Kering Eyewear has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of the share capital of the French company UNT, Usinage & Nouvelles Technologies, to strengthen its position in the luxury eyewear industry.
Founded in 1989 in Morbier, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in Eastern France, UNT is a key player in the manufacturing of high-precision metal and mechanical components for the entire luxury eyewear sector. The company is located in the Upper-Jura, a region renowned for being the historical eyewear district in France and for its micro technical savoir-faire. Thanks to its integrated engineering department and its state-of-the-art 3,000 sqm facility, UNT has always been an emblem of high quality and product perfection in the luxury eyewear industry.
Together with the acquisition of Manufacture Kering Eyewear in 2017 – previously Manufacture Cartier Lunettes – and the stake held in Trenti Industria Occhiali since 2019, respectively in France and in Italy, this transaction represents another important step in the industrial development strategy of Kering Eyewear, which controls its supply chain through strategic partnerships with industry-leading manufacturers, ensuring an unparalleled level of quality and technical expertise. UNT has been, in fact, a key, longstanding business partner of Manufacture Kering Eyewear for the provision of its components and Kering Eyewear and UNT share the same vision and values of excellence, craftsmanship, innovation and sustainability.
Roberto Vedovotto, President and CEO of Kering Eyewear, declared: “We are pleased to welcome UNT into the Kering Eyewear family. I truly admire the outstanding job that UNT has carried out so far and we are excited to embark on this new journey with a trusted and deeply valued partner. Being a long-term, high-quality supplier of Manufacture Kering Eyewear, this new acquisition represents the opportunity to create an integrated luxury eyewear platform with best-in-class manufacturing capabilities, facilities and talents, in addition to supporting and further elevating the Jura district.”
The transaction is subject to the clearance by the relevant competition authorities and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2023.
