The French luxury goods group Kering is strengthening the production capacities of its eyewear division. On Monday, the company announced that its subsidiary Kering Eyewear had reached an agreement to fully acquire French company Usinage & Nouvelles Technologies (UNT).
Founded in 1989, the company manufactures components for luxury eyewear frames and has long been a key supplier to Kering Eyewear, according to a statement. The transaction should therefore be completed in the second quarter of the current year, financial details have not been published.
The planned acquisition is “another important step in Kering Eyewear’s industrial development strategy” after the 2017 acquisition of the eyewear factory Manufacture Cartier Lunettes, which has since operated as Manufacture Kering Eyewear, and the acquisition of a stake in Trenti Industria Occhiali in 2019 The Group. These aim to ensure a “unique level of quality and technical expertise” through strategic partnerships with leading producers.
Kering Eyewear was founded in 2014 as an independent subsidiary and produces the eyewear collections of the group brands Gucci, Cartier, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Chloé, Alexander McQueen, Montblanc, Dunhill, Boucheron, Pomellato, Alaïa and MCQ as well as the sporting goods supplier Puma. Over the past two years, Kering Eyewear has also acquired eyewear brands Lindberg, Maui Jim and Zeal Optics.