Centergross, the Piero Scandellari era ends after six years

Bologna - At the top of Centergross, the Piero Scandellari era comes to an end. After nine years, three years as vice-president, six as president of the ready-to-wear fashion hub of Funo di Argelato, in the Bologna area - the largest in Europe -, Scandellari hands over to his successor, who will be elected on 5 December, a hub that has been able to dribble through at least part of the crisis triggered by the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, emerge without too many shocks from the pandemic, and conquer new markets far away, in the Middle East and the Caucasus.

"I hope that my successor will continue along the path I have outlined, seeking to respond to the needs of a pole that has its core business in fashion, with 70% of the 700 companies present," he says on the eve of the election of the new eight directors. They will be the ones to appoint the new president. With a race that is essentially a two-man race. Competing for the position are the favourites Graziano Ventura, current vice president, and Emma Taddei, president of Rinascimento, one of the largest companies at Centergross, now present in more than ninety countries.

When Scandellari took the reins of the pole, which has an aggregate turnover of 5 billion and a strong export vocation (the fashion sector accounts for 50%), it was November 2019. A few months later the pandemic would break out. An emergency that was overcome thanks to the production characteristics of the Centergross companies, between speed and frequent small investments to update the collections. "All with a fairly modest financial exposure," Scandellari explains, "which gave us an extra edge. And many traders have found in our proposal the answers to a very critical situation".

Not that everything always went well. In February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, the Emilian pole had one of its main commercial outlets, with a 35% share of total exports, precisely in Eastern Europe. A solid and historic market, which had begun to take shape after the fall of the Berlin Wall. "From the very beginning," Scandellari recalls, "we were able to make use of a network of about eighty agencies in charge of managing trade relations with Russia and other countries in the area, also in terms of logistics and transport. Despite a thousand difficulties, we managed to maintain operations in the Russian market. Above all, the larger, more structured companies have been able to parry the blows and defend their exports and relationships, especially with long-standing customers. This was not the case instead for the small companies, which suffered'.

Of course, there was always Western Europe, starting with Germany: another major outlet that still represents a 35-40% share today. "But it's a saturated market in which one day you take in one customer and the next day you lose another," Scandellari observes. "The idea was then to intercept the demand for a production, strictly made in Italy and of quality, at affordable prices. First we started exploring the Caucasus, then the Middle East'. A policy of expansion supported by regional tenders for the internationalisation of companies. The first stop was in Kazakhstan, in Almaty, with the participation of some companies at Central Asian Fashion. "An appointment with which we have opened a gateway in that area, where many companies will return next year," he explains. Then a few months later came Dubai, with Vie Fashion Week: a success that was followed by an invitation to participate in Dubai Fashion Week as well. Not that the crisis in the fashion industry hasn't made itself felt. 'I immediately picked up the cry of alarm from the companies,' admits Scandellari.