MILAN – Ferruccio Lamborghini is a name that epitomises the very best of Made in Italy and Italian lifestyle, from watches to luxury leather goods, from hospitality to coffee and vodka. A wide range of products whose common denominator is the high quality and the attention to the detail in every proposal. We spoke with Mr. Lamborghini about the company’s plans and expectations for the future.
In 2019 you turned to filter coffee: which are the new international trends this year?
Filter coffee was without a doubt a big news for the coffee sector. Adding this new product to our espresso line was the natural consequence of the growing demand of the international market, we had proof of it during the HOST 2019 Fair, where we launched our filter coffee. In addition to the quality of the product, the type of packaging we selected was certainly rewarding; the filter coffee comes in a 192gr soft pack.
This year, following the same trend, we implemented the branded retail espresso line by replacing tin cans with 200g soft packs for the references of decaffeinated, grains and ground espresso from our RED LINE.
Your company reacted to the pandemic with a video on the Italian lifestyle: how did this period go and how is it going for you, in Italy and abroad?
Tonino Lamborghini distributes its beverage products in 40 countries around the world, through specialized retail and HO.RE.CA channels, including some that have been strongly affected by the pandemic. Despite this, I can be satisfied with the results achieved to date, in line with our initial forecasts, which obviously excluded the spread of covid19. I think that among the various rewarding factors there were the constant guarantee of product quality, associated with the company’s maximum support for our customers.
As for the Tonino Lamborghini Energy Drink and branded Vodka, we have seen an increase in sales, in countries such as Brazil, India, Japan and South Africa, and the entry into new markets such as Iraq, Egypt and Canada. Soon there will be new distribution openings in Mexico, Germany, Holland, Georgia, Slovakia and Hungary.
For you and for the Lamborghini brand speed is everything: but at the moment everything is slowing down…
That’s true, this historical moment is teaching it to us! But we never stop “pressing on the accelerator” with satisfaction and success, continuing our race towards the goals set, consolidating existing markets and developing new ones.
Have you managed to realize the expansion of distribution in Brazil and India?
Yes, with extreme pride! As for coffee, there will be soon some important news for Brazil, and we have also managed to achieve the distribution of the product in India, despite the well-known difficulties related to the export of coffee to this country.
How is it to have a company with a long history and that ranges from watches to coffee and vodka?
Tonino Lamborghini in 2021 will celebrate its 40th anniversary, the company founded by my father brings the Italian spirit to the world through a series of products that range from watches, eyewear, leather goods – three corporate core businesses – furniture, hospitality projects and branded beverages. A real lifestyle experience brand.
I became CEO in 2018, and I have to say that managing a company unique as ours is a continuous and stimulating challenge.
The same feeling of challenge that both my father and I find in our family history and that leads us to continually study new projects, always with a fixed gaze towards the future.
Which kind of coffee does a lover of the luxury brand Tonino Lamborghini drink?
Ours is an international clientele, demanding in terms of quality, tradition and image. My father was among the first entrepreneurs to launch his own line of branded beverage products, since the first half of the 90s we have been satisfying our consumers by assuring them a constant product selection over time, and which today sees three blends: RED, with a delicate aroma, the Platinum, intensely aromatic, and the Black, full-bodied and with a hint of acidity.
And you?
I am particularly fond of espresso. Like my father, I have learned over time to recognize the value behind a cup of quality coffee.
Last November you announced the partnership for the development of the first Boutique Hotel in Thailand, Tonino Lamborghini Boutique Hotel Phuket: what will we find inside it?
The Tonino Lamborghini Boutique Hotel is a project that will see its opening in 2023. Guests will immerse themselves in the Tonino Lamborghini lifestyle. The Boutique Hotel will have 39 suites and 7 villas, all equipped with state-of-the-art amenities and services. Obviously, the furnishings of the Tonino Lamborghini Casa collection cannot be missing. The bold design will be the unmistakable signature of the brand and will characterize the structure, which will include numerous spaces reserved for various leisure activities, such as private swimming pools, beach club, fitness center, restaurant with international gourmet cuisine and of course a café where you can enjoy our blends, but also other Italian delicacies.
How it will be the Italian luxury experience you will offer in the coming years?
We want to offer an immersive experience in the brand. For the hospitality sector Tonino Lamborghini can certainly offer something different from the other brands: it has a very peculiar story to tell. Guests of our hotels and cafes do not only experience the physical place, but they also meet the myth of the Lamborghini family with the values linked to the brand, first of all the Italian spirit.
