groups in the world of leather. In October 1987, Cierre made a qualitative leap in
terms of manufacturing by producing all the parts of sofa upholstery: cushions,
backs and removable parts of sofas, and not only, all in various densities of
polyurethane, down and/or acrylic fibres. In 1990, a large factory was founded
at Via Giovanni Ansaldo, 2, Villa Selva. Cierre upgraded its machinery to the
state of the art and became an important reference point for both French and
German purchasing groups. At the same time, the company began in-house
blanking of its upholstery and developed, as matter of course, its own line of
customised sofas based on its extensive experience in leather processing.
Romano remembers the 90s as the years when it was necessary to know how
to design, manufacture and focus on quality to ensure the sale of products. The
year 2000 changed everything, especially in Italy, where the most appreciated
sofas were those in fabric and not in leather and the price was being increasingly
brought down by the market; this was the year when Cierre set itself the goal of
making its brand known outside Italy. The right conditions and knowledge were
in place, and the company structure was in good shape thanks to the contribution
of the second generation, the three children Alberto, Stefano and Varinia. Each
of them had their own ideas and strengths and a different background in
production and expertise in specific areas of the company. Alberto assumed
several roles: he took over from his mother Cesarina in the handling of accounts
and relations with banks, but also developed the management and IT system for
the active and passive affairs of the company. Stefano adopted a more
transversal approach: he put to good use his considerable expertise in
production and his experience in contact with the main tannery of the company;
this allowed him to hone his skills in modelling and design and, above all, in the
processing of leather, from the purchase of raw materials to their transformation.
At the same time, Stefano learned several languages and began to hold key
roles both in the commercial field, especially in the foreign market, and in the
management of the company’s relations with customers and with important
purchasing groups. Varinia worked in administration and then went on to take
the reins of a branch of Cierre selling home accessories. All three children shared
a keen and youthful desire to hold strategic meetings and seize opportunities
for commercial development. They gained experience over the years in
distribution tools and logics, and built a network by taking part in fairs and
making contact with many experts in the sector and from around the world. “I
am not the competition,” Romano told those in Forlì who worked with him. “Your
competition is the World”. Meanwhile, he focused on communication, the role
of the family within the company and the concept of the company as a family.
Romano understood that this challenge can be faced and won by humbly
accepting the idea that you can succeed only by working with others and by
putting to use the best that each member of the family and therefore of the
company can give. Romano had the same deep and speculative spirit of the
people of Forlì and the particular wisdom of someone born and bred in Romagna,
a “territory rich in wine, oil, wheat and other such things” as Francesco Scotti
wrote in 1650 about the beautiful Forlì, with its Romanesque and Renaissance
contrasts, and its inhabitants, who he called “people of true talent”. “One must
fight discontent at all times, in the family as well as in the company. Discontent
is like the cord of the phone being damaged, or like poor mobile phone reception,
as we would say today. When this happens, one can no longer communicate”.
Romano developed a very modern and current concept of leadership and
entrepreneurship, based on the close connection between civil society and the
business organisation: whereby his people must experience daily well-being
both at home and at the workplace. With this vision, Cierre initially focused on
the role of leather in its collections and, even though it did not have its own
tannery, it began to buy leather from around the world, and had it processed at
Italian tanneries. Stefano handled this side of the business over the years,
gaining greater awareness and knowledge of the raw material. The bar continued
to be raised in terms of quality and Cierre went on to manage all the key materials
for the construction of sofas: the main coverings, leather, rubber and down. It
counted highly skilled workers and technicians among its ranks and its
machinery was at the forefront; the challenge of bringing the Cierre brand to the
world could be won. In 2002, the first catalogue was published. In 2004, Cierre
promoted the concept of “Living in leather” by expanding the range of home
furnishings to include more than just sofas, creating models for living rooms and
sleeping quarters. Alberto was then engaged in the world of associations with
the brave spirit of a young man in his 40s among more experienced entrepreneurs.
It was a far cry from when, together with his brother Stefano, he had taken part
in deliveries in Europe and had to sometimes sleep in the seat of a truck parked
by the Seine. Alberto’s success with Confindustria was unexpected but also
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