A century-old excellence that brings creativity and quality to make special moments truly extraordinary

DEA, the acronym of its founder Degli Esposti Alberto, is a company founded in 1912 in the Bologna area and was acquired by the father of the current CEO, Tiziana Preti, who shares the story with us—and more.

So, this company has deep roots…
«Yes, my father acquired it in 1985. At the time, he worked in a completely different field – dams, highways – but having two daughters, he decided to move into the jewelry and luxury packaging sector. I immediately became passionate about it, and over the years, thanks to his teachings and to the partners who now run the business with me, we have reached an international level. The turning point came in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when we decided to diversify our offerings, focusing most of our efforts on export. Today, our products are mainly divided into three distinct areas: visual merchandising, special display windows, and high-end packaging boxes. Our products are unique because they’re meant to stay somewhat in the background—they support our clients’ creations and help them achieve that ‘wow effect’ that makes a moment even more special. These are highly customized and top-tier products, because we are artisans. Within the company, we have production lines ranging from wood to fabric covering, from leatherwork to varnishing. Together with our clients, we’ve learned how to bring out the best in these raw materials, which may seem humble but, thanks to the expert hands of our artisans, can become beautiful objects».

Who is DEA’s target clientele?
«Our clients are major Italian luxury and fashion groups – based in Milan, Florence, and Rome – as well as Parisian brands. We’re talking about some of the biggest names, and we’re truly proud to work with them. Luxury, jewelry, fashion, watches – these are experiences, and we help enhance that experiential side. We dedicate ourselves to the end consumer who walks into a luxury boutique and has a beautiful experience, sparked by the desire awakened by a specific object. Our production is entirely Made in Italy, and to maintain that international reach I mentioned, we’re embracing the idea of global proximity: high-quality production as close as possible to the distribution markets. For this reason, we have a very large and significant production base, with facilities and sites over 5,000 square meters and more than 60 employees in Italy. We also have established relationships in the Far East, where we maintain our standards through teams we’ve trained – ensuring quality and productivity overseas with the same materials and level of excellence for distribution in Asia».

What are your strengths?
«Undoubtedly our artisans – they pour all their pride into their work. Also, our ability to develop, produce, and distribute an object crafted from materials we push to their limits while exploring all their possibilities. Alongside the high quality with which we execute even the most complex customizations, our true hallmark is creativity and problem-solving».

Such an important history… and what about the future?
«The future must include sustainability, and we’ve already laid important foundations for it. Since 2021, we’ve achieved zero plastic in our packaging and obtained ISO 14001 certification. Moreover, with our lines that allow for customizations of the outer packaging – not our actual product, but what contains it – we’ve reduced volumes and CO₂ emissions. Our goal is to lower the CO₂ footprint of our clients by a few percentage points. Of course, the future is challenging due to global uncertainties, but it’s also extremely stimulating. Our short-term goals include more certifications – we are already ISO 14001 certified and are working toward FSC certification».

The strength of DEA lies in the company’s motto: “artisanal excellence”, driven by a constant desire to make people say: “wow”.