by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano -
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano -
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano -
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano -
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at the start of 2000 we had developed a business strategy that called for the production in foreign countries of the part of our offerings aimed at consumers most concerned with price, while at the same time we launched major investments to make the added value of products Made in Italy more ‘perceptible’: through innovation, improved production processes and Italian factories, the opening of Natuzzi outlets in the world, and communications. In ten years we have invested hundreds of millions of euros on the brand Natuzzi Italia, and today – according to an independent survey commissioned to Ipsos by the largest French publishing group – our brand Made in Italy, among consumers of luxury goods in countries like Spain, France, USA, Germany, Japan and the UK, is the best known in the sector of design and furnishings. So our efforts have paid off.” What is the value of “research & innovation” for the Natuzzi group? “They represent the essence of our work. Without research, for example, we would not have made all the innovations in style, design and color of leather that have made us a worldwide leader in our sector. Behind all these ideas lies work, leading us to completely reinvent and re-engineer the production of sofas. Over the years we have continued to update every strategic area of the company, from production to product range, marketing to sales to logistics. Today more than ever, it is vital to continue to conduct research, and we are doing so in our factories, in our new products, in our points of sale and in communications, to make innovative offerings, efficiently distributed, consistent with the spread of the values of the brand.” In April the showroom in Milan, on Via Durini, hosted a project by the artist Fabrizio Plessi. You are known for your passion for contemporary art: could you tell us more? “For us, culture and art are part of our inspiration for everyday work. To design a product, to imagine a new project, is a matter of passion. For over 50 years our mission has been to seek beauty in all its forms, to create emotions. This is why we confirm our commitment to promote art and the outstanding characteristics of our country. The partnership between Natuzzi style and the world of art began with our collaboration with Arnaldo Pomodoro in 2007. In 2009 we launched the project Natuzzi Open Art, with the aim of bringing art into Natuzzi stores and making it accessible, “open” to all. We have worked with artists from different backgrounds (painters, sculptors, photographers, etc.) to create limited editions that become objects in the Natuzzi collection. The first protagonist was the sculptor Giacomo Benevelli. Then came collaborations with Nicola Del Verme and Gianni Basso. In 2013 the project also included Fabrizio Plessi, one of the most important and innovative contemporary artists, whose works I collect. The shape of energy is the title of the installation Plessi has made as a tribute to the dynamism, change and energy that have always driven our company.” How important is teamwork for your company? “I have had a phrase inserted on my Blackberry as a sign-off for every email message: TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More. I am convinced that in a company it is possible to create something valid and lasting only if you learn to be part of a team. The results arrive when you understand that you are part of something bigger than your own personal horizons: only through teamwork can big goals be achieved.”
by Patrizia Catalano - [gallery ids="9899,9900,9901,9902,9903,9904,9905,9906,9907,9908"]In 1972 Pasquale Natuzzi, after starting to operate as an entrepreneur in 1959, founded Natuzzi Salotti srl. Did you imagine you were creating a business giant? “It would be too much to say I really imagined it. But I was focused on growth. When I launched my crafts workshop in Taranto in 1959 I was a young man. I remember that my biggest worry was to find myself out of a job: ‘what will I do – I wondered – once I have sold a living room to every family in Taranto?’ I came up with my own answer, branching out into nearby regions, and then the rest of Italy. Over the years two characteristics of my company have come out of this inner drive: the tendency to grow and the vocation for export. Today, over 50 years later, the Natuzzi group is the largest Italian producer in the furnishings sector, and a worldwide leader in the segment of leather sofas. The company manages two brands positioned in different price ranges, for separate targets, distributed through separate channels, one entirely made in Italy (Natuzzi Italia), the other made abroad (Leather Editions). We produce a private label for large retailers. The firm has production plants in Italy, China, Brazil, Romania; sales offices in 12 countries; 619 Natuzzi Italia outlets all over the world, and 6740 employees. So we have come a long way.” Today the Natuzzi group is certainly the biggest producer of upholstered furniture in our country. Above all, it is an industrial firm with a production cycle controlled down to the smallest details. Could you tell us about the ‘Natuzzi factory’? “The ‘Natuzzi factory’ is now a global company that makes products in Italy, China, Brazil and Romania, with full vertical integration. We directly control 92% of the raw materials and semi-finished parts, purchasing them directly from supplier markets and transforming them in production plants that specialize in working with leather, load-bearing structures in wood or metal, upholstery filler and finished products. Vertical integration permits efficiency and optimum quality levels, for the benefit of consumers. The production is done by hand, by expert craftsmen. This know-how is passed on to new employees through training programs. But our model of industrial enterprise doesn’t stop there. There is a red thread that joins all these activities, namely respect for the environment, starting with the certified origin of all the materials, to the use of clean and renewable energy sources. We have installed 21,000 photovoltaic modules on the roofing of our production plants at Santeramo in Colle, Matera and Laterza. All the production done in Italy is made with solar energy. Our Quality System has been certified according to ISO 9001 standards, for almost 20 years. Since July 2003 we have had Certification for our Integrated Management System of Quality/Environment ISO 9001/2000.” What has been the influence of the Apulia territory on the activity of the entrepreneur Pasquale Natuzzi? “I like to think of my company as a big tree with its roots firmly planted in southern Italy and branches spreading all over the world. The place where I live and work – in Apulia and Basilicata – is fascinating, full of history and art. A hospitable territory where time seems to have stopped, since it has found a pleasant place to linger. I am fascinated by our marvelous hills with age-old almond and olive trees. Our products are the result of the special relationship between our work and our land: the colors, the climate, the Mediterranean are the sources of our inspiration, together with the positive multicultural contaminations of a global group like ours, where people from different cultures and traditions work together.” Local global: your group operates on many continents and 123 nations: how do you keep pace with trends? “We are a global company so we have a chance to immediately come into contact with what is happening on markets, thanks to our sales and distribution network. Our corporate structure is based on ongoing dialogue between the ‘periphery’ and the heart of our company, which is still in Santeramo in Colle, in the province of Bari. Here we have 600 staffers and managers, talented people who develop marketing strategies in the widest sense of the term: products, prices, points of sale, brands, communication. We also have a Styling Center with architects, interior designers, color experts, specialists in leather, fabrics and wood. This is where our ‘total living in total harmony’ philosophy gets its foundations: a harmony that makes different styles, materials and colors coexist, combining comfort and design to bring harmony and beauty to homes and to make life more enjoyable. So it is here that we want to remain with our production, precisely due to the quality of Made in Italy. Only here can that continue to exist, in spite of the difficulties impacting our sector today.” What are the indispensable elements of the Natuzzi philosophy? “For over 50 years I have watched over the evolution of our company from day to day, so I think the results we achieve are connected above all to a very strong sense of ethics. We keep faith with values like integrity, respect for clients, staff, suppliers and stakeholders, who are an important part of our history and of our future as well.” Your company reported sales for 2012 of 468.8 million euros. Considering the situation on the Italian market at the moment, what’s your plan? Are you focusing on other markets, new markets? “Since 2001 we have been trying to cope with one of the worst slumps that has ever happened in our sector. We are investing to continue with innovation, to compete and to promote Made in Italy in the world. Today the challenge can be met on markets that are showing growth signals. China, Brazil, India and Russia are the countries where we have been concentrating our efforts for several years now. In China we have 34 Natuzzi Stores, with the goal of doubling distribution over the next 2-3 years. In India we have already opened 7 Natuzzi Stores in the most important cities. Brazil is one of the other emerging markets where we are working. We are also about to launch the trademark Natuzzi Italia, opening stores and galleries, with the aim of offering Brazilian consumers the charm, quality and beauty of our products made in Italy.” Pasquale Natuzzi has always believed in internationalism, and has been listed on the New York stock exchange since 1993. The Natuzzi trademark is known all over the world for its very high value and quality: what tools of communication have you developed over the years? “Already at
