Venerating the Italian Worker?

In 2013, Blogger Augustus Farmer visited the factory in Vicenza and posted an interesting article with photos (of the areas where cameras were allowed). Read his post and see his copyrighted images here.

Farmer was clearly impressed with the quality of the factory and the dedication of the workers who make the company's signature components. The workers in 2013 were treated well and returned that respect in the form of a commitment to do their very best for the company. From his blog post:

"What I was to witness over the next few hours was to genuinely blow my mind. A mixture of old fashioned machine shop with its  metal and heat and noise and aroma, and a more delicate side of hand/ eye co-ordination, experience, care, design, love and dare I say it, Italian-ness. 

Watching a Ghibli wheel being made for example, will be etched onto my soul forever."

That partnership has unfortunately been thrown into disarray in recent weeks, with workers striking to protest the layoff of workers in Vicenza, a move that is part of Campagnolo's effort to move some of its production to cheaper workers in Romania. The company has announced that the layoffs will be rescinded, but the strike continues while the workers seek a solution that will retain both their work and the reputation of Campagnolo.

Campagnolo Lays Off 68 Italian Employees; Workers Strike

Campagnolo's efforts to reduce costs by shifting work to cheaper workers in Romania and elsewhere now includes laying off 68 manufacturing workers at the company's flagship facility in Vicenza. Workers there are not happy at all.

Read this report from Bike Europe.

According to Bike Europe's report, Campagnolo management says that high-end components will still be made in Vicenza, and that the move is part of their effort to remain competitive with other companies (ShimaNO?) that make components in parts of the world with much lower labor costs.

Does it matter to you where your Campagnolo parts are made? Would you care if, in some future year, Campagnolo left Italy for cheaper shores? Let us know in the comments below.

Newest Record Group the Ugliest Campagnolo Ever?

We here at Campy Only wonder if ShimaNO has infiltrated the design studio in Vicenza, with the obvious motive of creating perhaps the ugliest crankset to ever bear the Campagnolo name:

More info here from the folks at BikeRadar, who spotted this prototype.

What do you think of the new design? Let us know in the comments, right there below this post.

Visit to the Campagnolo Factory

VeloNews managed to get a camera inside the iconic Campagnolo factory in Vicenza, and posted a photo gallery and report by Lennard Zinn.

Plenty of interesting stuff for fans of Campagnolo--check it out!