Two separate top Italian boot brands are making their presence known in the U.S. market with new marketing initiatives and a new U.S. subsidiary. Aku hails from Montebelluna, Italy, while Zamberlan is headquartered in Pievebelvicino, Italy.
Aku recently appointed Joe Guglielmetti as General Manager for its U.S. operations, and he has gone on to sign a deal with Peregrine Distribution to outsource warehousing, information services consulting, & customer service functions.
“Our brand is quite strong throughout the world and it's time to increase our presence in the United States,” said Guglielmetti. “Working with P.D.S allows me to focus completely on sales while an outdoor industry veteran handles our warehousing and customer service.”
Zamberlan has taken a different approach. Under the guidance of John Cranford, the U.S. subsidiarys director, the brand will land officially in the U.S. market for the first time this year. Cranford told BOSS that several retailers were already importing Zamberlan boots on their own, and the family-owned company decided it was time to place more emphasis on the U.S. market.
“Zamberlan is well known in nearly every major market outside of the USA”, said Cranford. “Several major U.S. retailers have purchased it directly from Italy; they thought it was that unique.”
Cranford has product in 12 stores and has added ten in the last two months, including REI and Blue Ridge Mountain Sports. He told BOSS that he hopes to at least double that by year-end and double or triple the distribution in the following year. “Growth isnt paramount for us though; if we average 10% sales growth over the next ten years, well be smiling,” he said.
