​Italian eyewear maker Marcolin reported on Thursday net sales of 145.6 million euros ($156.4 million) in the first quarter, broadly flat compared with a year earlier on a like-for-like basis, as its main investor looks for a buyer.

Marcolin’s main shareholder, private equity firm PAI Partners, earlier this year hired Goldman Sachs to explore a merger or a sale, sources said at the time.

The group, which holds a permanent licence to produce Tom Ford-branded eyewear, said its adjusted core profit rose 8.5% in the first three months of the year to 25.7 million euros.