In 2011, the Nolan Group - founded in 1972 and currently European leader in production of motorcycle helmets with the brands X-LITE, NOLAN and GREX - is getting ready to enter the Brazilian market in a joint-venture with the Vaz Group from Sao Paulo, whose owners, the Zezze family, are of Italian origin.
The Nolan Group’s brand appeal, history, technology and great image, supported by two MotoGP World Champions Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner, have developed a growing demand in the Brazilian market, inspiring this strategic project with the Vaz Group.
Here are the numbers of the two players:
Nolan Group
• 4 brands: X-lite (only high performance helmets made of composite fibres), Nolan (hi-tech helmets made of polycarbonate), Grex (medium position helmets made of polycarbonate), NCA (polycarbonate helmets for large-scale distribution)
• 367 employees;
• Approximately 500,000 motorcycle helmets produced in 2010;
• 100% Made in Italy production in Brembate di Sopra (Bergamo).
Vaz Group
- In 2010, 3.2 million motorcycle rim/pinion gear/chain kits, 1 million motorcycle pads/brake shoes, 10 million car brake pads and 340 thousand motorcycle helmets produced
- 850 employees;
- 100% Made in Brazil production.
In 2011, the Vaz Group will distribute the N62 and N90 Nolan products in the Brazilian market, assembled and standardised in Brazil with components from Italy. Later, as the collaboration develops, a '100% Made in Brazil' Nolan collection will be produced. Products will continue to be created and designed in Italy, but the entire production cycle will take place in the Vaz Group’s Brazilian facilities.
"In this 'sensational’ historic moment for the global economy, we found an alternative to 'China mania’ thanks to a family of Italian entrepreneurs well-established in Brazil (the Zezze Family’s Vaz Group). Our goal is to serve the South American market with high-quality local production, developing a collaboration that will lead the Nolan Group to have a range of helmets designed in Italy and produced in Brazil. The operation was conceived in January 2010. The Italian spirit of the two partners was the impulse that generated kinship between the two companies from the beginning. We share the same values and business objectives. We found entrepreneurial enthusiasm, desire to invest and a lot of technical skill in the Vaz Group. The dream? To become the number one brand in Brazil like Fiat is for cars!” – stated Alberto Vergani, Chairman of the Nolan Group.
?Instead here are the words used by Adriano Zezze, Chairman of the Vaz Group to stress his agreement: "Two years after the beginning of our motorcycle helmet production in 2009, we consider this to be the most important moment for the division. Together with the Nolan Group, we have a complete range of products for the South American market, with fast local service, extremely high quality and competitive costs. With the Nolan Group’s technology and know-how, we will certainly become number one in the market.”
