The microphones of Top Swiss, the RSI (Swiss Radio and Television) format dedicated to local excellence, made a stop in Ligornetto to show up close how a Valera hairdryer is made.
In Ligornetto, a small district of the municipality of Mendrisio, lies one of the best-kept secrets of the Swiss personal care industry: the Valera factory, where between 600,000 and 700,000 hairdryers come to life every year. Around 200,000 of them end up in hotel rooms around the world, while the rest reach the homes of millions of consumers. An impressive number, rooted in a story that dates back to the post-war years — one that the RSI crew was able to tell exclusively by visiting the factory itself.
The Valera story: from a basement in Milan to Ticino
It all began in 1955, when Gustavo Soresina — of Italian origin but raised in Germany — decided, together with his wife Elghe, to start a small appliance production business in a basement in Milan. It was the beginning of an entrepreneurial adventure that, in the 1970s, reached a turning point: the Italian economic and industrial context became difficult, and the Soresina family decided to move production to Switzerland.
That's how the Ligornetto factory was born, in the area that would later give its name to the brand itself: Valera. From then on, the company specialized in hair care appliances, building over time a solid international reputation.
Today the company is run by the founder's children, who literally grew up inside the factory: as kids, they already helped out in the family business. A generational continuity that can still be felt as soon as you step into the facility, where history, craftsmanship and technological innovation coexist in the same space.
Inside the factory: how a Valera hairdryer is made
A hairdryer may look like a simple object, but its production tells a story of industrial precision. Each unit is made up of around 40 different components, and every single one is inspected before entering production.
At the Ligornetto plant, about 80 people work every day, and hundreds of boxes of components arrive daily, adding up to thousands of parts to manage, inspect and assemble. Each assembly line involves up to 15 operators: many of the most delicate steps require manual skill and attention to detail, which is why several operations are still carried out by hand rather than fully automated.
A key part of the process is the aesthetic and functional inspection of every appliance before it leaves the factory — a guarantee of the quality that has defined the Swiss Made brand for decades.
From design to lab testing: innovation at the service of quality
Before reaching production, every Valera product is born in the design offices, where ideas take shape starting from the first hand-drawn sketches all the way to computer-aided design. Each concept is then analyzed to verify its actual industrial feasibility.
Among the most curious steps of the development process is the drying power test: a piece of fabric is wetted, weighed, and then exposed to the hairdryer's airflow to precisely measure how much water is removed and in how much time. In the testing lab, temperature, airflow and air pressure are also measured, along with real performance on hair and accessories such as diffusers.
There's also a durability test: in the so-called "lifetime test room," appliances are run continuously, even 24 hours a day, to simulate years of intensive use and verify their long-term reliability — a crucial aspect especially for hairdryers destined for the hospitality sector, which are subject to continuous use by different guests every day.
Valera around the world: from luxury hotels to private homes
A significant part of Ligornetto's production — around 200,000 units a year — is designed specifically for the hospitality industry: hotels, suites, premium rooms, guesthouses and even cruise ship cabins. A market that demands even higher standards of reliability and durability than everyday domestic use, and one that has made Valera an international reference point for professional hairdryers designed for non-public rooms.
Why choose a Valera hairdryer
- Swiss Made quality, entirely manufactured at the Ligornetto plant
- Rigorous quality control on every single component and finished appliance
- Extreme durability testing, designed for intensive use such as in hotels
- Generational continuity and know-how passed down from founder Gustavo Soresina to today
- Global reach, with appliances reaching hotels and homes all over the world
Watch the RSI report on Valera
