From the heart of the Ferrara province he has been able to conquer the world with his savoir faire. He is ten years old at Manifattura Berluti, a luxury company with a factory in Gaibanella (now part of the LVMH group), where footwear and leather goods are developed for the whole world in direct connection with Paris. In fact, it was the summer of 2013 when the first stone of the futuristic building was laid, whose architecture recalls the shapes of an exclusive shoe packaging. But the story of Berluti starts much earlier, in 1985, with the artisan from the Marche Alessandro Berluti.
«A reality which, even if it is based in France, remains Ferrara, firmly anchored to the territory and in continuous exchange with it – said the mayor of Ferrara, Alan Fabbri, who for the occasion met the industrial director Sébastien Vigneron, the entire management committee and the workers -. Ferrara, with Berluti, is the protagonist of a large high-end ecosystem on a global level." Today the manufacturer, in its Ferrara headquarters, has exceeded 400 employees (from 15 countries, over 200 domiciled in Ferrara), 65 percent women, with over 70 stores around the world. The staff reflects four generations.
Here, craftsmanship is developed through the Accademia del savoir faire, an internal training school which in recent years has seen 26 courses held: 80 percent of the people who participated were then hired. Visiting the prototype department, the laboratories, the development and exhibition areas, the mayor underlined «the economic and social value of this prestigious reality, which creates an impressive industry, employs hundreds of people domiciled in the area, is strongly anchored to excellence of Italian raw materials and develops continuous investments."
As explained during the meeting, Berluti works closely with the Ferrara employment center, also implementing inclusive projects for people with disabilities. The company also involves various local social cooperatives, works on health and prevention and is attentive to its environmental conduct: in addition to using energy from renewable sources, it has equipped itself with electric charging stations and also carries out projects on the recycling of leather waste as fertilizers. The soles of accident prevention shoes are transformed into surfaces for play areas and athletics tracks.
