Gaetano Marzotto
You have the magic touch
Gaetano Marzotto a member of the Marzotto family. In the textile business for 160 years
embodying brands such as Hugo Boss and Pitti, was also in istanbul for IAF.
We’d like to get a profile of Turkey from the eyes of Marzotto’s boss. You have a factory in İzmir. Hence you follow the agenda in Turkey at least as closely as we do.
First of all, I’d like to indicate that I’ve been in Turkey many times and love this place. In my youth, I used to come for holidays, lately my visits have been for business. Because of that I’ve had a first-hand observation of the change and development in Turkey. To tell the truth, you display a really superior performance about textile and ready-to-wear. You have a very firm place in the European clothing market. The Marzotto Group has chosen Turkey in many areas to do production. As you say, Hugo Boss, which we embody, has a big production facility in İzmir and we are quite pleased with the performance of this facility. Your people are very hard working and the products they turn out are of a very good quality. Our production in sportswear continues intensively in Turkey. We have obtained very satisfactory results in T-shirts, shorts and other products, both in terms of quality and delivery time.
As our quality improves, it cannot be expected for our prices to stay the same. Do you think this would create a problem?
Yes, your prices are moving up, this is a problem. Countries in the vicinity, e.g. Romania, Bulgaria and so forth can offer competitive prices. They are closer to Italy. But as Italy, we hope that Turkey will become a part of the EU as soon as possible and our commercial relations will develop even more.
Italy is a country that has created many important brands. What can you recommend to Turkey about strategies of brand production and marketing?
There are scores of companies in Italy; some of these have strong brands, while some have weak brands. Some don’t even have a brand. But they all make a lot of money. Turkey should support young designers and rise above on their designs and lines. Last week, we invited a young Turkish designer, Hüseyin Çağlayan to our ready-to-wear company Pitti. He is a very talented person and he presented before us a fascinating display. His designs moved us all. This is a great chance for Turkey because there is a field in the world of design that is waiting to be discovered. Ethnic design. In the field of ethnic design, China, Africa, South America and Turkey can get a considerable market share by designs that reflect their own character. If you can present you own style in a modern appearance, you can move up to the place you desire in the world. The repute of a Turkish brand in the world can only be possible in this way.
Do you see Turkey as a rival?
We see Turkey not as a rival, but as a partner because you can produce superior quality products very close to us. Unlike China, you are right by our side. By using Italian fabric, we can produce very quickly here. As I always say, not only price, but also speed is one of the keys to success. Turkey has everything to succeed, it is already successful. In China, we always come up against the problem of quality. In Turkey, there is the magic that can turn Italian fabric into a beautiful product and you do this the best over the whole world.
Will your investments in Turkey continue?
We believe in Turkey and we will continue our path together. #
MARZOTTO GROUP
The Marzotto Group with a 164-year-old history is a world giant in the textile and apparel industry. Within the Marzotto Group, which has the organization capacity to conduct all levels of textile and apparel under its roof, there are various facilities ranging from wool, linen and fiber factories to apparel factories producing classical brands of men’s wear. The Group has the organizational structure to combine all these components under a single network and present itself as such to the international textile arena.
The secret underlying the success that they have pursued since 1836 until today, is a reliable financial structure, keeping a close watch on and keeping up with the technological developments, constant research and development efforts to improve their products and services, a rapid, efficient and elite sales network that it has in the world’s key markets and dynamic human resources.
Apart from its pure cotton fabric and textile factories, linen fabric production, classical men’s apparel brands, the Marzotto Group is also improving in the sports wear and women’s apparel sectors. There are 10,819 people working for the Marzotto Group, which has production facilities in Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, the USA, Tunisia and Turkey. Aside from its wholesale activities, the group has retail brands in 100 countries, and recorded a turnover (in markets outside Italy) of 1 billion 607 million Euros for the last three quarters of the year 2000.
Gaetano Marzotto
Marzotto was born in Verona in 1952 and worked at Deloitte, Haskins&Sells in 1974 and at Olivetti in 1976 after completing his education in Business Economics at Beconi University. Gaetano Mazotto was the Administrative Director and Financial Controller of Necci Pavia between the years 1978-1980, and later started work with the family group, the Marzotto Group in 1980. He has worked within the group sequentially as a Controller, Director of the Interior Decoration Department, Department Director of the Marlboro Brand, Vice Chairmanof the Marzotto Group and Foreign Markets Development Director.
Marzotto, who became a shareholder of J. Hirsch in 2000, also carries out his duties as the Chairman of Pitti Imagine and Administrative Director at Italian Lifestyle Partnerb.
(Hedef Dergisi / accompanied by Can Erçakıca)
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