar and mobile air traffic control towers. MSM Group is part of the Defence Division of the multinational Czechoslovak Group (CSG). The group overall represents the activities of more than a hundred companies and trading companies based around the world.
About CSG
The global industrial-technology group CSG, owned by Czech entrepreneur Michal Strnad, has key manufacturing plants in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Italy, India, Great Britain, and the USA and exports its products all over the world. CSG continuously invests in the development of its companies and at the same time expands in its core businesses. The group includes, for example, the Czech car manufacturer Tatra Trucks, the world's leading manufacturer of small-caliber ammunition Fiocchi and the Czech radar manufacturer Eldis. More than 10,000 employees work in the companies integrated into the CSG Group and in the linked companies. In 2023, the group's consolidated revenues reached EUR 1.73 billion. CSG's main fields of expertise are engineering, automotive, railway, aerospace, defence and small caliber ammunition production. Thanks to its strong pro-export orientation, CSG products can be found on all continents.
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