The company's history is the fruit of the work and commitment of three generations of the Della Valle family. It was the early twentieth century when Filippo started up a small shoe factory in Casette d'Ete in the Marches. In the 1940s the company expanded thanks to Dorino, but it was Diego, currently the chairman, who, starting from the late 1970s, helped it grow even more, to become the Tod's Group, a real holding, and a leader in the Italian and international market of luxury leather goods with the Tod's and Hogan brands, as well as luxury clothing with the Fay brand. The turnaround came about thanks to Diego's insight, who took a chance to create a profoundly innovative shoe typology. This research resulted in the "gommino," a soft light loafer that was given that name because of the 133 rubber spheres underneath the sole. In 1997 the first handbag collection was unveiled. Each phase in Tod's production, from the choice of the leather to the way it's cut, from hand-stitching to the final check, is extremely accurate. Listed in the Milan Stock Exchange since November 2000, the Group currently has 6 shoe-manufacturing plants, 2 for leather goods and employs 3,600 workers altogether.