Spanish textiles producer Nextil opens factory in Italy
Nicola Mira
Spanish textiles producer Nextil has opened a factory in Italy. Last year, Nextil closed down its long-established factory in El Masnou, north of Barcelona, where the group’s headquarters are located, and has now announced the opening of a new facility near Bologna in central Italy, more precisely in Borgo Panigale, an industrial area close to the city’s airport.
Nextil’s goal is “to supply ‘made in Italy’ garments to Italian and French luxury labels, as the majority of industry players demand,” the group stated in a press release.
According to Nextil, which was founded in 1954 and produces textiles and garments for five market segments (ready-to-wear, swimwear, sportswear, lingerie and medical fabrics), “producing directly in Italy opens up new growth opportunities for our company in the luxury sector, in which Nextil has been operating for some 30 years and is highly experienced.”
Nextil prefers not to disclose its clients’ names, but the group told FashionNetwork.com
The new factory is called Nextil Luxury and is part of the group’s luxury division, alongside the SICI93 factory in Portugal. In 2022, Nextil generated a revenue of €49.7 million, and currently operates a factory in the USA, six in Portugal, one in Guatemala, and a smaller facility specialised in beachwear located in Badalona, Spain.
The group chose Bologna for its central Italian location, and because the city is a rail hub linked to Milan, Venice, and Florence, three major luxury industry centres. The factory is housed in a pre-existing building. “We are embarking on this project gradually, with a small facility, and we are hoping to expand in the near future,” Nextil told FashionNetwork.com, adding that a sales force active in various regions of Italy will promote the factory’s products.
Nextil Luxury has recently started operating with 20 employees. “Once fully up and running, the factory will be able to manufacture 2,000 garments per month in the first year. Eventually, the factory is expected to contribute approximately €1 million to the group’s EBITDA,” stated Nextil in the press release.
