ABOUT US

THE ILLUSTRIOUS STORY OF GL SPORT

GL SPORT® is founded on over 50 years of experience in the manufacture of specialist orthopedic items made to measure. The historical company Gualerzi® was in fact founded in 1966 by Cav. Walter Gualerzi. Over the years, the small workshop has grown and expanded in various fields of orthopedic technology (producing 100% in-house corsets, braces, orthotics, prosthetics, etc.); at the request of his son Stefano Gualerzi, always passionate and fascinated by the technological evolution the world had to face, the company has undergone a real transformation from 2004 on, starting to emerge as one of the most technologically advanced companies in the sector. The acquisition of a 3D scanner and that of one of the first CNC milling machines, allowed a strong and practical approach to the digital manufacturing.

In December 2004, the third generation enters the company with the hiring of Luca Gualerzi, newly-graduated in orthopedic techniques. After four and a half years of "apprenticeship", during which various CAD/CAM 3D systems are developed and carbon fibre manufacturing techniques for orthopedic equipment further refined, Luca and other family members decided to launch and register the GL SPORT brand, a product line for the sporting world, by the end 2009.

Initial and immediately successful products include custom, carbon fibre shinguards, alongside much more specialised items (post-injury protectors, protective masks, special shinguards made to measure), all manufactured exclusively with CAD/CAM 3D technology. In fact, the whole production process is digital, and the true revolution consists in the immediate, highly accurate item production, while tailoring is performed without contact, and in the least invasive way possible.

Success was almost immediate, reporting steady growth over the years. As a result, the head office moved into a more practical and larger commercial area of ​​450 square meters, located in front of Fidenza Station. This is where customers from all over Italy and Europe come on a weekly basis to pick up their protections, which are custom-made for them in just a few hours. Conversely, standard products are regularly shipped all over the the world.

At present, GL SPORT constitutes an independent business unit within Gualerzi, with its own machinery and employees. In 2015, driven by the constant development of its offering, GL SPORT introduced various high-end models (the Elite TOP line), built under aeronautical manufacturing standards, which represent the leading edge of technology applied to composites. That's why even top world-class footballers rely on GL SPORT for their essential leg protection. The time had come for further evolution: it was thus necessary to hire a specialised engineer, who could follow the development of these products.

Today, GL SPORT is the world leader in the field of carbon fibre shinguards and sports protections. To fuel its success, it opened an additional 500m2 production space entirely devoted to "heavy" processing, which developed the first line of handcrafted football boots under its own brand by mid-2015 On the football boots market, our constant search for innovative materials and solutions have allowed the introduction of cutting-edge yet handcrafted products, which can be graphically customised depending on the model. Thanks to its orthopedic specialisation, GL SPORT's personnel can also handle special problems: Football boots in fact, as well as all other products of the brand, can also be tailored, depending on the individual needs of each athlete.

Therefore, GL SPORT® also manufactured sports orthoses of all types (Amfit, sensorimotor, ....) with 1-hour delivery times, and intensive use of 3D technology. Foot measurements are systematically captured through 3D detectors, because this area also relies on the patient's actual footprint.

GL SPORT® offering goes well beyond football. For example, we have already implemented several protections for rugby players, biketrial riders (thanks to the collaboration in preceding years with the Italian champion Paolo "Pool" Patrizi), GT drivers (using certified fireproof materials), volleyball players, basketball, polo, hockey, etc ... and new standard products for some of these sports are already under planning.

Fidenza's plant features all equipment required to create 3D scans of various body parts, and produce in-house prototypes of our products. After prototype testing, we start in-house production of the moulds using a 4-axis CNC milling machine, suitable for rotary or flat processing as required. The padding and all fabric parts are cut in-house using a punching press.

On the other hand, graphical customisation is achieved through highly sophisticated printing equipment, working on the most innovative materials in the industry. Moreover, graphic studies are carried out internally by GL SPORT's graphic studio.