Giussano, Italy – Fanair, a worldwide textile distributor, has a new brach in Giussano where its international markets will be handled. The branch, which is 2 years old, executes important export functions. It's helped export to move bigger quantities in stock abroad.

Fanair was founded in 1976 by Renzo Fanti and Airoldi. The relationship between Mambretti and Fanair began fifteen years ago when Airoldi left the company and sold his shares to Mambretti. ''Fanair would sell the products that Mambretti produced,'' said Fanti.

Today Fanair is one of four companies in the Mambretti Group, and it's turnover is $20 million, of which 80 percent comes from exports. The others are: Rifil, which commercializes plain and solid colored textiles; Sandri, which commercializes contract products and Mambretti, manufacturer of jacquard upholstery fabrics. The group has an annual turnover of $45 million. Fanair distributes textiles of the group as well as textiles from other companies.

The company is the exclusive worlwide distributor for Glore Valcana - Mitsubishi Rayon Co., Ltd as well as being distributor for other textile products that are characterized by advanced technological qualities. The company also develops its own exclusive line of fabrics for upholstery and decoration, consisting of over 500 designs.

Fanair made its name when it began commercializing Mitsubishi microfibres, a product responsible for $10 million of the company's profit. Fanair sells an average of 200,000 meters of microfibre per year. ''We saw a great opportunity with the Mitsu-bishi Microfibres,'' said Filippo Mambretti, President of Fanair and son of the founder of Mambretti. ''Alcantara was the only company in Europe commercializing microfibre products for upholstery in Europe. Mitsubishi was looking for a distributor and we took the opportunity. Our company, and the market as a whole, changed very much.''

''Our clients can choose among more than one hundred different colors of microfibre, and the product, in any color is always available,'' said Fanti. He said the fabric feels like leather and that the price difference is small.

The Mitsubishi microfibres have a five-year guarantee. ''The tendency is to go for fabrics of natural fibers, but synthetic fabrics are often more resistant and practical,'' Mambretti said. ''Our microfibre products have the elegance and the feel of a natural fabric.''

Fanair sells to the medium/high end of the market. Its major clients are wholesalers and furniture manufacturers. The company distributes its products around the world. ''Since we have world exclusivity on many of the products we sell, exports are not a problem. In fact this works to our advantage,'' said Mambretti.

As far as competiton is concerned, Fanti said that the products of the many companies who try to imitate Mitsu-bishi's do not compare. ''One can recognize the Mitsubishi product, its elegance and its color,'' he said.