Thélios doubles eyewear production in the Longarone district

If there is an Italian industrial district that has no comparison in the world, it is the eyewear district of the Belluno area, where - not by chance - Luxottica was born, and which today, having become Essilux, is a world leader in the 'extended' eyewear supply chain, which includes lenses and shops. Lvmh's decision to double its presence in Longarone is therefore not surprising, but rather proud. Yesterday, a second factory was inaugurated under the Thélios banner (the name chosen for the French giant's eyewear division), dedicated to metal frames.

"We acquired this production site, formerly Safilo, at the end of 2023, we have completely renovated it and today it joins the one dedicated to acetate, which had been inaugurated in 2018 and which, combination wanted, is across the road- explains Alessandro Zanardo, ceo of Thélios -. The new plant covers 20 thousand square metres and we have managed to absorb 250 workers months ahead of the industrial plan: the aim is to create a pole of excellence for luxury eyewear authentically made in Italy".

The metal and acetate processing for the eyewear collections of the Lvmh group maisons will be able to take place in a single location, with a total production area of 40,000 square metres. "This will facilitate process development and maximum quality in all phases of the cycle, together with comparison and exchange between the company's various departments," adds Zanardo. Present at the ribbon-cutting ceremony were Valeria Mantovan, the Veneto Region's councillor for labour, education, training and equal opportunities, and the president of Lvmh Italia Toni Belloni, who a few months ago left part of the duties he held at the Paris headquarters to devote himself entirely to the French group's activities in his home country.

"Thélios further reinforces its role as a reference point in luxury eyewear, designing, producing and distributing eyewear for some of the most prestigious maisons in our group: Dior, Fendi, Celine, Givenchy, Loewe, Kenzo, Berluti, Bulgari, Tag Heuer and Fred, to which we can add the Stella McCartney maison and the eyewear brands in the Lvmh portfolio, Barton Perreira and Vuarnet," explains Belloni. Part of the Louis Vuitton collections also originate here, then following the maison's distribution model, which involves selling exclusively in single-brand boutiques. For the other lines, on the other hand, we have refined distribution in the traditional eyewear channels, alongside direct retail".

The president of Lvmh Italia anticipates the third stage of the Thélios project: 'After the summer we will open a logistics centre in Padua, to optimise national and international shipments and to further confirm our desire to invest in the Italian territory, and in this case the Belluno area, which over the decades has built up a system that is unique in the world and includes many small and medium-sized companies specialising in components'.