Giovanni Vigorito has been back at the helm of Veron Grauer since March 2022. He knows the company well, having already led it to prosperity for 16 years. Having rejoined 160 employees working in the forwarding and logistics departments, he has agreed to be interviewed on the company’s projects in the light of the evolution of the luxury market and global upheaval.
Veron Grauer. What are the advantages for Veron Grauer of its integration into the Superga group?
Giovanni Vigorito. Our acquisition by Superga makes Temis Luxury, another specialist for the transport of valuables owned by the group, one of our sister companies. We are expanding our services significantly and have a network of subsidiaries and agents dedicated specifically to our market segment. With our centres in Paris and Geneva we are now leaders in the two main markets of the prestige jewellery and watchmaking industry. Superga is characterised by a high level of expertise and a development policy that is both ambitious and prudent. I fully agree with its model, as it is based on human values and close relationships with customers, who I believe are the key to success.
What can you contribute to Veron Grauer?
We are pursuing a technical development programme and working on extending our network of agents.
Our merger with Superga is an opportunity to collaborate with Temis Luxury to perfect our IT tools. We are revising our mandate management, accounting and tracking processes in order to become more efficient and foster our group dynamic.
Veron Grauer is a well-known player in the airfreight industry, and we also have a large fleet of vehicles, which we have been thinking about for a long time. We have already analysed their impact on the environment for a long time now. Electricity is currently the best alternative to fuels that emit carbon dioxide. From a technical point of view, this raises a number of issues that we are resolving with our internal experts and industrial partners.
What are the main challenges your business faces?
Paradoxically, technological advances are creating new dangers. As the protection of personnel and goods is an absolute priority, we are required to maintain high levels of IT performance and security during transport and delivery. We constantly review these with demanding training programmes, amongst other things.
Another major challenge is to provide seamless logistics solutions in an uncertain world, in which the regulations change frequently and economic and even military conflicts break out sporadically. The war in Ukraine is a striking example; the Russian market closed in less than 15 days. For our main customers, major international jewellery and gem brands, this is a severe blow that has an impact on the entire production/sales/transport chain.
What are Veron Grauer’s differentiating and success factors?
First of all, the organisation is divided into two divisions – forwarding and logistics. Each of these departments operates according to its own processes and in perfect coordination with the other. In this way we can offer a highly-appreciated segmentation for all needs. As far as transport is concerned, we have 80 drivers and armed guards to carry out high-security deliveries for most French and Swiss watch and jewellery brands.
Our historical role as a forwarder, which began with Veron Grauer more than a century ago, allows us to serve to companies’ domestic and international shipment needs, from the simplest to the most complex of tasks. Our specialisation in airfreight solutions provides our clients with a complete range of services, with Temis Luxury’s ground-handling support. Now that our two entities operate under the same roof we can easily overcome the hurdles that the growth of e-commerce has introduced into the luxury sector.
Allow us to conclude this interview with one last question. What makes you happy in your business?
The human dimension, without a doubt. In this very special business for the transport of precious goods we are a family and we defend traditional values that I hold dear. These include esprit de corps, loyalty, abiding by our promises, and our love of a job well done. We operate in a market in which nothing is left to chance. Precision is of the essence.
