Shoemaking in Tržič making a comeback
Designer Alja Viryent has rented a part of the former Peko factory in Tržič and plans to launch a small-scale operation focused on high-end shoes.
Viryent told the STA that she had put together a team of ten former Peko employees who will be trained to manufacture artisan shoes. Production is planned to start in the coming weeks.
She said that the ten workers could make up to 80 pairs of shoes per day. "Since entering the market is difficult, I expect that they will start working gradually and the training itself will involve all ten employees," she added.
Viryent has been designing custom-made shoes since 2005. She has collaborated with sports footwear maker Alpina, but wanted to have her own manufacturing shop and saw an opportunity in the developments in Peko, which has more 110 years of tradition.
She is starting out with her own savings and is looking to raise extra funds from investors. Viryent said, however, that it was important to first secure orders.
Peko went into receivership in January after being on the brink of bankruptcy for years, as its revenue was dropping due to frequent suspension of production.
There have been several proposed solutions for a revival of the company and several prospective buyers were being mentioned, but all of them eventually fell through.