The originally Italian golf brand Duca Del Cosma, created in 2007 by Baldovino Mattiazzo, has recently been acquired by shoe entrepreneur Frank Van Wezel, owner of sport shoe brands Hi-Tec, Magnum, Interceptor and 50 Peaks.
Duca Del Cosma ran into financial trouble in 2015. Van Wezel, who has successfully sold many golf shoes in England and the USA with his own brand Hi-Tec, recognized a global interest in the Duca Del Cosma brand and decided acquire it. The brand has been given its own identity in its new global headquarters in Vreeland, The Netherlands.
“We are only 15 minutes away from Schiphol Airport, 10 minutes from Amsterdam and moreover, I can be on my local golf course within 5 minutes; perfect!’’ said Van Wezel.
His new team is led by Carlo Verbraak, formerly of Protest and Claudia Sträter, as CEO and Rosa Di Lisa, previously at Holland Casino, as operations and communications manager. The full team consists of 10 people, including the original creator of the brand, Mattiazzo, a move that Van Wezel believes is important to safeguard the DNA of Duca Del Cosma.
A new autumn/winter 2016 collection is already in stock and samples for spring/summer 2017 are currently with the representatives. The team will initially focus on footwear, with apparel slated to follow at a later date. The intention is to develop Duca Del Cosma lifestyle in the very near future to enhance the brand’s global visibility.
Van Wezel has 43 years of experience in the sporting goods industry with brand distribution in 85 countries, with an annual turnover of $250 million. “This new challenge gives me a lot of energy,” said the serial entrepreneur, “I have admired this brand for many years and feel in Duca the refined culture and Italian design, which enables me to serve a new target audience in the higher end of the market.”
