In Conversation with…Giorgio Guerini

Are you a hunter/shooter yourself?

I’m definitely a hunter more than a shooter. Unfortunately, my free time is very limited and the demands on my time don’t allow as much time for hunting as I would like.

How and why did it all begin?

As it often happens, the passion for shotguns and shooting was passed to me from my father who received it in turn from his father. Generations of my family were hunters and it is a big part of our local culture. We live in a Provincial area, near the Brescia pre-Alps and years ago hunting was a way to feed your family. In modern times it is a passion and recreational activity that remains strong in our region.

What were the first products the company began selling?

When we founded CG, the first two models we offered were the hunting model Tempio and competition model Summit, both twelve gauge over-and-unders. Although they have been revised and updated over the years, they are both still present in the current range as well as being among the best sellers.

What were the defining/key moments that led to the company growing to the size it is today?

As often the case, companies do not grow for a single reason or thanks to a single event. My brother and I come from a family that has been involved in the world of weapons for many years. In the late 1990’s we had an ambitious dream: be able to produce the best hunting and competition shotguns in their category, offering features and quality that the market demanded. 

From that moment we started with the design phase, then we moved on to the production and commercial aspects and finally we studied how to offer the best after-sales service which has become the trademark of Caesar Guerini. 

If we really have to identify the key moments of growth, among others, it is certainly the acquisition of Fabarm S.p.a. at the end of 2010 that led us to become the second largest Italian national group.

It is clear that there have been many people who have contributed to reach the current level, one above all is our fraternal friend, as well as President of CG USA and Fabarm USA, the American Wesley Lang, in addition to all the contribution of numerous workers who every day carry out various activities at all levels.

What are your biggest selling products?

Our two earliest products, the Tempio and Summit are still among the two best sellers in their categories.  Today, the Invictus family of competition shotguns are quickly gaining in popularity.  In fact, more and more competitors are winning championships with the Invictus worldwide.

How many staff do you employ?

Our group (Fabarm and Caesar Guerini group) counts a little less than 100.

Where are your products manufactured and designed?

All our shotguns are entirely designed and manufactured in Italy.

What makes your products stand out from your competitors?

To try to answer this question, I can say that CG works with great passion to make our shotguns better every day, including a drive to create super-performing products from a ballistic point of view. The performance of our firearms is enhanced by exclusive internal barrel geometries called Duecon, Maxisbore and Maxischoke that maximize ballistic efficiency.  By the way, all our barrels are entirely produced in our Fabarm facility which is responsible for the production for entire group and are not left to any outsourcing Company. 

From the point of view of reliability, the popularity of our weapons in major shooting competitions are a great testimony to their durability.  With the Invictus project we believe to have achieved the maximum possible life of a weapon through the innovation of the replaceability of two simple components, the Invictus Block and the Invictus cam.  

What are your top export markets?

America is certainly our reference market, followed by Europe

Which new products are you excited about?

The Revenant model with the long (winged) fore-end iron is certainly one of the most elegant shotguns we have ever made and is the first shotgun to have such a feature done on an industrial level.  Perhaps, the shotguns we are most proud of are certainly those of the Invictus range. This project contains a level of industrial technology that is protected by two international patents and results in a quantum leap in over-and -under durability.

How has Covid-19 affected business?

Apart from the first phase in early 2020 in which northern Italy was subjected to a heavy lockdown that caused a brief production stop, we are in constant growth. All this was made possible thanks to the application of strict internal protocols shared with all the workers and in compliance with current legislations. Every day there are new challenges created by the pandemic, but we continue to produce a high volume of product to fill the historic demand.

What are your goals for the future?

Our group is already an important industrial reality, organized and structured according to the needs of the market. Our goal is to continue on this path while further enhancing our global after-sales service as well as direct assistance during the most important shooting competitions. At the next Olympic Games, our weapon will also be present and this is already a great source of pride for us.

Where do you see your company in five years’ time?

The road has been traced, now we must defend our market share by trying to take advantage of the various expansion opportunities that the market offers.  We are striving to continue our study growth we have enjoyed for almost twenty years. Our goal is to expand into new regional markets as our production volumes expand.

Do you see much expansion in your home market/export markets?

Until now our domestic market has not been our focus, but we are confident that with the minimum effort we can increase our share in Italy. We are focused on international markets because we know they are the hardest to conquer and if we have success there our domestic market will follow. We are constantly vigilant for new opportunities, but because demand remains constantly higher than our production, we are going to remain measured in our expansion strategy.

W: www.caesarguerini.it

W: www.fabarm.com

 

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