Piegavelox’s hopes, drive for growth, and corporate vision. The Tuscan company, which specializes in embroidery and pleating, has just opened a new 850-square-meter production facility in Limite sull’Arno (Empoli). “Through the ups and downs of recent years, even during times of crisis, our business strategy has always been to strengthen our know-how and internal structure”, explains one of the owners, Filippo Orefice. “It’s a very bold move. It wasn’t a decision taken lightly, but we’re confident in the recovery”. The entrepreneur acknowledges the difficulties of the current economic climate and the slowdown among luxury brands (their main clients), but believes in and is investing in the future of the fashion industry.
A new workshop
“The decision to open a new site was made about three years ago, when we realized that the available space was no longer adequate for the company’s production needs”, says Orefice. “As an embroidery workshop with large machinery, the previous warehouse no longer offered sufficient space for the company’s growth and the expansion of production. We were therefore also limited from a business perspective”. Hence the decision to acquire a new building to renovate and dedicate to production.
Focus on young people
Piegavelox currently operates out of two production facilities, one in Limite sull’Arno and one in Empoli. The production space has expanded and improved in quality. “We’ve created a more suitable, modern, and innovative work environment. We firmly believe that this has a positive impact on our ability to work”, says the entrepreneur. The company employs about forty people, with an average age of 27–28. It’s precisely these young people who have driven the change.
“Since we hired very young staff, we decided to restructure ourselves to welcome these young people in the right way”. The new Piegavelox facility was designed to increase maneuverability, improve lighting, and implement state-of-the-art systems. “Every space has been designed to create the most modern workplace possible”. The two-story facility houses about fifteen machines, but there’s still room to add more. The building is equipped with solar panels that make the structure nearly self-sufficient in terms of energy.
Why invest
“An entrepreneur who stops investing risks falling behind, and we can’t afford that”, says Orefice. “It’s true, the industry is going through a difficult period, but we want to be ready when the market picks up again, with a solid structure and strong production capacity. It has always been part of our entrepreneurial approach: even in the most challenging times, we have continued to make targeted investments: small but sustainable steps. This represents a further one toward strengthening our business”. What is the market sentiment like? “We work for all the high-fashion brands”, explains the Tuscan entrepreneur.
“And the lead time we have for orders is one month, one and a half. We’re used to working with little advance planning. There’s a significant contraction in high-fashion brands, and we have to be very careful about production planning and staff allocation in relation to orders. Our strength lies in our ability to offer an increasingly customized service”. Piegavelox produces four collections a year, with continuous research and non-stop creative drive. “Orders are down, but the sample production phase seems to be picking up again. Over the last two or three weeks, I’ve noticed there’s interest in taking new steps, not with the boldness of past years, but with a desire to move forward”.
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