An interview with Belltron
Date: October 30, 2013
(Pubblished on www.lancoraonline.it by Nicola Rosetti on the 30/10/2013)
SAN BENEDETTO DEL TRONTO - Our Diocese is home to one of the leading companies in the field of electronic products for ecclesiastical purposes. We're talking about Belltron. To learn more about this entrepreneurial activity, we interviewed Mr. Filippo Vallesi, who together with his partner Giuseppe Libetti, is head of Belltron.
What products do you manufacture?
Belltron designs, manufactures and markets electronic bell systems, motors for real bells with electronic control, audio and voice broadcasting systems, liturgical players, electronic organs, mobile systems for processions and many other products to improve the sound quality and aesthetics of installations in churches and facilitate the tasks of the parish priest. High quality products and great flexibility, technologically advanced and at the same time easy to use.
How many people work in the company?
The staff at Belltron is a dynamic, great team pleased to be able to provide a successful product to satisfy its customer’s requirements. It is made up of experienced, motivated and technically skilled professionals. The staff is always up to date on the latest technologies and ready to experiment with new applications. The Belltron team is attentive and values its customers by putting their needs at the centre of every corporate evaluation. Our team is made up of 18 people: Tatiana is responsible for dealing with the Italian market, Rosa deals with Ireland and the United States, Patrizia takes care of the French market while Alena takes care of the Russian and Eastern Europe customers. Alessandro manages the commercial aspect of the company and the accounts department is run by Nazzareno. Giuseppe is head of the production department; the hardware design is taken care of by Francesco and Roberto whilst all the software is managed by Marco and Maurizio. Alessio, Gabriele, Mara and Daniela work in the assembly line and testing area. All service matters are run by Marco. The stock room is organised and run by Peppe and Angelo. Installations are carried out by Angelo, Giuseppe and Alessandro. The purchasing department is managed by Gianluca.
When and how did Belltron start?
The enthusiasm with which Belltron started its work was born from the needs of the parish priests who, ever since the beginning, have contributed to designing and creating the first electronic bell system in the world with no moving mechanical parts.
In the 1980s a parish priest from San Benedetto del Tronto, Don Marino Ciarrocchi, was concerned about his ineffective and outdated bell system and so, he contacted two technicians and asked them to consider looking into a new reliable system for his parish. That’s when the TBS 484 was realized, the forerunner of a series of evolving electronic equipment for Churches. Having fully and successfully met the requirements of the parish priest, the two engineers decided to establish a company and call it Belltron.
Exactly where does your line of business extend to?
Belltron designs, manufactures and sells high-tech digital equipment aimed exclusively at the church market. The main difference from other companies is that it offers a high quality product 100% made in Italy. Belltron is also pleased to offer its excellence of "made in Italy" abroad. Our products are certified and approved in a large number of countries. Thanks to its wide range of offers, solutions and products, we are proud that our trade mark is present in more than 15,000 churches and hundreds of cathedrals in Italy and all over the world.
At the moment our products are sold in the following countries: Canada, USA, France, Ireland, England, Portugal, Spain, Israel, Croatia, Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Malta, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Indonesia, Japan. A company made to place technology at the service of the Church.
Have you ever received any particular enquiries over the years? Can you tell us about any unusual or eccentric request ?
Actually, a rather unusual enquiry led us to manufacture the first electronic incenser.
The Belltron electronic incenser was realised following the requirements of a parish priest from Castel Frentano, in the province of Pescara (Italy): Don Costantino Parente (The item code for this product bears his initials : Mod. DCP 102).
A part from his general duties as a priest, he dedicates his time to developing continuous innovations in order to improve the quality of life of the congregation and harmonize the celebrations with the use of sophisticated techniques. The idea of the electronic incenser was to make the lighting of charcoal, and dispersal of the incense during mass much easier. The traditional incense burner first requires that you light the charcoal and then add the incense. Sometimes it is not always easy to immediately light the charcoals owing to humidity in the air or at times the charcoals overheat and can cause small fires.
The functioning of the electronic incenser instead is simple, safe and totally automatic. After inserting a few grains of incense simply press the start button and in a few seconds, the incense will start to burn providing abundant smoke owing to the internal resistance which does not go over 500°. All the smoke produced has only the aroma of incense.
In order for the incenser to provide smoke, the appropriate amount of incense must added to the incenser. This procedure therefore conforms to what is expected by directive n. 90 of the ceremonial of bishops.
The system turns off automatically after three minutes. To interrupt the functioning set time, simply press the start button again. To extend the incense cycle, press the start button again at the end of the incense functioning time.
Of course there are many other requests which have come our way such as having an electronic bell system in private homes (this is quite common in the States); as well as a request from the town hall in Helsingborg (Sweden) which was looking for a digital carillon to control the tower clock and at the same time have the ability to play the various traditional Swedish melodies at certain times of the day. And then the time that our “super service man” went to Benin to install a sound system in a Cathedral in the middle of the Jungle...
What is the strong point of your company?
Our company is a leader from a technical point of view and a point of reference in the world. The innovative ideas of our company meet the needs of the future, today. One of the decisive factors for the success of the company is its pioneering spirit with which it questions the results achieved aspiring to improve them constantly. That’s how our innovations come together and continue to confirm the status of Belltron in this field by means of highly efficient technology appreciated throughout the world. A success that we are satisfied with but that will not stop us here.
Can we give our readers who might be interested in your products contact reference information?
Of course! You can find all information at our web site: www.belltron.com
GPS Coordinates: 42.87859, 13.83897
Zona Industriale VALLECUPA
64010 - COLONNELLA (TE) - ITALY
Tel. (+39) 0861 753521 - Fax (+39) 0861 749564
Italian free number : 800-124.551