"Today, between 20 and 25% of our turnover comes from these articles" says Alfonso Crisci "and this percentage is set to increase to as much as 30%. Also affording us great satisfaction is our leather apparel for both gentlemen and ladies"
In the luxurious Crisci brochures, articles are photographed as though they were sculptures and bear prices which even in Euro provoke a certain reaction.The retail price for a pair of Crisci shoes for men is around 360-400 Euro;not far behind are the prices for ladies' shoes – whilst the Birmingham bag exceeds 2000 Euro.
"The production costs of our articles certainly do run high" Alfonso admits"but the directness of our selling chain which cuts out the middle men goes to cushion the impact on our customers to some degree".Thank goodness.
Turnover runs around the 9 million figure of which 50% is derived from its exports.A great deal of its manufacturing goes to Japan;the Japanese,however, are so bewitched that even on their visits to Italy they stand mesmerised in front of the Crisci shop windows.
In Casteggio the factory has stayed exactly where it was founded ,as these methods of manufacturing do not require a lot of space and also because many of the products are made by its outside collaborators.In the Casteggio area it has generated hardly any effects.When an employee has left to start their own business they have preferred to choose a site in areas already geared to the shoe industry.
"Our employees are proud to work in our company" Crisci explains "and so it's not so easy to leave us;and then there isn't a market for this type of skilled labour hereabouts.We are the ones who coach our workforce with a long in-company training period".The number of immediate employees is about 70 of which 15 are employed in the other outlets in Italy and 10 around the world.
Meanwhile,another family member has entered the firm –Alfonso's son,who appears to have inherited the love for leather and objects of beauty in his genes.Excerpt from an article by Italo Cammarata, first published in the magazine "Oltre".

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