Bicycles

In visit to Viner

Details

Parent Category: Bicycles

Category: Viner

Published on Thursday, 07 May 2009 16:16

Written by Luca Salvatelli

Serena Baldi and Francesco Capaccioli

By long time we decided to make a visit to Viner, but time passes and the commitments are there, so they are passed from the initial nearly 12 months ... .. better late than never, though.
Certain that no navigation system is not that easy to find the time to those who are not practical in the area or who normally expects the factory in an industrial area. Fortunately in Pistoia, which also has an industrial presence of a certain level, it seems that everyone should know the company and so it was addressed in an area of countryside, including farms and nurseries, where, when you think you now have taken the wrong path once again shows a fine structure, with a sign in traditional style Viner: a cartel much done, but nothing clamour is sure to the substance!
We have the honour to be hosted by Francesco and Serena, the heirs of the third generation of Viviano Nerozzi that many years ago founded the Viner. They now lead the Viner joined by Rodolfo, manager of long experience and with differents and significant work experience in companies large and thick long tied to Viner, for friendship with Serena's father, Cesare Baldi, who died prematurely last year. If Rodolfo, with his long experience, is the past and the present of Viner, Francesco and Serena are the future, plus of course the present. Together with them a group of passionate and competent people, which in recent years have enabled the house to overcome even the most difficult periods.
Ciclonline: in a time like this the first application is a must, felt the current economic situation?
Francesco: making the appropriate exorcises so far things are going well, although there are obvious difficulties. Some foreign markets are strong, while others, at least for us, are expanding, even in some shops are in crisis, but others have increased their share of sales, the final budget is for our company successful.
Ciclonline: you expect at your age to be called to fill this role of great responsibility?
Serena: our families, starting with my grandfather Viviano, have always worked on the farm, my mother herself has worked here, and I remember as a child when I went out from school and came here to find and to find other employees, all of whom we know since we were born. Their help, along with that of our families and that of Rodolfo was instrumental in overcoming the most difficult moments.
Ciclonline: the current market is divided by large industrial groups in countries that produce "Low Cost" dominating the market and artisans, but the volumes of sales derisory, there is room for a medium size as you?
Francesco: if we were not convinced that there was already space we searched for another job! We are a medium sized company, but that is a real craft, not produce a bike in stock, but only at the request of the customer, who can choose every single component to be taken. Our strength is the quality and customization of the product from a small "workshops" with the advantage of a competitive price.
Ciclonline: but it seems that most clients appreciate this speech, if we look at your sales volumes are far from the major companies in the sector?
Serena: unfortunately, the perception of the quality of a product in Italy is linked, in large part to sports sponsorships and not to a real examination of the object. In foreign countries do not have these problems because the fans are looking more at quality objective and value for money, so we sell well abroad and we have, proportionately, more difficult in Italy.
Ciclonline: own your prices are one of your strengths, how do you produce in frames that cost less than many products in Southeast Asia?
Francesco: simple, we are contenting ourselves with an honest earnings, and then as he said it is difficult to ask Serena Italian cyclists high prices when the product is not used by a sample of cycling. But who discovers Viner, no longer leaves our brand and this is for us the most beautiful business card.
Ciclonline: we should not have a policy of more aggressive marketing?
Serena: we thought we often thought back, we were also the forces necessary to sponsor a Pro Tour team with samples of the first level, but we do not want to fall into the trap of so much and suffered at the expense of the customer.
Ciclonline: what does this mean?
Francesco: this means that we want to grow while assuring our quality and our relationship with customers. While we are talking in the company, there are mechanics who are assembling the bike, are people we know when we are born, we trust them, and we know that we ourselves do not know better than what they are doing them, this is our strength. We want to grow slowly, with our forces, a sharp increase in production would jeopardize the quality of our product. It is not easy to five-fold the production volumes and we do not want to follow the path of many of our competitors, with the frequent requests for warranty service.
Ciclonline: talking about what quality is your most reliable frames, and what is your percentage of defects?
Serena: Do not have a reliable frame of another and the percentage of defects found by customers is less than 0.5%, and in this we are very satisfied.
Ciclonline: what is the most common defect?
Francesco: applicants do not have defects, we have never had any defects in design and as such we do a craft and really work it could be that the working on makes a mistake ....
Ciclonline: as is the creation of a new model?
Serena: first, you define the objectives to be achieved, through the demands of our athletes and the market, then we proceed to design and then the testing phase of the product, finally to its implementation, all at least in 18 months, but often more.
Ciclonline: the station design?
Francesco: is one of our best service, we who create frames, the paint and design, even with the help of a number of old friends, so we are always us that the road test, using also of our athletes, and the final phase, implementation is happening in close contact with our suppliers.
Ciclonline: because the real implementation is outside the company?
Serena: the current specification requires heavy investment, can not be done for a company of our size, aluminium, carbon, titanium, steel, plus all the different combinations, each requiring appropriate machinery, we prefer to turn to specialists in each field, but are all Italian artisans.
Ciclonline but the pipes in carbon, however, Italians have never, or not?
Francesco: no, we believe the only or one of the few companies that use carbon fiber tubes also made in Italy for a product that is actually Made in Italy.
Ciclonline: your partnership with Deda not likely to limit the growth opportunities your technique?
Serena: steels with Deda's a beautiful relationship, they give us what we want, here is the strength of this agreement, be tied to a company leading the industry that produces about our specific requests. At the moment we are very satisfied with this report.
Ciclonline: how did the idea of wheels Viner Caesar?
Francesco: the ongoing search for a high quality product we realized that the best was to have wheels that follow graphics and colours of the bike. In the past we had several contacts, but we could not find a supplier that had quality products and made in Italy. So thanks to an encounter with Marchisio we have achieved this. We are very satisfied with this technical agreement, because the wheels Marchisio have a very good value for money, best of the most popular competitors. I stress that the wheels are made in graphics, from one of our employee, so that the patient finishes by hand one by one.
Ciclonline: how sales are divided between the various models?
Serena: in Italy the market is only one, racing bike carbon fiber, and the foreign market is different back to aluminium and steel, in addition to carbon, of course. Moreover, it is alive the market for retro racing bike and into a fixed wheel.
Ciclonline: what about your range Mtb?
Francesco: we have worked hard in the past with Mtb, then the market has changed and we did different scelter. Mtb us for a tailor, and not with the current market that sees a bike with two or three sizes really commercialized and adapted to the customer. Several athletes of Team 13 were ongoing with Viner bikes Mtb tailored and were very pleased with their means. Unfortunately the market does not seem to incorporate much of this concept, even if the rewards are not lacking in this area.
Ciclonline: return to the road, all your competitors are targeting, even in the high range, towards carbon monocoque chassis, you secured to the remaining "old" tubes wrapped, why?
Serena: let's go back to the speech before, is a frame that introduces substantial savings in production for the company, it gives a great champion and that product becomes the reference point for fans in this game are the losers enthusiasts and the quality, fortunately there is still room for serious products.
Ciclonline: but really sure that this is the case?
Francesco: of course! A banded frame, when a quality product, is as rigid and more of a monocoque, but above all it's far more reliable, we think that fans of more than 100 kg traveling to our Maxima, with maximum satisfaction and without any problems. It’s also why we do not produce frames with the minimum weight of the obsession, safety comes before everything.
Ciclonline: but, frankly, having to find a better way to frame your range top Maxima, which name we do?
Rodolfo speaker, that great sage, remained on the sidelines and observe in silence: “Are twenty years to work in Viner, a company that already knew from before, because bound by deep friendship with Cesare Baldi, my schoolmate at a time in which none of you was born, after many years of work and axperience in this sector, I can fermly said that, for the moment, our Maxima is a superlativ as its name”.

Frames ready to control quality

Painted frames ready to control quality

The control quality

Frames ready to assembly

The assembly

Bike ready

Example of custom-made bike