John Valla of Valla Crane Corp. Passes Away

September 14, 2005 — John Valla, son of Valla Crane founder Antonio Valla and initiator of Valla Crane Corp., Fresno, Calif., passed away this week. Valla s.p.a. was founded by Antonio Valla in Italy in 1945 to provide material-handling equipment for reconstructing post-war Europe. For Valla, it was clear that cranes would be one of the most valuable pieces of equipment during this time of rebuilding because of their mobility, heavy lift capacities, and adaptability for both reconstructing buildings and construction new plants, production lines, and power sources in Europe.

John Valla, an engineer, took over the company a few years later, and under his leadership, a broader line of cranes were introduced as well as the development of the first electric battery-operated mobile industrial crane in the early 1960s — years before the world learned of the environmental impact of industrial vehicle exhaust. John also expanded Valla Crane by opening the North American branch of the company in California. The company has since opened a service center in Dallas. Today, Valla Cranes is managed by Maurizio Manzini from the Calendasco, Italy, facility.