French industrial method and Italian quality for the luxury leather manufacturer. The Burgundy-based group Maroquinerie Thomas (1,250 employees, €100 million turnover, Hermès and Chanel among its customers) has bought 35% of B&G di Franco Baccani (two plants in the provinces of Florence and Arezzo, turnover of €9.5 million, Gucci and Cartier among the labels supplied) to create a partnership that unites two excellences of European contract manufacturing. The synergy comes about not only to unite companies with similar objectives, but also to instil French production capacity into Italian savoir-faire. “Company size is crucial today – explained Franco Baccani, who is also vice president of Confindustria Florence, to Il Sole 24 Ore – banks and markets are demanding more structured companies, which however retain craftsmanship and sophistication.” B&G’s goal is to take its turnover to €30 million over the next five years.
B&G speaks French: in order to triple its turnover, the Tuscan luxury leather manufacturer is entering into a partnership with the transalpine giant
