MILAN – As part of its strategy to rely on its own manufacturing capabilities and supply chain, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group plans to build a new luxury footwear and leather goods production facility in Sala Baganza, near Parma.
The plant is scheduled to be completed by December 2026 and is expected to employ more than 300 people at full capacity in 2027.
“Luxury footwear and leather goods are flagships of Italian manufacturing. While we are creating a true center of excellence focused on these important aspects of the Italian luxury industry by opening this new facility, the center will be more than just a production facility,” said Gildo Zegna, chairman and chief executive officer of the group. “It will play an important role as a training ground for a new generation of artisans, ensuring the ongoing viability of these important skills and working to preserve the uniqueness of Made in Italy. Parma is the ideal location for this project, building on the region’s long history of craftsmanship and expanding our presence there.”
The facility’s aim will also be to support the growth of Zegna’s successful Triple Stitch sneaker and it is viewed as further strengthening the group’s customization offer as a research and development center.
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With the approval of local organizations, the 135,000-square-foot facility will be constructed on a 10-hectare plot of land in the northern Emilian Apennines, located at about six miles from the center of Parma. It will be designed by Milan-based architecture and interior design studio ACPV Architects Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and boast “large indoor and outdoor multifunctional spaces into the natural landscape,” the company said on Thursday.
Among the most recent projects by ACPV Architects are the new Rolex store in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and the Bulgari Hotel in Rome, as well as the upcoming Avenue of the Americas public plaza.
The Zegna group has been steadily building its own textile supply chain, buying for example 60 percent of Tessitura Ubertino, a leading manufacturer of high-quality women’s fabrics, based in Prativero, near Biella.
In addition to its own Lanificio Zegna, the group’s textile supply chain includes Lanerie Agnona, Tessitura di Novara, Bonotto and Dondi, all acquired over the years, helping to raise its position in the country in terms of variety and size.
In 2018, the group also finalized the acquisition of a controlling stake in Pelle Tessuta, which specializes in the weaving of leather, and bought a majority stake in Cappellificio Cervo, a historic men’s hat brand based in Biella.
In 2021, as a sign of an increased effort to protect the country’s unique supply chain, Zegna joined forces with Prada to acquire a majority stake in Filati Biagioli Modesto SpA, which specializes in the production of cashmere and other precious yarns.
As reported, the Ermenegildo Zegna Group, which comprises the Zegna, Thom Browne and Tom Ford Fashion brands, closed 2023 on an upward trajectory, with sales grazing 2 billion euros.
Gains across all markets, lifted in particular by North America and Greater China, helped drive group revenues up 27.6 percent to north of 1.9 billion euros, and in the fourth quarter, sales soared 40.1 percent to 570 million euros.
