Founded in 1982 as Tecno Electra, the company was acquired in 2021 by Daniele Focante (CEO) and rebranded as Tecno Dry. EsteticaExport has asked some questions to the owner, Mr. Focante.
Can you explain the evolution of the Tecno Elettra and Tecno Dry brands?
“Tecno Elettra started operating more than 40 years ago as a private label company, producing professional electric accessories for hair salons. A few years later, the partners decided to evolve their production, create their own brand and distribute it in Italy and to foreign markets. It was a very successful journey that had a further evolution in 2021 when the founders decided to retire and sell the company. At that moment, I had already been working for over 20 years for this company as Export Director and I decided to take this opportunity to acquire it and create the new brand Tecno Dry”.
How has the company chance since the acquisition?
“We have been investing a lot in human resources. For instance, the sales department has been reinforced with a new manager in charge of the Italian market, another one for the Eastern Europe area and a third one for the Latin American markets. On top of that, I have not abandoned my previous job, so I keep the contact with some long-time clients with whom I have created a personal relationship”.
and you are manufacturers…
“Absolutely! We produce everything in our factory in Monsano (AN) Italy. All our suppliers are Italian, so we combine the Italian tradition of handmade products with an industrial-scale vision of innovation”.
How important is export for you now?
“Export counts for about 85% of our turnover. The main areas where we export are Europe, the Gulf Region and also in Latin America and Australia”.
What makes Tecno Dry so successful on global markets?
“We believe and uphold two main values: the first being the quality of our production, which comes with extreme care for every component made in Italy, either manufactured in our factory in Monsano, or carefully selected and then assembled.
And then a competitive price that works especially for markets like Egypt or Morocco where we propose good quality products at an affordable price.
Another string to our bow is our flexibility, which means the capability to satisfy smaller orders, and also to customise the product for every single client. For example, we can adapt our hairdryers’ characteristics, power, colour, logos etc. This has been very important in the past to develop privileged relationships with a selected clientele”.
Whom do you sell to?
“We sell exclusively to importers that carry out the distribution in their territory”.
Where will you go from here?
“We plan to create some new products. We are studying a range of products that can be versatile, easy to adapt to the different tastes and needs of the various countries we serve and we will serve”.
Are trade fairs important for your export activity?
“They are certainly important as they represent a moment of direct contact, a face-to-face meeting with our distributors and sales representatives from the area where we exhibit. However, we choose to be present only in some exhibitions that are strategic for the area of the world where we have better chances to develop. We are going soon to Beautyistanbul which is a hub for the Middle East and North Africa, and also next year we will return to Cosmoprof Bologna and Cosmoporf Asia”.
Why is your product attractive to professional hairstylists?
“Quality and appeal! Electric accessories need to be good-looking and attractive too, either for retail models or the salon ranges.
As I said we take great care of the production phases to offer a reliable product. We also care about the comfort and health of hairstylists who use these tools every day. For example, we have been studying extensively new ways to reduce weight and guarantee the correct balance of our hairdryers, so that professionals who use them for many hours a day can reduce the negative consequences”.
What are your most famous products?
“The Formula line is a classic that has been sold all over the world for decades and we keep perfecting with new engines and improving performance. Then we have more recent and innovative models like the new Brushless Technology Line, created by our customer-oriented product development. A brushless hair dryer is an advanced hair styling tool that uses electromagnetic fields to generate airflow, resulting in smoother and quieter operation. Its potent airflow enables faster drying times, reducing heat exposure and potential damage to the hair and it also reduces the pollution emitted by the appliance’.
