Mabo

What Mabo does

Mabo S.p.A. is a privately-held Italian manufacturer of fashion buttons and metal accessories, founded in 1952 by Giuseppe Edoardo Signorelli in Grumello del Monte in the Bergamo district and now led by the third generation of the Signorelli family (Paola, Edoardo, and Valentina) following a 2022 generational transition. The product portfolio centers on buttons in multiple materials (polyester, natural corozo/Tagua palm, horn) plus metal hardware in zamak, brass, and aluminum, organized under sub-brands including FASHION ACCESSORIES, OVERGOLD, LOW IMPACT ACCESSORIES, COROZO 100% Sostenibile, and MABO4LEATHER. Production is fully vertically integrated in-house — covering turning, laser engraving, dyeing, mold design, zamak stamping, tumbling, digital printing, enamelling, rhinestone application, and prototyping — across two facilities in Telgate and Chiuduno totaling more than 18,000 m2 with over 50 CNC turning machines and an automated zamak mold warehouse. 100% of revenue is produced in Italy.

Mabo sells exclusively through a B2B direct enterprise model: catalog access is gated behind user registration and new business is developed at Milano Unica, LINEAPELLE, and PREMIÈRE VISION using consultative co-design and prototyping services. Revenue is generated from physical product sales plus custom design/prototyping services, with disclosed annual turnover exceeding €12 million and an 80% domestic / 20% direct-export split across Spain, France, the UK, USA, Turkey, India, and Eastern Europe. Customer concentration is in premium and luxury fashion houses and leather-goods producers, with Gucci (Gucci Logistica) and Ferragamo publicly acknowledged as participants in Mabo's 2018 Lineapelle workshop on chemical safety. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, consistent with a project-driven relationship-sales motion.

The company's positioning rests on Italian craftsmanship heritage combined with sustainability differentiation: a 2016 Greenpeace DETOX commitment (with 8 of 11 target substance classes eliminated by 2018), the first proprietary Restricted Substances List (RSL) for metal and polyester buttons in force since November 2018 and developed with consulting firm Blumine, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Class 1 certification (extractable cobalt below 1 ppm), 100% water recycling in corozo/horn/polymer finishing, closed-loop water recycling in dyeing, and a 2022 photovoltaic installation. The 80-employee operation functions as a co-development partner for European fashion brands rather than a commodity button supplier.

Name

Mabo

Legal name

Mabo S.p.A.

Website

https://mabo.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Mabo S.p.A. is a privately-held Italian manufacturer founded in 1952, producing fashion buttons and metal accessories for European and international clothing brands and luxury fashion houses, generating over €12 million in annual revenue from two production facilities in Bergamo.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fashion Buttons and Garment Accessories Manufacturing

NAICS

Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (3159)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Buttons & Buckles Manufacturing (Buttons/Toggles/Buckles/Slides) (IMAOALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bag & Accessory Components/Hardware (Straps, Buckles, Zippers) (CRAAAJAJ), Small Leather Accessories Manufacturing (Belts/Straps/Watch Bands) (IMAOAFAG)

Keywords

• Fashion buttons manufacturing
• Garment accessories supplier
• Metal hardware production
• Corozo sustainable buttons
• Leather goods hardware

Headquarters

HQ city

Telgate

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fashion Buttons and Accessories B2B Sales: Mabo generates revenue through B2B sales of buttons and fashion accessories to clothing manufacturers, luxury brands, and leather goods companies. The company operates on a project/quote-based pricing model, with custom design and co-development services forming a key part of the offering. Revenue is generated from the sale of physical products across multiple materials (corozo, plastic, metal/zamak, horn).
2. Custom Prototyping and On-Demand Production: Mabo offers custom prototyping and small-batch on-demand production, serving as a preferred partner for technical specifications and co-design. This service-based revenue stream leverages the company's internal industrial design, mold making, and prototyping capabilities.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Mabo designs and manufactures fashion buttons and metal/plastic accessories — including buckles, clasps, hooks, studs, and decorative hardware — for clothing brands, premium fashion houses, and leather goods producers. Production is fully vertically integrated in Italy across two facilities in the Bergamo area (Telgate and Chiuduno), spanning turning, zamak die-casting, laser engraving, dyeing, mold design, prototyping, and finishing. Custom co-design, prototyping, and small-batch production are offered as part of the core B2B service.

Product overview

Mabo is a leading Italian manufacturer of fashion buttons and accessories with over 70 years of history, producing an annual turnover exceeding 12 million euros. The company's core product portfolio centers on Buttons (Bottoni) — its flagship line available in polyester, natural corozo (Tagua palm), and horn materials. The product range extends through several interconnected sub-brands: FASHION ACCESSORIES featuring premium zama, brass, and aluminum components with superior metallic finishes; OVERGOLD representing the premium metallic surfaces collection; LOW IMPACT ACCESSORIES offering eco-friendly alternatives without galvanic processes; and MABO4LEATHER providing leather goods hardware. The company also offers comprehensive Manufacturing Services (Lavorazioni) encompassing turning, laser, dyeing, mold design, zama die-casting, tumbling, digital printing, enameling, rhinestone setting, and prototyping. Collaborative collections with Progetto QUID integrate sustainable social initiatives into the product range. All manufacturing is conducted entirely in Italy across two facilities spanning over 18,000 square meters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OVERGOLD: New metallic accessories line featuring zama, brass and aluminum elements with high-quality finishes, launched post-pandemic as a premium product range
• FASHION ACCESSORIES
• LOW IMPACT ACCESSORIES
• COROZO 100% SOSTENIBILE

Products and services

• Buttons (Bottoni) Flagship product line of fashion buttons made from polyester, natural corozo (Tagua palm), and horn materials; thousands of designs produced annually for the Italian and international fashion market.
• FASHION ACCESSORIES Premium fashion accessories in zamak (die-cast zinc alloy), brass, and aluminum featuring high-quality finishes and metallic surfaces superior to market standards, including clasps, closures, hooks, buckles, and studs for clothing and leather goods manufacturers.
• OVERGOLD Premium metallic surface line featuring perfectly brilliant, homogeneous surfaces free of burrs in zamak, brass, and aluminum; a new division developed through specialized internal competencies, capital investments, and dedicated equipment.
• LOW IMPACT ACCESSORIES Eco-friendly accessories line in zamak and brass produced without galvanic processes and finished with water-based transparent or colored lacquers featuring low solvent content and minimal atmospheric impact.
• Corozo Buttons (100% Sustainable) 100% sustainable biodegradable buttons made from corozo (Tagua palm nut) collected from spontaneous forests in Ecuador without biodiversity or deforestation risks, processed with natural drying and whitening methods.
• MABO4LEATHER Leather goods accessories including moschettoni (clasps), chiusure (closures), ganci (hooks), fibbie (buckles), and borchie (studs) with refined galvanic finishes for bags, shoes, and leather accessories.
• Manufacturing Services (Lavorazioni) Comprehensive in-house manufacturing capabilities offered to fashion clients, including turning, laser cutting, dyeing, mold design, zamak die-casting, tumbling, digital printing, enameling, rhinestone setting, and prototyping and welding.
• Annual Collections Annual seasonal button and accessory collections showcasing new designs, colors, and finishes, made available to registered B2B customers through the company's gated catalog system.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of water recycled in button finishing processes (corozo, horn, and polymer)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Progetto QUIDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMabo is a brand-partner of Progetto QUID, a sustainable fashion initiative that recovers unused Made-in-Italy fabrics and fashion accessories and re-employs women with difficult pasts to create new products. The partnership promotes social reintegration and active participation in recycling and creativity. Mabo has released multiple collaborative collections with Progetto QUID since 2015.
• Tessitura Attilio Imperiali S.p.A.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTessitura Attilio Imperiali is a fabric manufacturer that collaborated with Mabo on a Lineapelle workshop in 2018 focused on textiles and accessories free from dangerous chemical substances. Both companies presented their shared commitment to sustainable fashion alongside Gucci and Ferragamo.
• Lions Club LocaleminorOthersMabo supports social initiatives promoted by the local Lions Club as part of its broader sustainability and social responsibility program, which also includes donations of part of production to social projects like Progetto QUID.
• Blumine S.r.l.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBlumine is a sustainability consulting firm that collaborated with Mabo on developing the first private RSL (Restricted Substances List) for buttons in metal and polyester, and presented at the 2018 Lineapelle workshop on chemical safety in fashion.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lampo Group: Italian manufacturer of zippers, buttons, and metal accessories for high-end fashion and leather goods. Comparable to Mabo in product category, Made-in-Italy positioning, and focus on premium/luxury fashion houses and leather goods manufacturers.
• Cobrax Group: Italian manufacturer of metal buttons and fashion accessories, particularly known for premium and luxury brand customers. Directly comparable to Mabo in product mix (metal buttons, buckles, accessories), Italian production base, and luxury fashion client base.
• Bottonificio Padano: Italian button manufacturer with multi-decade heritage serving fashion brands in Italy and internationally. Comparable to Mabo in core product focus (buttons), Italian craftsmanship positioning, and B2B sales to fashion manufacturers.
• Riri Group: Swiss-founded but Italian-headquartered manufacturer of premium zippers, buttons, and metal accessories serving the world's leading luxury fashion houses. Highly comparable to Mabo in product category, customer base (luxury brands), manufacturing footprint (Italy/Switzerland), and emphasis on craftsmanship and chemical compliance.

Others

• Bernina International: Swiss sewing machine and textile accessory manufacturer with heritage in precision craftsmanship. Less directly comparable but adjacent — both companies occupy the high-quality Swiss/Italian textile equipment and accessories ecosystem serving premium fashion creators.

Broad incumbents

• YKK Group: Global market leader in fasteners, zippers, and closure products across mass and premium markets. While YKK's scale and breadth dwarf Mabo, both companies compete for the same apparel and accessory fastening business, with YKK also serving premium and luxury brands globally.
• Weener Plastics Group: German-headquartered global manufacturer of plastic components including functional and decorative plastic buttons for personal care and consumer goods. Comparable to Mabo in the plastic button segment, though operating at much larger scale and serving broader FMCG end-markets.

Regional players

• Przypkowski: Polish button and fashion accessory manufacturer with a long European heritage. Comparable product category to Mabo (buttons, metal accessories for fashion) but operating primarily from Central/Eastern Europe rather than Italy, serving as a regional alternative.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/mabopost
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mabo-spa

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mabo