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Home > Spotlight
Guglielmo Aprile, betting on quality
Rome - (IGN) - In 2000, when he took up the challenge to transform one of the most underdeveloped areas of Italy, Marcianise, on the plain between Caserta and Naples, into the capital of luxury, no one had even the shadow of a doubt: Guglielmo Aprile would pull it off this time, too. In fact, he had already won his first bet when, in 1986, he decided to build Taŕ, the "city of gold," also in Marcianise. Aprile, a jeweller all his life and the son of an artisan who, after the Second World War dedicated himself to engraving gold, was convinced that success on the international market needed more than creativity. You also need safety, infrastructure, aggregation and economies of scale. You need to "create a system". After growing the family business, which he manages with his brother Ciro, to more than 40 employees, in 1986 he founded the Taŕ consortium, named for an ancient coin minted in Amalfi during the reign of Frederick II. At the beginning there were only seven members; today there are more than 300, all operating in the Campania gold and jewellery sector, representing a production centre that is almost a true and proper industrial district, as important as Valenza, Vicenza and Arezzo. A success story that proves that you can do business even in one of the toughest areas of Southern Italy. And now, the second challenge, Polo della Qualità: A very large and important facility that will be inaugurated next June. Over 250 companies, with 130,000 m² of floor space, all dedicated to the highest level of quality in the great fashion sector, from ties to fabrics, jewellery to goldsmithing and footwear to leather goods, but all strictly from the Campania region. Aprile who, in addition to the founder of Polo della Qualità, is also its president, explains: "If we had decided to build a facility for all the classic Italian designer and luxury labels, we would have ended up with a copy of what you can already find in Milan or Rome. This is why we have limited it to companies that operate in our region, to bring together the qualitative excellence of a tradition, and wealth of experience, unique in Italy. Polo della Qualità," Aprile adds, "is exclusively a consortium of Campania region fashion and jewellery companies. These are 300 companies that handcraft high quality products: hand-tailored suits, handmade shirts, handmade shoes, handmade purses and jewellery produced using craft techniques."
In short, handcrafted luxury items or also a system of businesses able to compete on international markets?
"The idea was to bring together as many businesses as possible to create a system. It's obvious that, by doing so, we also have a chance to compete successfully in the Italian and international markets."
And which markets are you targeting?
"The consortium will not start operating until June, but we've already identified our markets of reference: China, Russia, the United States in addition, naturally, to most of Europe."
And what is your sales strategy?
"The businesses will be housed in a technologically state-of-the-art facility of about 130,000 m², on three levels. But there will be more than showcases for the best Campania region fashion and jewellery. There will be workshops, too. Our guests will see, live, how silk is cut to make a Marinella tie, how a piece of fabric becomes a Manina Rubinacci suit, how wool is cut into an Eddy Monetti jacket and how leather is tanned for a Tramontano purse. Our bet, which we hope to win, is to internationalise the best of Campania region production in fashion and jewellery."
Contact:
Polo Della Qualità S.c.a r.l.
Area ASI Sud
81025 Marcianise (CE)
tel. +390823513801
www.polodellaqualita.it
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