Gritti Group is a market leader in the production of fashion accessories, making 1 BILLION pieces per year. With 130 employees working in production at the Grassobbio (BG) site, a production site just minutes from Bergamo BGY airport and half an hour from Milan, a second production site in Vietnam, and an extensive sales presence, it is a global partner.
Known for more than a century as the market leader for mother-of-pearl, the Gritti Group has strived to maintain a very high level of quality by also using very different materials. Craftsmanship is a hallmark of our approach to work and quality is a goal to always hold in high regard. We started with clothing and subsequently achieved first-class solutions in the world of footwear, leather goods.
Despite the large numbers, what sets us apart is the almost maniacal attention to detail. The continuous search for quality is a guarantee for our customers.
Gritti Group presents itself as a supplier capable of 100 per cent receiving, managing and satisfying requests, in terms of materials and type of accessories, pre- and post-sales.
Our story begins in 1924 when Vincenzo Gritti founded the company specialising in the manufacture of genuine mother-of-pearl buttons and accessories. A century has now passed and today, all the accumulated experience is a hallmark of the GRITTI Group.
At the end of the 1930s, after training at the Tacchin button factory in Palazzolo which was, at that time, the most important in Italy, Vincenzo Gritti's eldest son, whose name was Carlo, joined the company with the aim of bringing new life into button production.
After several years during which work was primarily focused on mother-of-pearl, the production of polyester buttons and accessories was introduced in 1960, thanks to the use of a special technology imported from Germany and applied by GRITTI Group technicians and employees.
The commercial internationalisation process began, both on the customer front and in the verticalisation of the production process, with direct contacts with raw material suppliers.
The range of items in the GRITTI Group's production is extended to include a large number of natural products. Thus began the production of accessories using horn, corozo, wood, galalite and real leather. A major leap forward in the field of fashion accessories.
Mr Gritti, at the helm of the company and always with research and innovation as a priority, with the aim of improving the level of the offer for the end customer, developed the first laser used in the button sector, working alongside a machinery supplier.
Due to logistical needs and to increase productivity and efficiency, the company moved from its historical headquarters in Palosco (BG) to its current location in Grassobbio, also in the province of Bergamo. An important choice also because of the development of the BGY airport (located a few minutes' drive away) and the possibility of reaching Milan in half an hour.
With the entry of the 4th generation of the family into the company, Dr. Paolo Gritti finished his studies abroad and after a year of specific training, started phase 2 of internationalisation: the production platform in Vietnam. The factory, built to European standards, initially specialised in the vertical production of genuine mother-of-pearl buttons.
With his mind always on research and growth in the range of articles on offer, GRITTI acquired a company specialising in the production of die-cast metal and thermoplastics, founded
in 1984.
The internationalisation process enters its 3rd phase with the opening of a logistics centre in Hong Kong, at the heart of trade in Asia.
The search for new solutions and product ranges led to the GRITTI Group acquiring a historic company specialising in women's and children's accessories using polyester and nylon injection. Another important step in the growth of the GRITTI Group.
Building on what was designed and built in Italy, the factory in Vietnam was expanded and improved, with departments dedicated to the verticalised production of polyester and corozo accessories with a focus on dyeing and painting.
After having set up important production and logistics bases in Asia in the past years, with the opening of the US subsidiary, the GRITTI Group is consolidating its expansion in one of the world's major fashion markets, where it had already been present since the 1980s.
The GRITTI Group's product range is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 - Class I certified at both the Italian and Vietnamese production sites. This is a very important step for the quality of what is offered to the market by the company, regardless of where it is produced.
In view of the energy consumption required for production, the decision was made to move towards the production and subsequent use of clean, renewable energy: 3,000 m2 of the latest generation photovoltaic panels were installed at the Italian factory, generating 260,000 KWh/year.
In order to embrace customer and market demand even more comprehensively, a qualified handicraft workshop for fine leather articles was set up in the Italian factory. Quality and craftsmanship, with the great experience of "Made in Italy" design as a reference.
GRITTI Group, which has always been very attentive to the safety of its products and the environmental sustainability of its production processes and products used, subscribes to the Detox commitment defined by Greenpeace, which aims to eliminate a number of chemical substances from its own products and production cycles and to monitor those of its suppliers.
The zamak die-casting process is started up at the relocated factory in Vietnam, an important innovation that implements and completes the Asian site's production capacity and allows it to meet all production needs.
The choice of sustainability as the primary objective. By adhering to the Roadmap to Zero, we contribute to eliminating harmful chemicals from the global supply chain by laying the foundation for more sustainable production.
The growing demand in terms of quantity for clothing, leather goods and footwear accessories led to the decision to expand the in-house metalworking workshop.
The choice of sustainability in order to be one of the pioneers in the production of bio-based fashion accessories. GRITTI Group - in cooperation with its suppliers - introduced BioBased plastics, another choice strongly geared towards environmental protection. BioBased materials are produced from renewable sources and can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The choice to track our sustainability through adherence to Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certification. Chain-of-Custody certifications that not only ensure full traceability of the material but also guarantee sustainable production, absence of harmful chemicals and ethical working conditions.
GOTS: the Global Organic Textile Standard is a new step towards sustainability recognition for organically grown products, made with the utmost respect for the environment and workers' rights.
In 100 years, the GRITTI Group has produced more than 70 billion parts, 60,000 models, and served more than 2,000 customers worldwide.