On the return from the summer holidays, great news awaits operators in the Veneto tanning district. In what is recognised as the "leather capital of the world", the two Italian companies of excellence in "made in Italy" chemicals, GSC Group and Alpa s.p.a., are inaugurating a historic collaboration to strengthen distribution in the local market.
The strategy of brand partnerships is not new in the field of fashion, where it has been introduced in recent years by major luxury houses (such as the famous co-branding between Balenciaga and Gucci in 2021). In the wake of the rising trend, the new agreement signed between the two chemical companies clears the way for the first time for this atypical business-to-business cooperation in the tanning world.
Alpa and Gsc share a strong common foundation of values and entrepreneurial vision. They are both well-established family industrial enterprises dedicated to innovation. Alpa is an undisputed leader in supplying chemicals for the footwear and leather goods sectors, GSC excels in the automotive and upholstery sectors. Both place great emphasis on quality and timeliness and constant improvement of their services. It is from these premises that the strategic partnership takes hold as a joint effort to better satisfy the Arzignano market.
In the immediate future, GSC Group will provide its logistical and technical support services on site, committing itself to better accommodate the demands and urgencies of customers using Alpa's products. Later, this collaboration will also lead to natural synergies in an attempt to achieve critical mass in joint purchases of raw materials and to have supply guarantees in response to unstable market trends.
"It is essentially a matter of combining forces while keeping our respective identities and peculiarities distinct. For Alpa customers in the Veneto district, there will be no change from the past, but they will have benefits in terms of speed of response," comments Gloria Gualtieri, CEO of Alpa s.p.a. Agrees Adriano Serafini, President of GSC Group: "Cooperation conceived in this way gives us the chance to be flexible and to deal with a company that has a background and experience similar to ours. It is an opportunity to renew ourselves, face common problems and enhance the Italian chemical industry."