Supply chain

 

Italian suppliers for Pala sunglasses - supply chain

ISD Occhiali

Frame Makers, Asti Region, Italy

A boutique factory nestling in the hills of Northern Italy, ISD is a family run business headed up by Gabrielle and his wife Elenora. They take great pride in their craftsmanship and enjoy the special blend of passion for both their work and family. Our short video explains the value of our supplier relationship and shared values for the planet.

Before becoming a frame maker, Gabrielle worked with Elmo producing handmade wooden furniture. He found his passion for frame making by chance when a company that produced wooden eyewear contacted him to find a solution for a problem, they had with one of their frames. In doing so he found himself ‘immediately in love’ with the intricacies, design and craftmanship of the frame and now ten years on, the family business is thriving, providing the very best eyewear for their customers.

John visits the family at least once a year. Some say it is to talk about future frames and designs, others would suggest it is the vast supply of Italian ice cream and coffee that he is offered on each visit.

case weavers for Pala eyewear supply chain

CARE4Basket

The Case Weavers, Accra, Ghana

Arguably our case makers need no introduction as you may have already read up about them on our Weavers page where you can see them in action.  Pala intercepts the secondary plastic waste from the manufacturing process (otherwise destined for landfill from Poly Products Accra) as well as making use of discarded water sachets (>30,000 to date) collected locally to make our durable sunglasses cases.

They are woven by the talented weavers from four communities in Bolgatanga, Upper East Ghana. CARE4basket is the NGO Pala works with, headed by the indomitable Jib Hagan, a man who (I’m sure he won’t mind us saying) is well into his sixties, but has an incredible zest for life that would put most of us many years younger to shame!

 

Mazzucchelli acetate being produced in factory

Mazzucchelli 1849

The Bio-acetate Supplier, Varese, Italy

Established in 1849, manufacturing combs and buttons made from animal horn, bone and tortoiseshell, Mazzucchelli became an international company with a highly sophisticated know-how, enabling them to excel in the production of semi-finished plastic materials with highly technical and aesthetical qualities.

Pala uses their M49 Bio-plastic which is 100% biodegradable  and certified. The traditional chemical phthalate plasticizer has been replaced by a proprietary plasticizing solution of vegetable origin which is better for the planet.

 

La/Es

Figliaro, Italy

La/Es was founded in Figliaro, province of Como, in 1956, as a plastic material production company. Over the years La/Es has been a key contributor to the development of acetate for eyewear around the world. Pala sources their BioCell (biodegradable) acetate and their recycled black acetate for our production.

 

 

eco friendly sunglasses lens

Divel Italia

The Lens Makers, Bologna, Italy

Divel Italia started life as a manufacturer of sun lenses, making use of the region’s natural gas deposits to melt glass.

In 2019 Divel launched the Green Line lens which is made from 39% resins of plant origin, with the remainder being fossil-origin by-products. These more eco lenses are the ones Pala uses for all their non-polarised frames.

 

Sel Optical

Pontelangorino, Italy

Operating since 1983 Sel Optical has established itself as one of the leading manufacturers of lenses made in Italy, through building highly technological production structures specialized in the production of individual product lines. Sel provides Pala with our high-quality CR39 polarised lenses.

metal hinge on sunglasses frame

Visottica Comotec

The Metal Makers, Susegana, Italy

In 1947, Osalco Montalba, descendent of an ancient and noble family, opened a workshop in the former stables of his palace in Conegliano, a small town not far from Venice. His mechanical equipment amounted to three lathes powered by electric motors used to make components to supply the eyewear industry.

Since that time Visottica has established itself as a worldwide leader in metal components for the optical sector offering a wide range of eyewear components for different kinds of frames. View their Compliance Declaration.

Pala soft sunglasses bag in eco microfiber - sustainable supply chain

CMA Global

The Soft Bag Maker, Daegu, South Korea

Established in 2010, CMA Global is the largest manufacturer of premium grade Microfiber cleaning cloth products in South Korea. All production processes, ranging from knitting to printing and packaging, are done in house without outsourcing, thereby guaranteeing outstanding quality.

An important consideration of working with CMA was their certifications and innovation in material production meaning that our soft bags are certified as being made from 70% RPET (plastic bottles). The company is also run by Youngsun Kim, a female CEO.