Diadora

International brand that manufactures and distributes sports shoes and clothing. Established in the late 1940s near Treviso for the manufacture of work shoes and hiking boots, it was in the early 1970s among the first Italian brands to start the production of sports shoes, in particular for tennis, running, and basketball. In later years, the plants in Cerano San Marco also produced soccer shoes. In short, the company maintained a leading position in the field by supplying shoes to the most important teams, in particular to such athletes as Baggio, Kuerten, Borg, Van Basten, Zico, Becker, Moser, and Senna. In 1998, it produced 7 million pairs of shoes, to which must be added the 2 million manufactured under license in South America, Japan, and Indonesia. In 1996, the company invested about 12 billion liras in warehouse automation, through which it is possible to stock 2 million pieces and pack up to 30,000 pairs of shoes and 15,000 articles of clothing a day. The distribution network in Italy consists of 2,500 multi-brand points-of-sale, 2 mega stores, 28 single-brand shops, and 50 kiosks. Abroad, it is present in 50 countries. In 1998, the turnover was about 300 billion liras, to which must be added 120 billion liras from licenses. Fifteen years ago, it entered the clothing line with the production of sportswear, whose turnover is about one-third of the total. The company is managed by Giandomenico Lico, president, and Paolo Rota, general manager.