Essilux, Safilo and Kering aim for Marcolin glasses

Essilux, Safilo and Kering aim for Marcolin glasses

After more than 11 years, the time has come for the French fund Pai Partners to maximize its investment in Marcolin. As reported by MF-Milano Finanza, Goldman Sachs, the advisor in charge of the sale of 90% of the portfolio company to the 3Cime vehicle, has distributed the dossier to the main competitors of the third eyewear group, who are examining the operation. Mf reports it. These competitors include the Italian-French global giant controlled by the Del Vecchio family, EssilorLuxottica, Safilo (Hal Holding NV) and Kering, the luxury giant owned by the Pinault family, which established its own in-house eyewear division in 2013.

According to some rumors, the dossier was also submitted to LVMH, a leader in the luxury sector already present with 10% of Marcolin's capital, but released in 2021 after the Thélios collaboration. Pai's objective would be to favor the sale of the stake to industrial players, capable of exploiting synergies and enhancing the Tom Ford brand. Marcolin's brand portfolio, which represents almost all of its turnover, includes brands such as Adidas, Guess, Harley Davidson, Tod's, Max Mara and Zegna. However, the most valuable asset is the license for the brand's lines of sunglasses and eyeglasses Tom Ford, among the most requested in the world in the high-end segment. In 2022, Marcolin acquired the perpetual license for 250 million dollars. Furthermore, he owns his own brand, Web Eyewear.

In 2022, the group based in Longarone, in the Venetian “Glasses Valley”, recorded a turnover of more than 547 million euros (pre-pandemic revenues of 486 million). The value of the sale is expected to be around 1.35 billion euros. The Monder license has already passed to EssilorLuxottica; will the group led by Fabrizio Curaci follow in his footsteps? Using the cash register, the CEO of the Italian-French giant, Francesco Milleri, has always declared himself ready to seize market opportunities.