From among all the success stories that we have found we have selected some to share with you: there are the stories of newly established enterprises, stories about traditions and resilience, brilliant ideas, creativity and desire to enterprize: all of them are a source of inspiration. They were for us, we are sure they will be for you too.
My story has began in 2010
when faced the problem with my cold feet.
I could not find great winter boots which could be warm and moreover, with a fashion twist. I started to look what exactly could help my feet to stay warm.
After a major search I found a natural wool. Natural wool is so warm, so breathable and so light.
“I was so satisfied and happy to RESOLVE my PROBLEM with cold feet! I helped so many people with problems like cold feet, blood circulation disorder, arthritis and feet sweating.” – tells Daiva Zgrabskė. D. Zgrabskis, husband and director of “Diversus LT”, notes that they got inspiration for taking up own activities from Robert T. Kiyosakio’s books which have also led to a decisive step – helped to understand the aspirations of life and have given confidence in their own efforts. Of course, like every new activity, the production of Lithuanian felty boots was a GREAT DEAL OF EFFORT. Family had to refuse visits to relatives, have fun with friends instead of sleepless nights trying to create the best product. Anyway, family have a quiet life in the night, but we never stop believing that they are on the right track. Attractive design and delicate style have attracted the attention of customers. The demand for “My Feltboots” shoes helped to make a decision to come closer to buyers. 2011 This was the idea of settling in large supermarkets. Family opened 4 shopping areas at Vilnius and Kaunas large shopping centers. Natural materials, unique heat-wool qualities of sheep wool have already been noticed and appreciated not only by Lithuanian but also by foreign customers. Lithuanian felts not only became one of the winners of the national design contest “Good Design 2012”, but also received the attention of the participants and visitors of the international design exhibitions held in the Finnish capital of Helsinki. Dainius and Daiva are happy that their footwear is already available in Scandinavia and even in Japan, where she reaches customers through local wholesalers. Felted manufacturers admits that Western markets is one of the most important parts of their business strategy. 2014 Daiva Zgrabske has won the prestigious the Red Dot award: Honourable mention for my feltboots shoes design in international design competition. Her pure shoes design fascinated the international panel of experts and the Oscar-winning design award known as the “Red Dot” was awarded to her in the product design category. Even the design of felt toe shoes is exhibited even at the Singapore Design Museum entrepreneurs are proud that in developing their business not only contribute to job creation, but also represents Lithuania’s abroad. All goods offered by My Feltboots – felted shoes, felt slippers and felt felt bags – are sold with labels “Made in Lithuania”. The most interesting challenge for developers – online marketing – selling the product, a unique design without a buyer. The online store www.myfeltboots.com 2015 replased phisical trading venues in major supermarkets and even ten sellers. According to D. Zgrabske, CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION with customers brings tangible benefits, influences the development of business abroad. The activity of the buyers and the interest in the company’s activities allows to increase the range of products, strengthens motivation and forces them to move forward. “Satisfied clients are not only the best assessment of our efforts, but also the biggest advancement in growth, improvement,” says Diversus LT Director.
The story of Fratelli Carli is the story of a family, and a company, that was born in 1911 by the entrepreneurial desire of its founder, who has been able to create and strengthen, in progress, trade values and corporate image, thanks to his tenacious sense of entrepreneurship, to his customers’ care and his strong will to innovate, respecting tradition.
1911 is a year of abundant harvest in Oneglia (Liguria) and Giovanni Carli decides to try to sell the oil produced by the family olive groves, not the local merchants, but directly to the families of the neighboring Piedmont through a direct sales campaign.
The company’s history begins with a white bicycle with which Giovanni Carli begins to cross the streets of Liguria and Piedmont in search of new customers, at the beginning of the 20th century.
1912
The following year, the first price list is printed.
1922
Ten years after the company is under way, it has changed its seat and launches its trademark on the market: a little girl with a damn oil; in the same year the poster designer Plinio Codognato’s billboard draws the logo that still characterizes Carli products.
1923
In the framework of a customer care policy ante litteram, in 1923 Fratelli Carli enterprise publishes and gives all clients their first calendar. In 1936 it publishes his first recipebook with the draws of a famous illustrator of the time, Giuseppe Cappadonia. Again, the product is designed and distributed as a tribute to customers.
1925
In 1925, the first internal analysis and quality control laboratory was created; an initiative that anticipates the times and testifies the great attention to the quality that has always distinguished Fratelli Carli.
1943-1944
During the war years, Fratelli Carli’ establishments are destroyed during the bombing.
1948
After the reconstruction, sales resume.
1965
In 1965 Fratelli Carli inaugurates a new delivery mode, which still characterizes today delivery logistics. The rail system, used until then, no longer meets the needs of the company because many stations do not have home delivery; so Fratelli Carli begins, for testing, to distribute with its own means. The success of the initiative is such that the company decides to set up its own car fleet and, with the collaboration of independent drivers and carriers holding advertised vans, manages to deliver the goods promptly to all regions of Italy.
1972
The company inaugurates the mechanical center.
1992
After ten years of studies, the company inaugurates the Museum of Olive Tree, which receives the European Prize for Museum of the Year. The museum can be visited in Oneglia and tells the history of olive and oil through historical documents, millennia plants, jars and oil mills.
1996
In 1996 Fratelli Carli opens its e-commerce website and records the first order via email. E-commerce allows Fratelli Carli to enter the European and global markets, through websites located in the countries of reference: Germany, Austria, France, Switzerland and the United States.
1997
In March 1997, a line of products in the beauty sector was born: Mediterranea. In order to support the new line, the website www.mediterranea.it opens.
2008
In 2008, the company’s e-commerce engine is unified and enhanced by enabling multichannel management of customers and orders; a customer accounting service is also available.
2010
In 2010, the company opens the first store in Imperia, an area of about 700 square meters that is aimed to be an experiential marketing experience for its customers.
2014
In 2014, Fratelli Carli is the first Italian manufacturing company to be certified as Benefit Corporation*.
A Certified B Corporation or B Corp is a new type of company that voluntarily meets the highest standards of purpose, responsibility and transparency. The B Corps stand out on the market from all other realities. They go beyond the goal of profit and innovate to maximize their positive impact on employees, communities, and the environment. In this way, business becomes a regenerating force for society and the planet. It is a fast-growing community globally but also in Italy.
2016
In 2016, the company celebrated its first twenty years of e-commerce.
The company is also online on Youtube, Facebook and Instagram.
25 years in the market endorse this footwear firm
and have allowed to get a position as a prestigious brand in the fashion male segment. Variety of styles in different colours for all occasions make Masaltos.com an exceptional and unmistakable brand where it goes, more than 90 countries and 80.000 clients have trusted in Masaltos.com brand, it talks by itself about: quality, trust, prestige, discretion and all over the height in the most elegant way.
Launched its first website in 1994 (the oldest Andalusian company on the internet and one of the oldest in Spain). Masaltos.com sells 90% of its shoes with rises through internet, to a database of more than 80,000 customers distributed in 90 different countries of the 5 continents, that is why it is attended to the public in 8 different languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, German, English, Russian and Turkish). 65% of the sales come from abroad. In 2015, the main foreign markets are United Kingdom 30%, Germany 20%, Italy 12%, Switzerland 10%, United States 8%, Portugal 7%, Turkey6%, Japan 4% and Mexico 3%.
In 2010 Masaltos.com entered Amazon Germany (being one of the first Spanish companies to open a store in Amazon Germany) and has subsequently entered 5 more countries.
In 2015 Masaltos.com entered the Japanese market through a distribution agreement for Japan with the company ATPC Japan (www.masaltosjapan.com), expanding in 2016 its presence in that country to be the first Spanish company of footwear sales with rises which entered Amazon Japan.
It has 6 stores on Amazon (Spain, France, Italy, Germany, UK / USA and Japan). All this has meant that it was awarded in 2016 with the eAwards Jury special award for its international e-Commerce trajectory. Also in 2016, Masaltos.com has been awarded the Alas de Extenda Award (Andalusian Agency for Foreign Promotion of the Andalusian Government) to the Best International Ecommerce, and the “Gold Medal” of the Spanish Association of Image Professionals.
Masaltos.com is studied, as a success case, in different schools and universities. In Spain in the business school ESIC-ICEMD and in different masters in the University of Seville. Abroad, at KMU Akademie & Management AG in Germany and at Middlesex University of London (UK).
On the other hand, Masaltos.com maintains agreements to form students with prestigious entities such as the University of Hong Kong International Business and the Polytechnic University International Business of Hong Kong (through the program Spain-Internship), Chamber of Commerce of Seville, the Brevet de Technicien Supérieur de Limoges (France), the University of Seville, the Red Cross, the Cajasol Institute of Studies or the North American school Global Ed Programs (USA)
The shoe company to increase the height of men Masaltos.com has gone from being a pioneer in internet entrepreneurship to become a case study in business schools and universities, which analyze their trajectory as a model to follow in their usual examples.
Masaltos.com has opened its doors to students of marketing and international trade and postgraduate. In recent years, more than 400 students from the prestigious ESIC-ICEMD business school belonging to four different promotions have been able to learn about the history and evolution of Masaltos.com and actively participate in its international expansion process to more than 90 countries from all over the world and contribute proposals and suggestions that have always been well received by the company.
In this international academic field, Masaltos.com has gone a step further in its reputation by having a German student from the KMU Akademie & Management AG, belonging to Middlesex University in London, dedicate her final Master’s project to study the case of Masaltos.com in depth. The thesis, in German, was entitled ‘ The internationalization of small and medium-sized enterprises: success factors to be considered by a small Spanish company ‘.
