Safilo relocates NA office closer to NYC

By

Cassidy Mantor

Published
Jul 10, 2017

Italian eyewear company Safilo, licensee of Dior, Fendi and Marc Jacobs eyewear among others, has relocated its North America office in New Jersey to be closer to its showroom and designers in NYC.

Safilo announced a move effective immediately from Parsippany, NJ to Secaucus, NJ. Safilo had previously been in its Parsippany location for twenty years.

The company will occupy two floors of its new building which is five miles outside of NYC. The new offices take up 55,000 square feet and include a fully stocked showroom, an open workspace, conference rooms and a call center. There is also an employee cafeteria and a large space for town hall style meetings.

CEO Luisa Delgado explained the company needed an upscale headquarters location close to the company showroom on Fifth Avenue as well as their design studio and the licensed brands they manufacture. She also noted that most of Safilo's North American business is in NYC, so proximity to the City was a necessity.

Delgado said Safilo's licensing partners and the top eyewear retailers in North America are in New York. She said, "Here is where globally trend-setting design and innovation offer important inspiration for our Group worldwide."

The move to Secaucus is the second step in Safilo's plan to streamline its North American business. In October 2015 the company consolidated its two distribution centers into one in Denver, Colorado. The other distribution center that closed was previously housed within the old Parsippany headquarters.

Safilo holds licenses to many global eyewear brands. Additional brands in Safilo's portfolio include Kate Spade New York, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy, Céline, Elie Saab, Tommy Hilfiger, Pierre Cardin and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Safilo has a symbolic allegiance to North America. The company's founder was born in New York before returning to Italy where he developed the business. Safilo has been operating in brick and mortar retail in the US since 1962 when it operated as Starline Optical Corp.

An official inauguration party is scheduled to be held for the new Secaucus location in mid-October. The Board of Directors and employees will host media and customers.