Marchon, Aiming at Europe

Marchon, the American group that produces and distributes under license such eyewear labels as Nike, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Nautica, wants to increase its presence on this side of the Atlantic.

'Our priority is to delocalize beyond American confines', explained Luigi Bellocchio, head of the Italian branch which opened in 1999 and split into two separate companies in 2003. 'The aim is to enlarge our brand portfolio by developing it more in Europe, which currently provides 38% of the company's global turnover'.

In Italy, Marchon Italia takes care of the commercial aspect of distribution, and Marchon Occhiali handles product and style development at international level. The two companies have a total of 188 employees and about 50 salespersons.

The Group is also negotiating the acquisition of new brands under license and intends to develop new patents through its own company. In 2002 Marchon Italia's consolidated billings were 60 million euros, with pre-tax profits of approximately 10.