Based in Muggiò (Monza Brianza province), GIRBA is specialized in the field of chemicals for the care of footwear and leather, articles used by shoe factories, by leatherware manufacturers as well as in the accessories sector.
Established in 1983 by Giacomo Ballabio – owner, still at the helm of the company headquartered in Muggiò (Monza Brianza province) together with his son Massimo, steadily supported by a team of experienced technicians and qualified partners -, GIRBA is a true benchmark, safe and reliable, for the professionals dealing with the finishing of shoes and leather goods.
Massimo e Giacomo Ballabio
Featuring a staff made up of fifteen or so employees, the main goal pursued by the firm’s management is always the complete satisfaction of customers’ requirements: this commitment has led to the development of an extensive, sales network (featuring branches, storages, agents and dealers) that, over the years, has spread on an international scale, thus keeping up with the evolution of footwear as well as of leather enterprises.
“The manufacturing plant, the offices and the R&D laboratory,” explained Giacomo and Massimo Ballabio, “are located in a single facility in Muggiò, and, even though the company has changed production site over the years, it has never abandoned the Monza Brianza province. We can rely on a pretty efficient, widespread network, of which we are very proud, featuring agents, distributors and warehouses, both in Italy and in many other countries worldwide. The efforts poured into this activity are continuous, a trend that will not change in the years to come: the aim is to keep improving the availability of our products as well as of qualified technicians, so as to guarantee a prompt, fast service. We are very focused on the international markets, as confirmed by our export share, amounting approximately to 75%, with the prospect of gaining an even stronger foothold in specific countries.”
Can you tell us something more about the firm’s entrepreneurial structure? Ours is a company that combines a solid management and core values with the dynamic attitude of its employees, whose average age is around forty. The whole sales network is steadily supported by experienced technicians, so as to provide the customers with a timely service. In terms of production, one of the strengths that has actively contributed to the corporate growth is undoubtedly the constant commitment to the research of new, specific solutions and, subsequently, the development of innovative articles. A pivotal role is played by the in-house laboratory that, over the years, has managed to acquire a certain set of skills, with a direct interest in the production of shoes and leatherware in general.
What is your core business? We are specialized in the production of chemical compounds for the finishing of footwear and leather goods, an ample range of solutions conceived to meet even the most peculiar demands. We manufacture creams, solid waxes, both water- and solvent-based liquid articles, and we sell them in either 100-litre barrels or with a blister packaging, thus confirming our versatility. Furthermore, we develop and launch on the market products for uppers (dyestuffs, finishing creams, liquid polishes and solid waxes), ranging from general, easy-to-use to professional and specific ones for peculiar types of hides, articles for the finishing of heels and soles, specific edge-painting solutions for leatherware factories as well as repairing and shoe care items.
What are your main end sectors? And what are the challenges you face daily? We have a pretty wide scope of action, ranging from footwear and leatherware production up to repairers and craftsmen. Our customers have grown increasingly demanding and this constantly goads us to improve our performances, in order to always find the right solution to meet their requests. A good combination between product quality, on-site technical service and brand promotion is the perfect way to face the challenges of the global markets.
What are your products’ distinctive traits? First of all, quality, a goal that we have been steadily pursuing since our foundation. In the last few years, thanks to significant efforts and to an effective quality control, concerning both raw materials and the products, we have developed high-performance articles, taking heed of each single customer’s demands as well, thus managing to always guarantee top-notch standards. For GIRBA, quality is multi-faceted concept, not something fruitless or static, a value that embodies our steady growth, our desire to fully meet the requirements set by the market. An example of this commitment lies in the achievement, in 1998, of the UNI ISO 9001 certification.
Do you have faith in the future? And what new strategies are you implementing? The investments in brand promotion made throughout 2019 have resulted in a new corporate image, developed, on the one hand, through traditional channels, thanks to, among other things, ads on trade magazines and to the revision of product catalogues. On the other hand, we have dedicated significant resources to the online tools and to social media as well, by upgrading our website www.girbasrl.it and by keeping our Instagram account constantly updated @girbasrl.