Chemello

"The American chains become very powerful, imposing strict conditions on European manufacturers, basically asking Luxottica to sell eyewear at prices lower than those it offers to other customers; they want to take a large slice of the profit Del Vecchio makes on each pair of glasses sold. "Big distribution tends to kill the producer," Chemello explains to me. And at that time, it was gaining market share every year over independent opticians. For Leonardo, it's unacceptable: why should others enjoy the fruits of his labor, of his workers, of his factory?"

"That January morning, Leonardo is going to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, to celebrate the debut of his Luxottica on the most important stock market in the world. "An unforgettable day," recalls Chemello, who keeps all the preparatory documents for the listing in his office in downtown Belluno, the highest point of his career at Luxottica. The story of leadership in the sector also counts a lot in that choice. Leonardo goes to prove to the entire world that the son of the Martinitt has conquered the summit, he is number one. His "factory" is the largest company in the world in the production and sale of glasses. It controls about 10% of the global market. But few know this, many are unaware of it, some still don't want to believe it. Del Vecchio, on the other hand, started decades after his major competitors; he began as a small subcontractor, he never flaunted his conquests; he has overtaken or purchased rivals with an insatiable necessity for growth, without going around telling of his victories and expansion."

"Essentially, he has the opportunity to transform a "commodity" product into a customized one, a fortune that happens to few entrepreneurs, who often, instead, are forced to fight in a context that levels profits rather than expanding them. Some negotiations are initiated with fashion groups, leading up to meeting Armani. The Milanese designer had had negative experiences with other producers in prior years who did not guarantee him adequate quality. A very tough negotiation begins, which lasts for months, with Chemello and Francavilla going back and forth between Agordo and Milan to discuss with Armani's lawyer."