From the very first trunks created at the behest of musicians to high-end design pieces, LaErre has now set its sights on the world of industry: “We are in the process of patenting a product for the tech sector”, the CEO reveals

By Francesca Lai

Whether the cover is convex or flat, trunks offer countless possibilities, for travelling as well as when embarking on adventures. They are a byword for wealth, such as the one found amongst the treasure on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. They may be regal, such as the oldest trunk ever discovered which was supposed to accompany the pharaoh, Tutankhamun, on his final journey to the afterlife. In Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales, the trunk became a flying chest. For Riccardo Redaelli, CEO and founder of LaErre, trunks are something extraordinary, a constant source of discovery.

AMONGST THE EXPERIMENTS CARRIED OUT BY THE COMPANY FOUNDER, RICCARDO REDAELLI, THERE IS ALSO A TRUNK/WINE CABINET PURCHASED BY THE RENOWNED CHEF CARLO GRACCO

Every case is a new business opportunity. LaErre’s story commenced before Riccardo Redaelli became an entrepreneur. “I was a drummer” the CEO tells us. “As a member of a revival orchestra, we performed almost 20 evenings a month and I essentially became a night owl”.

And so, Riccardo found himself pondering how he should optimise the period spent loading and unloading the instruments, as well as how to protect them during transport. “I made the very first trunk in a tiny workshop so as to simplify the task of moving drums around and to protect them as well as possible”. From the prototype to orders placed by his colleagues. Redaelli was the first to view a possible future direction. “I aimed to turn my life around and so in 1999 I set up the business in a rented industrial shed, a building of 100 m² in Merate. Nobody at the time anticipated that this business could ever be successful. 25 years ago, no one understood its potential, but I forged ahead regardless: I had just one client and my father supported me”. He added: “in order to be able to buy the machinery needed to produce the trunks I had to sell my car”. In 2000 the small workspace became an actual company.

Amongst the most significant initial challenges, Redaelli mentions the need to seek out suppliers. This stage proved to be crucial as he strove to discover craftsmen capable of giving the trunks that unique, iconic touch which Redaelli always pursues in every project. The winning formula, the philosopher’s stone containing the elixir of long life for LaErre has been the ability to envisage the project as a unique, hyper-customisable object. “I searched out the few competing companies in the Yellow Pages and delved into their background story so that I could conjure up another one”. This benchmarking process was enhanced by constantly studying the market. “What I need to innovate LaErre can’t be found in books, but in craftsmen’s workshops, where I can unearth the highest quality leather, the softest cashmere and the most resistant wood”. A meticulous, untiring quest to create a trunk which is not only easy to transport but also elegant. “The aim is to transform a trunk from a simple object used to transport products into a functional product having a powerful aesthetic impact, characterised by a recognisable signature style”. The challenging initial phase was redeemed by the future. Nowadays, the company which  can count on 20 workers, is based in Ronco Briantino, in the heart of Brianza. It is known for excellence in the fields of design and craftsmanship. Starting out with cases for professional transport for live shows, the production has expanded to furniture, restaurants, wine, coffee, retail, racing and horse riding. Now well-known both nationally and internationally, LaErre is able to produce between 2800 and 3000 trunks per annum for the worlds of show business, horeca and motorsport, achieving a turnover of 2,961,606 Euro.

The covid-19 pandemic represented a turning point for LaErre. Inevitably for a business operating in the live events sector, Covid was a severe blow. “That period was very difficult for me, both as a person and as an entrepreneur”, Redaelli explained. “For the first time I wondered whether I would be able to keep going, but then the situation changed radically and as soon as clubs, bars and restaurants once more enlivened cities with their popular outdoor seating areas, I realised I’d hit on the right idea”. A trunk with wheels so that it could be transported, becoming, where necessary, a cafeteria, a beer house or a pub. There is no magic formula but simply an outstanding entrepreneurial idea. Opening up to new markets led inevitably to the current phase of LaErre’s life with the new LaErre Trunks brand which is now engaging with high-end luxury products. Trunks are becoming a unique design experience which, in certain cases, can be worth up to €75,000. “Cigars, wine and diamonds. In this case the trunk becomes a treasure trove for the buyer’s desires”, commented Redaelli. For this specific sector, LaErre produces between 70 and 100 pieces every year, attracting the curiosity of celebrities such as the famous chef Carlo Cracco, the first person to own a Redaelli Trunks trunk/wine cabinet.

Redaelli is now writing a new chapter of his story, moving closer to the medical, industrial and technological sectors. As well as building mobile trunks for health professionals such as mobile pharmacies for vets and small trunks for transporting medical devices, the company is now turning to the world of industry. “It wasn’t always easy to explain to companies that trunks can significantly facilitate teamwork, but we have succeeded. Now, with the support of two engineers, we are patenting a product intended for the tech sector”.