Kering Eyewear acquires French manufacturer UNT

Kering Eyewear has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the share capital of the French company Usinage & Nouvelles Technologies (UNT) as it looks to cement its position in the luxury eyewear industry.

UNT manufactures high-precision metal and mechanical components for the entire luxury eyewear sector at its 3,000 square metre facility in the Upper-Jura region of France.

The acquisition builds on similar moves by Kering to establish dominance in the eyewear sector, including the takeover of Manufacture Kering Eyewear in 2017 – previously Manufacture Cartier Lunettes – and its stake in Trent Industria Occhiali that it snapped up in 2019.

The group’s industrial development strategy has been centred around taking control of its supply chain via strategic partnerships with manufacturers.

UNT has already been a longstanding business partner of Manufacture Kering Eyewear for the provision of its components.

In a release, Roberto Vedovotto, president and CEO of Kering Eyewear, said: “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.”

On clearance by relevant competition authorities, the transaction is expected to be completed in Q2 2023.