Italian hat maker Borsalino bought at auction by Haeres Equita

Swiss-Italian investment fund Haeres Equita acquired the Italian hat maker Borsalino at an auction held yesterday in the town of Alessandria, where Borsalino was founded in 1857. The acquisition procedure is expected to be completed in 10 days.

Made famous by Humphrey Bogart’s fedora in the movie “Casablanca” and Harrison Ford’s lucky headgear in “Indiana Jones”, Borsalino was on the verge of bankruptcy in 2015, after its previous owner, Marco Marenco, sank the company into debt. Stripped of his powers within the company in 2008, Marenco was arrested in Switzerland in April, accused of fraudulent bankruptcy and tax evasion.

Led by Philippe Camperio’s B Collective, Haeres Equita took on the management of Borsalino in December 2015. Yesterday’s transaction was estimated in 20 million euros, which corresponds to Borsalino’s remaining debt.

”We are delighted to see the efforts we made in the last three years to acquire this magnificent factory, where such invaluable know-how is expressed every day, have finally come to a happy end. We aim to keep developing this iconic brand around the world, with new collections and new shops”, said Philippe Camperio, executive chairman of Haeres Equita, in a statement.

Photo: Borsalino website