To Be Packing 20th Anniversary

Two anniversaries in one. While To Be Packing celebrates its first 20 years in Bergamo, the Made in Italy company’s New York alter ego, 2B Packing, notches up its 10^th year. Blowing out the candles are always the same people, Stefano Agazzi and Valentina Azzia, partners in work as well as in life. Firing the starting gun on what is today a decidedly successful business adventure is Stefano, ex-representative of a historical packaging company who decided to start out on his own in 1999. He was only 24 years old but his experience in the field, together with a good dose of intuition, led him to this choice which, back then, might have seemed risky: firstly to offer a coordinated image to the sales point and then the companies, from boxes with personalized ribbons to the concept of windows studied and designed on site. In short, the mission was clear: create a reference point in the packaging sector, offering the retailer a complete range of ad hoc products in the exact same way as for a brand. “Nowadays we have got used to the idea of a totally coordinated product, but it was strange back then. And what was even stranger was that this innovation was being presented by such a young neo-entrepreneur. At the beginning, the retailers I had called were not so convinced about it, but then, once in the store, it was the customers who realized the importance of what we were offering. And indeed, the results soon came flooding in: from 1999 to 2007, we experienced exponential, I would even say unstoppable, growth. The message of seeing a small store in the same way as a brand had finally reached the public and this urged me to invest further in this project. And so, we flew to New York where, bit by bit, we also won over an excellent clientele in the USA, building a relationship based on trust and direct collaboration with the customer. Our showroom is on 46^th Street where we receive about 230 visits every year and we also take part in missions and trade shows all over America, looking after our customers’ packaging needs and offering commercial and back office support to companies in the jewelry sector that want to tackle the USA challenge with an established and experienced partner.” Stefano’s story conveys the clear vision of someone who knew how to take advantage of a gap in a specific market segment, managing to leave a deep creativity imprint in a sector that, at first glance, might appear to be “on the fringe” of jewelry. And all while still managing to defend the added value of a Made in Italy product. “Our latest acquisition goes back 4 years: we took over Tobe Wood, a well-equipped carpentry business with a highly qualified workforce so that every part of the wooden “soul” of our boxes, as well as our window displays, can be produced in-house with a tailor-made service. And less than a year ago, we added a key-in-hand service, from “prototyping to logistics”, for companies requiring large quantities, which, thanks to an agreement sealed with an Asian partner, allows up to be fast and competitive while still offering the best service.”