Gucci will open a new factory for the manufacturing of handbags and leather goods in Piancastagnaio, between Siena and Grosseto, in the framework of its Joint Venture – started in 2011 – with the local company “Arte e Pelle”. The company has 100 employees and has recently announced an extension of its production capacity, since it has acquired a new shed and will soon hire 120 new employees, including leather cutting and manufacturing operators as well as machinery technicians.
The area comprising Mount Amiata, Siena’s Chianti Hills, Arezzo’s Valdarno and Scandicci stands out for its high degree of specialisation in high-end leather goods and therefore attracts investments from big brands such as Prada, Gucci, Céline, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Bulgari etc.. In addition to the widespread know-how of local workers and businesses, another important factor in making the area so attractive for investment is geothermal heat, which allows reducing costs.
Gucci, which is the engine of the French luxury group Kering, has thus made another important investment in Tuscany. In addition to that, by the end of 2017 Gucci will also open a Centre of Excellence for product development and logistics, to the benefit of the entire supply chain of leather goods, in the premises of the former Matec (Scandicci).