There has been a change regarding marketing in the USA and this website is more appropriate now: http://www.ridetommasini.com
For the archives, it says: *OUR STRATEGY FOR THE US MARKET
*For years our family has made a promise to create the best handmade Italia n road bike around and we have delivered on that promise. Our frames are handcrafted masterpieces that are built to be ridden, and once you ride one you'll understand exactly what we mean. Over the past few years we have noticed that not many consumers or dealers knew where to buy our frames or what was happening with our brand. Therefore, we held a family meeting and decided to change the way we market and sell our frames in the US. These changes took place in September of 2006.
*Tommasini USA, Inc. is the US headquarters for Tommasini Italy and the sol e distributor for all Tommasini frames and products sold in the US.* Our goal is to carry on our family tradition of the Tommasini brand here in the US b y creating a system that provides excellent service and direct access to our products. Some of our changes include a streamlined ordering process, acces s to all of our products, direct shipping from Italy and increased efforts on marketing our brand in the US.
* WHO IS TOMMASINI USA, INC.?
*When you deal with us, you are dealing with the Tommasini family. We are Tania Wale and Tina Indalecio, Irio Tommasini is our uncle. Many years ago Tania's mom Enza used to handle the distribution for Tommasini frames when she worked in Austin with William Lewis Imports. Now we are picking up wher e she left off and we are working hard to promote our family brand in the US. Our love of the Tommasini brand and the fact that we also own a marketing firm ( <http://www.ridetommasini.com/>Runaway Brandit<http://www.runawaybrandit.com/>) makes our job much easier - because the hard part is done - we already have an excellent product. Oh and by the way - yes we do also RIDE Tommasini frames and love cycling. We both ride Tecno frames, what do you ride? *
HOW IT ALL BEGAN...*
Our family tradition began with our Uncle *Irio Tommasini*, who spent most of his life around bicycles. In 1948, while still racing as an amateur, he began working on bicycles. He started his career by building bikes at a premier bicycle factory in Milan, where he had the opportunity to gain valuable experience in making quality bikes. By 1957, the techniques he had learned enabled him to start his own business in his hometown of Grosseto, Italy.
By the end of the 60's his factory had increased domestic sales in Italy so much that he began exporting Tommasini frames abroad. Even at that early period, Tommasini's frames were appreciated for their fine finishes and their true racing geometries \u2013 many amateur and professional racers were racing and winning on Tommasini's frames!
During this time, Tommasini worked under and received guidance from his friend and mentor Giuseppe Pelà, Italy's premier bike frame builder. Pel à built magnificent winning frames for many top Italian and European professional racers throughout his career, and upon his retirement in 1972, Pelà passed on his traditions and skills to Tommasini.
Tommasini has carried on these traditions and even added a few innovations
of his own along the way. Today, Tommasini and his employees produce betwee
n
2,000 and 2,500 handmade frames per year, with most of them being exported
throughout the world. http://www.ridetommasini.com/
Angel Garcia Verona, IT
On 11/6/06, Nick Zatezalo <nickzz@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
> >From their website:
>
> http://www.tommasini.com/
>
> I seem to remember a mention of the name Barbara at the factory.
>
> I've not had much success contacting the factory.
>
> Bill Lewis, the long time US importer, has provided some useful info.
>
> Nick Zatezalo
> Atlanta,Ga. US