€ 
La Sportiva: an initial production of 55,000 masks for the Civil Defence of Trento
The Val di Fiemme company transforms part of its production into blouses and masks for the province of Trento.
Ziano di Fiemme - The Coronavirus emergency continues and Confindustria Trento, at the request of President Manzana, is asking the textile industries of Trentino to make an effort to convert production in order to face the lack of sanitary medical devices such as certified gowns and masks in the region. La Sportiva, a company based in Ziano di Fiemme and world leader in the production of footwear and outdoor clothing, after having totally stopped its production lines one week before the ministerial order imposing the closure of non-essential production sites not linked to the production line of the Italian system, accepts the president's proposal by reconverting part of the machines at its production site to cut and sew materials such as leather and rubber in order to produce masks and gowns for the Civil Defence of Trento.
The first prototypes were produced last Friday, and this week, thanks to technical fabrics supplied by Vagotex and Texbond, two Trentino companies, the production of 1,000 pieces per day started, with the aim of reaching 3,000 pieces per day once the machine is fully operational. The Ziano di Fiemme plant, which normally employs 369 people and produces around 2,000 pairs of shoes a day, has recalled eight of the workers and R&D technicians who have been laid off from their jobs in order to produce the prototype masks that comply with the standards required by the Turin Higher Institute of Health. The production already launched is now just waiting for the official certification that Mr. Cipriani from Allergo System in Rovereto is working on. After validation, the company will be able to proceed with distribution through the channels made available by Allergo System's prime contractor.
"We have been producing in Trentino since 1928. We have always felt a great social responsibility towards a whole community that makes solidarity and mutual aid a fundamental characteristic", says Lorenzo Delladio, CEO and President of La Sportiva. "Our great sense of responsibility led us to contribute to the collective effort to contain the contagion by deciding to anticipate the closure of our production site. Today, we are called upon to commit ourselves to face the second phase of this state of emergency. To this end, we have equipped ourselves with the appropriate raw materials to be able to produce a first batch of 55,000 masks that will go to the Civil Defence of Trento through Allergo System in Rovereto. At the same time, we are also trying to certify other materials in order to independently produce gowns and other protective equipment so as to be able to move to industrialized production that will allow us to achieve much higher daily production in a very short time. Of course, by converting more machines and gradually recalling more employees to the factory. In the hope that this will contribute to the safety of the hundreds of health workers who work in the Trentino region and who today need all our support. Even if we are separated, we are united, and we will climb this mountain together, that is what I said to my staff at the beginning of the emergency and that is the message I want to convey today also to all those who are on the front line in this battle. The Sportiva is there and supports you. »
The support for Trentino's health also arrived in the form of a donation thanks to the 50,000 euros paid at the beginning of the emergency to the intensive care units of Trento and Rovereto into a special account according to the wishes of Confindustria Trento.
The next few hours will be decisive for obtaining the official certifications of the protective equipment. Delladio says he is convinced that the Higher Institute of Health will quickly address the issue.
