The headquarters of Italian fine jewellery brand FOPE reopened in Vicenza on Monday 4th May as lockdown measures began to ease.
In line with the rest of Italy, FOPE’s headquarters closed in March, with the FOPE finance, marketing and sales departments working remotely throughout the lockdown, until the government gave permission for factories to reopen.
FOPE has implemented all the health and safety precautions requested by the government. The brand’s offices and factory are fully compliant with social distancing guidelines, so FOPE’s team of craftspeople are back to making beautiful jewellery.
FOPE’s CEO, Diego Nardin, said: “Our colleagues who look after all jewellery manufacturing are now back at the factory, while office work will continue remotely in order to ensure everyone’s safety. We have implemented all the necessary procedures in order to guarantee a safe and healthy work environment.
“The FOPE factory is designed to provide plenty of room and comfort for all of our employees. Therefore the social distancing measures have been relatively easy to introduce for all staff, from operating our machinery to working at the benches.
“The company has taken this opportunity to reopen very seriously: we have a great responsibility towards our staff and we have planned our comeback accordingly.”
The FOPE HQ closed in mid-March, when the emergency linked to the spread of coronavirus in Italy became apparent.
During the lockdown, which is gradually and cautiously easing in Italy, the marketing and sales team worked remotely in order to keep FOPE in the forefront of customers’ minds, but the manufacturing process, which takes place in Vicenza, had to stop.
With many new orders coming in from retailers over the first three months of the year, FOPE’s manufacturing staff will be working hard to complete them ready to despatch when FOPE’s retail partners reopen.