Maglificio Maggia: 9 generations of knitwear

Da From 1700 to today: the history of a knitwear mill

The history of the Maggia knitwear mill has very ancient roots and dates back to the second half of the 18th century when, from a Swiss valley that takes its name from the Maggia river, a family of shepherds came down to Piedmont, stopping in Pettinengo. In full respect of the Piedmontese tradition, this family was called Maggia in honor of its origin.

Inspired by the local knitting production and the wool tradition of the place of origin, the family then dedicated themselves to grazing the flock and processing wool.

Driven by technological changes and entrepreneurial spirit, in the 19th century the family, thanks to the intervention of Francesco Maggia, added the knitwear business to spinning which was further implemented in 1830 with the purchase of hand looms for knitting. A few years later, his son Eusebio began to collaborate with his father, founding the company named: “Francesco Maggia & Son”, which remained for over a century.

The 1900 was characterized by the acquisition by the Maggia family of the “F.lli Vigna” company in Occhieppo Superiore. The family tradition, therefore, continued and strengthened not only with the purchase of the Occhieppo mill but also with the introduction of further innovations to the knitting and spinning machinery.

The second half of the last century was characterized by the flourishing production of underwear, especially cotton fleece, with the addition of production innovations such as “tri mixed” yarns, that is composed of a percentage of wool, one of synthetic fiber ( Meraclon) and a third of viscose and also by the continuous supplies for the Italian Army.

From the end of the 70s, Maglificio Maggia became a precursor of modern marketing through sports sponsorships, combining its name with sport personalities such as John Newcombe and Vitas Gerulaitis and expanding the production of brands like Enrico Coveri.

Today the company continues its technologically advanced business, creating knitted fabrics that are sold to the best Italian and international brands, keeping the family history intact thanks to the entry into the company of the 9th generation of Maggia, represented by Ludovico and Giovanna.

Infinite knit patterns

The production takes place entirely in Italy, in the Occhieppo Superiore plant and includes a wide range of fabrics: from simple jersey for t-shirts to mercerized interlocks for shirts, from sweatshirts to doubles for outerwear, from fabric stitches for soft feminine dresses to fabrics technicians and sponges. The multiplicity of designs that can be recreated is then combined with the wide yarns color chart available to avoid any limit to creativity.

The selection of the raw material it’s extremely important for the company that selects quality yarns starting from the noblest cotton, the finest wool, the softest cashmere, up to other yarns such as alpaca, mohair, silk and viscose.

The process continues with the weaving phase carried out in the dedicated department and equipped with more than 30 circular looms of various types: single and double needle machines, jacquards, sweatshirts, sponges, from the course to the finest gauges to offer a unique variety of jerseys.

Another crucial phase takes place inside the dyeing department where the dyeing process takes place and which includes the scouring, washing with enzymes, drying and ironing with the exclusive use of reactive dyes.

Finally, the company is equipped with an internal quality laboratory that carries out both the analysis of the purchased yarns and the final check on the fabrics produced, checking them both from an aesthetic and qualitative point of view, including the compliance with all the eco-toxicological parameters adopted.

Passion, craftmanship and sensitivity

The principles inspiring Maglificio Maggia’s business are: versatility, availability and creativity to achieve a unique relationship of collaboration and synergy with its customers.

Over the years the company prospered and progressed thanks to these synergies and the brilliant work of the team of designers and technicians that brought great successes.

The work of the internal team can also benefit from the historical archive, reorganized in 2015 and stored in the company with more than 5000 fabrics that are real pieces of technical and creative history as well as a source of inspiration.

The business of the Maglificio Maggia is and has always been driven by: passion, craftsmanship and human sensitivity.

Passion, in fact, must be the key of every workday as it has been since 1700, combined with the craftsmanship that represents the fulcrum of Made in Italy, a know-how handed down from generation to generation combined with Human Sensitivity and creativity that enable the creation of products of the highest quality and which represent an Italian excellence.

Last but not least Maglificio Maggia believes in sustainability, represented by a deep attention to the well-being and health of customers and workers as well as future generations. In the wake of traceability and safety, the company guarantees full compliance with the various eco-toxicological parameters required by national and international regulations, from the REACH Regulation to the GB 18401-2010 standard relating to the Chinese market.