Bicycles

Visiting Guerciotti

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Parent Category: Bicycles

Category: Guerciotti

Published on Wednesday, 08 February 2012 06:50

Written by Luca Salvatelli

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Behind Viale Monza in Milan, in a place full of residential buildings, shops and offices, right where you do not expect that there is a manufacturer of bicycles, there is Guerciotti factory, founded in 1983 by Paolo Guerciotti.

Today, many aspects of the Company are handled by his son Alessandro, young, informal, but concrete and lucid in his analysis, always with "feet on the ground", totally opposite of other colleagues. The "Alessandro thought" is totally opposite to that found in other industrial sector, here are some examples: sales? “They are good for the sell-in (sales to retailers) but now I'll have to see the sell-out (sale to the final customer) to see if all goes according to plan ....” Or: the turnover? “It’s on rise, of course that you need to see the good end of year ... to say that the turnover is increasing ... it matters little...” opposite of those who proclaim increases in sales or sales at double-digit, remaining only a superficial analysis of the data. It's always with his concreteness that Alessandro talks about the teams that sponsors, such as Italy pluri-wins Selle Italia - Guerciotti - Elite, which has won 10 World Championship cyclo-cross athletes through thick Vito Di Tano, Daniel Pontoons, Mike Kluge, Liboton Roland, Andrei Glajza, Rodomir Simunek, Karel Camrda, Henrik Djerni (the Paul Guerciotti's Team is the Italian Team that has won more victories at the Cyclo-Cross World Championship) and Miche-Guerciotti, a major financial commitment necessary to promote the brand, but also with a constant check on the analysis of salary costs, "Some athletes continue to ask engagements too high for their competitive performance and the current economic situation", he says, with his natural sincerity and analysis and continues: "Many teams have closed and many athletes are still without a contract". Even on the realization of his bike, not hiding and speaks with sincerity. Takes a lot to do as much work possible in Italy, a very important aspect for his Company, which exports abroad a lot, but admits: "The design is done outside of our inputs, with our firm size is unthinkable to have an internal study" and then continues "We have selected suppliers we carry the frames of our specifications, in Italy and Taiwan, according to the product to be made and the best technology available to those who choose to entrust the job". The paint is still Made in Italy, as well as the assembly, which is done directly manual, so as to ensure the highest quality and finish. Are stored in the factory all the components which then are used to assemble the bike. Some suppliers are historians and selected by Guerciotti for the quality of their products, such as Selle Italia, Deda Elementi, Miche, Ambrosio well as Shimano, Campagnolo and FSA. Alessandro takes a lot to the "Made in Italy", trying to make a bike as much Italian as possible, always with his clarity and concreteness: "We can not create products out of the market, but the Made in Italy is very popular abroad, very more than here in Italy, I have visited many of our foreign dealers and the image of our Made in Italy bikes is very strong and sophisticated, so we try to offer this quality product". In the large showroom, the bikes of the 2012 collection allow us analysis of Guerciotti production: Eclipse and Eclipse Plus have been well received by the public, along with the rest of the Road range. Cyclocross bikes continue their clear success as a reference point among fans. Steel frames are very popular abroad. The more difficult to emergence is for Mtb: "A very good bike, high quality, but the fans immediately think the American bike and hardly take into account, a real shame." Still the trekking bike "Make a niche product, high quality, few numbers because usually you go to the cheaper bikes, but it is a valid and competitive model" and finally fixed: "In Italy is sold short, but abroad, the results are very positive". Do not miss a look at future projects for 2013, all the phases of analysis and study are started, in some cases are being prepared to test the prototypes to get feedback to athletes. The tour ends in a more than positive way, a Company that fully reflects the owners, especially Alessandro, no pomp and proclamations, no glossy pictures, but so much concrete, reliability and quality. Great attention to Made in Italy, where is possible and as far as possible, knowing that eventually the price must be aligned to its competitors. In its simplicity, a Company better than others, because of the genuine and sincere truth about their product.