*Vedette (Italy) - www.vedette.it - producer of leads, sinkers, supplier and manufacturer of the innovative stainless steel Luciapuma (a trolling artificial lure, www.luciapuma.it).

*I wrote this article for the Tackle Trade World Magazine, TTW

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Fiorella Viassone was a kid and already helping her father out in his  fishing tackle business after her homeworks. She also naturally started fishing with him, getting used to machineries and grease and everything else an inventive father and expert in mechanics could possibly leave behind . She still continues today the family tradition which has meanwhile transformed into  an individual company.

 The late Fiore Viassone began Vedette  in a humble way in 1962. A not so uncommon Italian self-made man story which I observe in so many parts  the country which is famous worldwide for its inventiveness and craftmanship. With little money but lots of ideas and energy one day Mr Fiore Viassone, a hard-working, talented  and honest man, started making his own floats which those days had to be otherwise imported from France. By successfully winning angling events after angling events as an mateur sportsman and keen fishing enthusiast he began  attracting the attention of friends and especially of those envious tackle shop owners and companions he regularly beat and who started dropping orders for his floats. With the help of his wife, Mr Viassone  gradually invented and produced a whole range of floats and fishing items wich eventually made up the bulk of the Italian fishing shelves as we know it today, alas, with lot of copying (even from within the company!) taking place,  Fiorella tells me with a  candid sorrow...

Fiorella joined the company full time in 1971. Today Vedette produces leads, sinkers, plastic and lead accessories and is supplier of the innovative stainless steel Luciapuma trolling atificial lure. Vedette sells its products in Italy and all over Europe to wholesalers exclusively.

The business environment has become tougher with lots of competition coming from Italy itself, China and Eastern Europe, yet with the dedication, the quality and the long experience Vedette has accumulated through the years  , Fiorella is adamant that she can make the difference. Vedette can handle for instance very small orders and ship them immediately. Their stock is always ready to be shipped.

In nearly 50 years of experience, Vedette has witnessed the change in the market fully. Fiorella tells me that when they started they had 62 items only for fishing in rivers, then they began with lake items, then with surf casting- and today is trolling items mainly. So, generally speaking, she has witnessed  a shift from fresh waters to salt waters. One explanation she reckons is the combined effect of the pollution of water ways and basins and the shrinking fishing population in the inland. On a higher level, on the other side, she observed at the same time a general dropping of the number of fishermen coupled with less money spent  for fishing. She urges therefore to acquaint a larger number of children and young people to the sport of fishing!

Fiorella tells me without hesitation that Vedette  can produce much larger volumes of items than they  current do. She can manufacture custom high quality products  on behalf of a third party as well  as the Luciapuma manufacturing operation can show. She is also very keen on new technologies and of course well open  the "digital age" she points out.

Vedette has launched the invitation. If anybody out there wishes to catch the opportunity to be dealing with a serious and respected lead and fishing accessories manufacturer with nearly 50 years of experience and in the heart of one the main industrial areas of Europe (the car manufacturer FIAT is in the same area), please go ahead!

Vedette contact details:

Vedette
Ms Fiorella Viassone
Corsa Grosseto 273 / C
10147 TORINO
ITALY

Tel. +39 011 226 6122

Fax. +39 011 226 7927
www.vedette.it

info@vedette.it

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