Thai invite for Italian tanners
During his visit to Italy last week, the Thai Industry Minister Somsak Thepsuthin invited two of Italy's best known names in leather and leather tanning to construct a new vertically integrated production centre in his country. The companies are Conceria Beschin Gino S.P.A., one of Italy's most successful tanning companies, and the Salvatore Ferragamo fashion apparel group.
The invitation was extended as part of a wider drive by the Thai government to regain ground lost to the Chinese, by encouraging European investment in small to medium-sized enterprises. It is hoped that in addition to creating new jobs in its own right, the proposed facility would act as a catalyst for improving the quality of domestic raw material supplies, while also encouraging investment by other leather-related businesses. While in Italy, the minister reportedly met with the chief executive of Ferragmo Group, Leonard Ferragmo, and visited several distribution outlets and design houses in Milan.
As part of the same initiative, Giannino Beschin, president of Conceria Beschin Gino, will visit Thailand next month, to study the hide supply situation. Ferragamo said Thailand was one of three countries the company was considering investing in, the other two being China and Hong Kong.
