Macron’s Sala dei Sogni showcases his best collaborations with designs over the past 20 years.
Just off the Autostrada del Sole on the outskirts of Bologna, is the headquarters of a sportswear brand that continues to grow beyond the length of Italy’s longest road.
Founded more than 50 years ago as a small sports store in Bologna selling baseball gear for the US company, Macron – derived from the Greek word for “big” – is now one of the biggest brands in Europe behind behemoths Nike ( NKE ) and Adidas ( ADS .DE) and the UK is its largest market.
CEO Gianluca Pavanello has been in charge since he was hired by Francesco Bormioli – one of the heirs of a famous glass-making family – as a 34-year-old with no experience when Macron was bought out in 2004.
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The company, today with 330 employees, previously produced sportswear for other brands, notably Champion, before signing its first contract to supply Serie A team Bologna FC in 2001, which remains one of the longest partnerships in football.
“Bologna also has the oldest university in the world,” Pavanello said in his open office. “It’s a great place to recruit famous people and that’s our strength in being in a well-connected area.”
Two decades ago, Pavanello worked for the consulting firm McKinsey in Milan. Once he joined Macron, growth was almost immediate. Under his leadership, Macron’s turnover rose from €10.5m (£8.7m) in 2004 to €220m by 2024, with Pavanello aiming for organic growth of “15 to 20% ” every year.
“The idea was to grow the company in Italy but we always focus on what we are doing today,” he said. “The market has changed in the last 20 years but we haven’t changed our strategy.”
In 2005, Macron signed his first club outside of Italy with Swansea City. Deals with production kit and club wear followed soon after. Macron now has more than 90 partnerships; from Crystal Palace, Sampdoria and supplying Uefa referees, dealing with Scotland Rugby and Cricket West Indies, and collaborating with Lamborghini.
Their designs did not go unnoticed, as ESPN noted in December that Macron was “bringing the most beautiful, thoughtful and creative designs” to the football shirt market.
“We always focus on quality, innovation, design and the Italian touch,” said Pavanello. “We tend to do things differently.
“Macron is working to establish a different approach, which starts from the desire of the group and the input that will be made by the manufacturer.
“We have to listen to the club, what is its vision and purpose or its message to the fans each season. We are loyal listeners.”
Pavanello turns to innovation and digs into Macron’s catalog from 2004. The ball comes in 15 styles, six colors and seven sizes. “The offering is 15 times bigger today and it’s a very sophisticated market,” he said.
“We led the process and the evolution of the offering, both in terms of design and quality, and how to bring it to market.”
The manufacturer has three business streams: technical support, team clothing (distributed worldwide through a network of 170 world sports venues) and individual, which now includes entering the padel market and launching Clubhouse, its first sports fashion line.
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Given Macron’s actions and the UK’s market share [28% of turnover] the brand is not yet known in terms of brand recognition against the world’s biggest hitters, but Pavanello says 2025 will mark a turning point.
“Over the years we have focused on product quality, development and performance more than storytelling,” he said. “If you want to build, you must start from the foundations.
“Somehow we would like to build a big company [like our name] and this is the purpose. But doing things well takes time and I’m not one for shortcuts. Now is the time to talk more about Macron and invest more in who we are. “
Macron’s Sala dei Sogni (Room of Dreams) certainly tells a story or two. It shows jerseys from many top teams, while I was told that no shirt is the same, each fabric is unique and there is a connection to each team.
“More and more clubs appreciate this way of working,” said Pavanello. “It’s easy to work with those who like this way of working.”
Macron’s growth is also supported by its broad, elite campus. This 22,000 square meter (sqm) facility includes a large warehouse, which ships 100,000 garments daily and holds 7 million items. The campus is now being expanded to 100,000 sqm to accommodate a third building.
After spending 80% of his time out of office in November – mostly at the autumn internationals when Macron was billed as the first rugby apparel brand – Pavanello is now focusing on the American market after opening his new headquarters in Connecticut last year.
Pavanello, a financial administrator before joining McKinsey, believes the college and team will boost sales for all sports from football to fencing, as he signed a 10-year deal with the first US national team.
“We thought it would take a long time to enter the market, but people are used to spending money on sports products,” he said. “We have a strong organization and I have high expectations for the American market.”
At this rate, it is possible to find new space outside of the two walls in Macron’s lobby that are adorned with a growing army of club and association badges.
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With an “Italian touch” of style and cutting-edge design, Pavanello has grown with the company’s growth as he enters his 21st year as CEO.
“I was young, 34 years old, with Francesco [president until 2019] he didn’t know me,” he admits. “He knows how to judge people well, maybe he felt good since I didn’t have the ability to manage a company.
“We have grown a lot and I have delivered what I should have delivered. I think it was a good deal for both of us.”
Studies at McKinsey
When you work in a consulting company you work on different projects and learn about the company in different ways and delve into different activities.
It helped me a lot when I started at Macron. Initially I looked at operations, production and supply chain. Then we worked on the sales side. Today, it is important that I have an opinion on different aspects.
Twenty years as a CEO
Continuing to grow is not easy but you have to be better than others. We are in a big industry and competition is tough. You have to be very demanding, direct and focused. If you do this you can succeed in the end and it will pay off.
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