Sipao: signs of recovery from Paris

The companies in the group from the Eyewear District have returned from Silmo with fresh enthusiasm. Orders have increased compared to last year, although it has not yet been possible to quantify by how much.

Giorgio Ciotti, president of Sipao, told the Gazzettino that 'it seems that the section for Eyewear Articles Production Industries of Assindustria Belluno is beginning to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Obviously, this doesn't mean that the crisis is over, but the signs are definitely more positive than they were a year ago, when we'd probably touched bottom'.

According to Mr. Ciotti, however, attendances at this year's Silmo did not reach record levels. 'But what is important', the president of Sipao added, 'is the quality of the customers. And from that point of view, I can say that everything went well'.

In the meantime, some companies have been successful in new markets in the East and in Russia especially. 'It's a very interesting scenario', Ciotti emphasized, 'but we have to be ready to offer new products that are in line with the sensitivity of those countries, which is different from that of the Americans and of Europeans. Regarding this point, I must also say that companies have been able to innovate, specifically by investing in design and fashion. And this is precisely the road we must take if we want to be competitive. We also saw in Paris that quality products are the most requested, even if they are expensive. We must no longer insist on producing glasses in the mid-high range: we'll leave that to the Chinese, who can count not only on much lower labor costs, but also on more favorable conditions. Starting from the relationships with banks'.

'I believe', Ciotti concluded, 'that once again the entrepreneurs of Belluno have been able to react'.