Made in Italy

On a global scale, Italy is known for its delicious wine, grandmother’s pasta and exceptional sense of fashion. Bierens European Collection Attorneys is involved in the Italian market quite frequently. Besides fighting for justice for the international creditor in Italy, our lawyers also visit the Mediterranean country to keep a pulse on what is happening in the Italian market. During our last visit to Italy, we visited some typical Italian companies to get to know the history behind some of Italy’s finest family businesses.

Mr. Lonoce | Wine producer | Calitro

History
“Calitro has always been a family business and was founded by my grandfather. When he was forced to stop with his passion for wine producing, I immediately stepped into his shoes. To honor my grandfather, I wanted Calitro to remain a family business. The wine that my grandfather produced was of outstanding quality. Therefore, I did not change the recipe he had been using for decades. The only thing I did change was the design of our logo.”

Philosophy
“The Calitro wine is never going to be sold in supermarkets. We produce wine for those people in the world who have a profound love for drinking a glass of quality wine. Compared to other wine producers, our production number is rather low. We have four labels at Calitro; per label we produce up to 40,000 bottles a year.” “Our biggest label, Primitivo, has recently won a golden medal at a prestigious competition in Italy: Vin Italy. This award is the highest recognition in our market.”

Overdue Invoices
“In Italy it’s common that invoices are paid after the initial term of payment. In theory, payment terms vary between 30 and 60 days. In practice, however, debts are paid off after periods of 120 or sometimes even 150 days in Italy. Foreign business partners are more loyal to payment terms, which is positive for our business. The only negative side to exporting our products abroad, is that the prices of our bottles increase due to the export costs.”

Mr. Ferrarese | Handcrafted tailor | Bottega Dalmut

History
“Ever since I was a little boy, I shared a passion for fashion with my grandfather. I had the opportunity to study in New York, where I learned the English fashion tradition. During my years in the United States, I became interested in producing tailor made suits. Nowadays, custom-made suits and handcrafted tailors are disappearing. In my view, we should teach new generations the art of handcrafted clothing, before this practice disappears entirely.”

Philosophy
"At Bottega Dalmut, we focus on the art of producing custom-made suits. The beauty of this craft is that we are able to deliver beautiful suits, completely conform the wishes of our clients. The art of tailor-made suit production is passed on to a younger generation at the Bottega Dalmut Academy. In this respect, we aim to restore the value of the Made in Italy brand, which, in our view, should stand for extraordinary quality and craftsmanship. The emphasis of our company is on authenticity: we want to show the people in the world what Italian craftsmanship is about. In traditional craftsmanship, a tailor makes every part of a suit himself.”

Quality
The stories of Mr. Lonoce and Mr. Ferrarese indicate that family businesses are very important in Italy. Both men shared a passion for their profession from a young age and were inspired by their hard-working grandfathers. In these Italian businesses, the entrepreneurs do not focus on the quantity, but the quality of their products. In doing so, these Italians were able to find their niche in a highly competitive market.