Reusch, Italian pride: "Soul and heart" says CEO Erich Weitzmann. And there's a backstory on Jannik Sinner

Erich Weitzmann, managing director of Reusch, spoke with Sportal.it on the occasion of the opening of the new headquarters in Vignate, a few chlometers from Milan.

You are continuously expanding and have just opened a new location in Vignate as well.
Yes, we are here in Vignate and we are really proud to be here. This is an important step for us. We are happy with the direction we are taking: things are going well, thanks to a great team, a strong brand, marketing that pushes… but most of all thanks to the people. The ones who work on it every day, who put their heart and soul into it, and who help us always go one step further. That is what makes us continuous, constant, solid.

How much Italian pride is there in this growth?
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This is an issue that is very close to my heart. Perhaps even more than structural growth. In 2017 we brought the brand from Germany to Italy. With our family business, over time, we bought shares until we took total control. But that wasn’t enough for us: we wanted it to become 100 percent Italian.
And so it was. When I read today about Italian companies being bought by the French or Germans, my heart tightens. Here, this is a little revenge for us. We have taken the reverse route. We brought a globally recognized brand to Italy. And today it is officially and operationally Italian, based in Italy. And this is where we operate from, proudly, feeling truly at home.

Your connection with the world of sports is strong. So many important testimonials that have won at the world level.
It’s true. I have always been a fan, since I was a child. I skied, I played soccer, and I couldn’t imagine a better job than this. The company was already geared toward the sports world, but the relationship has grown even stronger because of our testimonials. When we follow competitions on the weekend, when a medal comes in the World Cup … we feel it’s also a little bit ours. It’s a huge satisfaction.

Although sometimes, as in the case of Jannik Sinner, some athletes take other paths.
(Laughs) Yeah, we are not in tennis, but we are still big fans of Jannik. We have been following him since he was very young, still in regional competitions. We, who are South Tyroleans like him, noticed him right away: the red topknot, the style… He had something special even back then. Of course, we would have liked him to have stayed in skiing! But it was great to see him grow, work hard, stay humble. We recognize a lot in him. I also spoke with his management recently: he has had an incredible journey, from Sesto to Brunico, then the arrival at Piatti… so much work that is rightly rewarded today.

So when you saw him on skis, did you think of “optioning” him as your testimonial?
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Almost! We would have liked him, we really did. But then, when he was 14, he switched to tennis. And now, although the company has no direct relationship with him, we remain his big fans.