CDP Group Joins Italian Wholesale Elite in Under 3 Years

Italian tyre wholesaler operation CDP Group Spa has grown from a start-up to being a top 10 tyre wholesaler in the country in less than three years. Founded at the beginning of 2008 the company reports that it took just two and a half years to get into sixth place in the Italian tyre wholesale rankings and – with full year 2009 turnover totalling 28 million euros – there is every sign that the growth will continue.

The end of the 2010 financial year the company expects to achieve a turnover of more than 30 million euros, from selling from half a million tyres. Currently the firm works internationally when it comes to buying. Most of this takes place within Europe with international buyer Sonya Dall’Alba sourcing roughly 70-80 per cent of purchases around the continent and the rest around the world.

One thing that sets CDP Group apart from the popular wholesaling models in Europe is that the company doesn’t have any exclusive brands. Instead the firm focuses on sourcing well-known international names for sale in the famously brand conscious Italian market.

CDP Group is a public company with 1 million euros of paid up capital. At the centre of the company’s operation is modern warehousing and headquarter complex in the Northern Italian city of Forli covering a total of 30,000 square metres. This includes 20,000 square metres of outdoor surface, with 16 loading/unloading points and a 10,000 square metre indoor surface which allows it to stock up to 150,000 tyres at any given time. In addition the site has room for 500 square metres of office space.

To say that CDP Group is a fairly young company may sound like a truism, due to the fact that it has only been established for less than 36 months. However, speaking to Tyres & Accessories company representative Sonya Dall’Alba spoke of how the firm’s “young motivated team” already has experience of tyre market dynamics and is “ready to face new challenges every day.” For the time being this means further territorial expansion in the Italian domestic market, however its “never say never” when it comes to considering exports