Tecnica Group appears to rebound. Preliminary figures indicate that the Italian company reached a sales increase of around 10 percent to about €330 million in 2015, thanks mainly to the introduction of new products. The estimates excludes the Dolomite brand, which was sold to Scott Sports Group in November 2015.
The biggest sales increases were recorded last year by Tecnica ski boots and Blizzard skis, whose sales rose by almost 20 percent. Tecnica's line of outdoor shoes was flat. Lowa grew at about the same rate as the group. Rollerblade, which remains the leader in the in-line skate market, rose by about 6 percent.
The company's new management is now aiming to reach a turnover of €500 million by 2020, after which it may even consider an introduction on the stock exchange to help support a further extension of its product lines. Nordica, which currently has a share of around 20 percent in the ski boot market, is expected to drive the growth, already this year starting with its Speedmachine, which collected many orders before and during the recent Ispo show in Munich.
As previously reported, Alberto Zanatta took over the position of chairman of the group last September from his father Giancarlo. The company, which is still controlled by their family, brought in at the same time an outsider, Antonio Dus, to act as chief executive. Dus previously ran Vibram. The former CEO, Peter Weaver, has gone back to the U.S. to continue to run the company's operations in North America.
Another recent big change in the company's management structure has been the nomination of brand managers. Each of them oversees a business unit of the group, with more responsibilities than before and focusing on the final consumer. A brand manager for Tecnica branded outdoor shoes should join the group in March.
Under the new organizational structure, all the brand managers will take care of product development, sales and marketing for their respective brands, following specific brand missions and plans. One of the benefits of this brand management structure is a clearer distinction among the different brands. For example, Tecnica has a more technical mountain-oriented image than Nordica, which is more racing and performance-oriented.
Higher investments are being made in R&D and product development for all the brands. The new management is also trying to implement faster deliveries and more efficient logistics. In this spirit, there are no country managers for Germany and Austria and no warehouses in these countries anymore.
The sales networks report to the head office in Italy and the goods are directly shipped from the group's distribution center in Italy. On the other hand, Dus will be taking care of key retail accounts directly.
