Gucci has consolidated its leather goods supply chain. The Kering group’s flagship label, through its Gucci Logistica subsidiary, has taken full control of Colonna Group, in which Gucci previously held a 51% stake. Colonna, a long-standing supplier of Gucci, controls the Marbella Pellami, Conceria 800 and Falco Pellami tanneries, located between Florence and Pisa in the Tuscan industrial district of Santa Croce sull’Arno, one of Italy’s main hubs for tanning and leather manufacturing.

The acquisition was disclosed by Italy’s competition and markets authority (AGCM) in its latest weekly bulletin. AGCM has given the operation the green light, without revealing the value of the transaction.

Contacted by FashionNetwork.com, Gucci declined to provide any further information on the acquisition. Gucci Logistica is a Kering-owned company active in the design, development, engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, commercialising, importing and exporting of Gucci products. The two parties have agreed to a five-year non-competition clause on the part of the Colonna group’s shareholders.

Gucci acquired an initial 51% stake in the Colonna group through Gucci Logistica in 2019, underscoring the close partnership between the luxury label and the tannery managed by Angelo Montanelli. The two had first collaborated in 2001, setting up the Blutonic tannery as a joint venture. Similarly, in 2013, Marbella Pellami acquired Serbian tannery Ruma Fabrika Koze with the help of Kering, who took a majority stake in the company, changing its name to Luxury Tannery D.O.O.

Kering owns another premier tannery in Tuscany called Caravel, a company based in Castelfranco di Sotto in the province of Pisa, specialised in the supply and tanning of rare skins. The luxury group bought a 51% stake in Caravel in 2001, growing it to 100% in 2008, and taking full control of its operations in 2015.

In 2013, Kering also acquired France Croco, one of France’s main independent tanneries, located in Normandy and specialising in the supply, tanning and processing of crocodile skins.