MILAN — Italy-based Brandart is in the midst of a transformation. The Lombardy-based firm, known around the fashion world as a leader in premium packaging, now aims to become a global one-stop platform that integrates creativity and innovation into visual merchandising and elaborate retail event displays around the world.

On Friday, its chief executive officer Massimo Paloni told WWD that Brandart has acquired Terotecna, an Apulia-based lighting scenography firm known for infusing its expertise into fashion events like the monumental Dior Cruise 2021 show that unfolded in the southern Italian town of Lecce. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.

“The [Terotecna] factory is fully dedicated to this kind of production: the facility is highly technological, with printers, robotics, anthropomorphic robots for cutting,” Paloni said, highlighting the Apulia region’s expertise and concentration of lighting craftspeople that have been active there since the 1600s.

Terotecna and Brandart also worked together to execute retail takeovers, such as Loro Piana’s whimsical “Workshop of Wonders” display at Harrods last Christmas season. The elaborate light display covered the storied department store’s facade with a larger-than-life Christmas tree and train wheelsets.

Becoming a Leader in Experiential Retail

This latest acquisition is key to Brandart’s growth plan to become a leader in the retail installation experience sector, in addition to visual merchandising and packaging.

Earlier this year Brandart acquired Atelier Archiand, based in the northern Italian province of Lecco, which is active in the beauty, tech and travel retail sectors, and specializes in the design and production of shops-in-shop, travel retail setups and retail displays, and Turin-based ABC Lab, which is interior design-oriented and specializes in store installations, window displays, event setups and temporary stores. With these three deals the firm is ready to expand its international presence and reduce its reliance on outside partners. Until now, Brandart was positioned as a procurement operation that worked with a global network of more than 150 partners and which operated through regional offices in Paris, New York and Guangzhou, China. It works closely with firms like Loro Piana, Bulgari, Fendi and Dior.

“I absolutely believe that today we are by far not only the largest, but also the most structured visual merchandising firm in Europe,” Paloni said, adding that 58 percent of its revenues are generated in Europe, 18 percent from the Americas and 24 percent from the Asia-Pacific region. The executive joined Brandart in 2024. Previously he was at Bulgari for 22 years and held various positions including chief operating officer and vice president of global supply chain. He worked closely with the firm’s late CEO Francesco Trapani during its venture into the hospitality industry.

On Track to Double Sales

Paloni said Brandart is expected to report it booked about 230 million euros in revenues in 2024. The firm employs a workforce of 470 employees, which now includes the 100 employees from Terotecna. In 2023, the Busto Arsizio-based firm sold a 25 percent minority stake to global alternative asset management group Tikehau Capital.

With the integration of Atelier Archiand, ABC and Terotecna, the company has also embraced digital technology to expedite its projects. It uses augmented reality to assist with in-store assembly and maintenance, and artificial intelligence to develop algorithms that optimize planning, quality control and supply chain management.

In the medium-term, the company is also invested in tackling the challenge of second-life use: to design modular, reusable and energy-efficient solutions for retail and events, thereby extending the life cycle of projects and reducing their environmental impact.

Looking ahead, Paloni said plans include continued expansion in North America, including the potential opening of a West Coast office, and deeper collaborations with local suppliers. The firm, he said, is targeting growth over the next few years through strategic expansion.  

“Yes, we have a plan. We have the ambition to achieve a certain level of revenue. We would like to reach half a billion euros,” he said.