She grew professionally in Tollegno 1900 seeing the company revolutionize, passing from a family management to the current structure that sees it among spearheads of the Thai Group Indorama Venture. She has contributed, with her work, not only to the “opening” of the company to non-European markets, but also to the achievement of other goals that make innovation and sustainability their hallmark. A life in the company and for the company, Stefania Bernardi, sales manager for the extra EEC market of Tollegno 1900, has clear ideas about what differentiates Tollegno 1900 from the other companies in the yarn field: “we are a company known all over the world thanks to a capillary work that, carried out over the years, has led us to guarantee a continuous presence in the market. Continuity that represents a security for our customers to whom we provide quick and effective answers, a valuable service, concrete help in solving any critical issues, as well as a qualitatively impeccable product and an articulated offer of colour studies. The latter, together with research and production processes, represent one of our strengths, so much so that we have created a real colour archive that has no equal” .
The Colour Archive represents one of the latest structured projects of the company which, over the years, has been able to innovate and renew itself. How has Tollegno 1900 evolved since you joined over 30 years ago, to today?
The years, in reality, are 37 and the company has really changed the skin since my beginnings, confirming not only its flexibility, but also the ability to read the needs of the market and respond to them adequately. Although we have always been a joint stock company led by very important groups of entrepreneurs with the support also of credit institutions, at my beginning in the company, which has reached 1000 employees and could count on a diffusion of products on the Italian and partly European market, was almost family-run. The drive towards internationalization was one of the turning points that led us to open up to new visions that are essential to be able to work effectively in the United States or in the Far East. A constant work that also resulted in the opening of offices in Japan, Hong Kong and New York
“A change” that has gone hand in hand with a increase in sales and product offering…
There is no doubt. These successes are the result of the inclusion in the company of new colleagues and collaborations which, in addition to enhancing our proposal, have also contributed to improving its quality. But that’s not all. The constant growth of the company has also been contributed by the monitoring of the market, to understand the trends and the requests in advance, and the implementation of the Research and Development division. A division that continues to be committed not only to the identification of increasingly high-performance materials, but also attentive to human health and environmental protection. Sustainability is a pillar for Tollegno 1900. This is confirmed by some structural choices, such as the extensive covering of the roofs of the spinning mill with solar panels or the use of turbines for the production of hydroelectric energy, and some important product certifications.
Not only Sustainability and R&D are company cornerstones, but also innovation, communication, marketing. For the purposes of the commercial development of the company, what is their value?
These are all necessary and essential points for a company that wants to stay in the market with awareness. Sono tutti punti necessari e imprescindibili per un’azienda che voglia stare nel mercato con consapevolezza. Let’s make a few examples: our customers seek the sustainability, but at the same time they ask for innovative products, which are essential to remain competitive on the market. Communication and Marketing, even if our target audience is not directly, but indirectly, the end customer, are essential to tell our world to other realities in this sector. Whether they are knitting factories, other brands, designers or future designers, we are aware that our task if to provide them with ideas, creative ideas and suggestions. For this reason, over the past years we have developed tools that are proving to be very effective in this direction, such as our T-Blog, a 360° container of information that goes beyond the company and opens up to the world, corporate and tutorial Newsletter with an indication of some “stitches” to realize. It is an important teamwork that sees us supported by external collaborators who are very valid and a continuous stimulating evolution.
An evolution that speaks the language of the reference markets and potential ones. Which are the ones in which Tollegno 1900 performs at its best and which ones can be a valid driving force for the future?
At the moment, the best performing markets are the European ones. In the Far East and consequently also in the American market we are affected by competition from companies that, producing directly in the territory, as is the case in Asia, do not pay the price of the transport costs, and are not affected by the problems that have arisen in the seas of the Middle East or Central Africa. This, necessarily, also contributes to making them more competitive in terms of prices, having lower production costs. Although all these factors have a negative impact on European manufacturers, some customers challenge these objective problems, remaining anchored to the quality ensured by companies with a solid tradition, just like Tollegno 1900.
Heritage is for Tollegno 1900 an important springboard from which to take off. As well, in commercial terms, is the participation in trade fairs, first of all Pitti Filati. Do you think that taking part to this event is always useful for proposing your collections or are there other channels that would be worth testing ?
Pitti Filati, with the upcoming milestone of 100 editions, remains the reference for this sector. Not only do all customer know it, but all companies in the industry want or would like to participate. For this reason, it becomes a priority to make it more and more appealing by making a 360° event capable of generating a long wave that go beyond the day of pure exhibition. There is also the need to take into account the time factor…..
Duration of the fair or calendar timing ?
For sure the second one. With respect to production, the dates of the fair should necessarily be brought forward and, possibly, from 2026 this will happen.
Over the years, workshops have become increasingly popular which, organized by institutions and consortia, allow collections to be presented even outside the country’s borders. Are they useful?
For us yes, without any doubt. The workshops are organized in different European cities and also in USA, and Asia by Consorzio Promozione Filati – CPF, they have been for us a valid method to get closer to customers that could not afford to travel or could not move structured teams and to give them a continuous sign to the market of our presence.
