How has the overall economic situation impacted the performance of your business in 2023/2024?
In 2023 we reached sales of 122 million euros, a new record. We were very pleased, since we were coming off the year of 2022, which reported an increase of 22% with respect to 2019, so ulterior growth was not fully expected. The results achieved are the outcome of investments that have not stood still, not even over the last three years which have been particularly complex due to the pandemic and have been marked by major changes. We have presented new products and continued to invest in the expansion of the factory, not only in terms of implementation of machinery and technologies, but also in relation to people, bringing in 50 new employees over the last five years.
We have also continued to invest in sustainability, a fundamental, indispensable factor in our corporate philosophy. In 2023 we also obtained UNI ISO 45001:2018 certification for the health and safety of our workplaces.
Last year we celebrated our 60th anniversary with the Pedrali Pavilion, designed by Michele De Lucchi, which hosted the exhibition “Pedrali 60, we design a better future” Now an evolution of that project is being planned, making it a gathering place for people, a hub where the factory meets with designers, architects and students. Therefore we are optimistic, because in a moment of big changes widespread quality is an increasingly sought-after value. Last week we also celebrated the 20-year mark since the factory was opened in Friuli, and precisely on that occasion we traced back through the goals we have achieved: we have passed from 24 million in sales to 122 million, from 120 employees to 350, and all this has been possible thanks to the collaboration of many people, with increasingly high and diversified forms of expertise.
Great success that also bears witness to your focus on differentiation of production – I am referring to the opening of the factory for the working of wood in Friuli – and also to your faith in Made in Italy, a method that recognizes and brings out the value of skilled artisans.
Pedrali’s products last over time and are sold all over the world. All this has been possible thanks to strategic investments in industry and technology, and the expertise of people, with the aim of preserving Made in Italy, a mixture of ingenuity, automation and craftsmanship. There are still many manual processes within the production, in fact, when it comes to wood, upholstery, products woven by hand, for example. We are convinced that the challenge for the future is to continue to invest in Italy, in an interconnected factory and avant-garde machinery, but with the support of craftsmen, the know-how of people. This is precisely the priority of the future: to transmit all this to the new generations.
How important has it been for you to maintain a high level in the area of technological innovation?
Italy is famous for its excellent technological solutions, something in which we have constantly invested, especially to improve and update our production facilities. Our praxis is not limited to incorporating innovative systems; we also adapt them to respond to our needs. I think the main challenge to staying on a high level, for a company like Pedrali that has decided to keep production “100% Made in Italy” and to continue to invest in cutting-edge technologies, has been to produce everything entirely in the two factories at Mornico al Serio (Bergamo) and Manzano (Udine). This includes major investments in the innovation of processes, facilitating the deployment of a slim production model based on the concept of “just in time,” avoiding warehousing of products. In an age in which the frugal use of energy and the prevention of wasted resources are priorities, this approach is more important than ever. Our objective is to produce only what is strictly necessary, a strategy that has proven to be a winner. The importance of responding to specific requests is further intensified in a time when designers are increasingly interested in products made to measure. Thanks to our efficient organization, we are capable of producing to order, but on an industrial scale, while guaranteeing rapid delivery times.
Can we conclude by talking about what we can expect at the upcoming Salone del Mobile, which is just around the corner?
We have taken part in Salone del Mobile.Milano for 35 years. We have never missed one appointment. We firmly believe in the value of trade fairs, and in Italy this is our most significant participation. Last year we returned to the full operational pace, taking part in over ten fairs, while this year we have already worked on three events, where we had very positive impressions. The Salone del Mobile confirms its role as the most important international gathering point for our sector, a fundamental and unique opportunity for encounters and discussion. It is here that we present our newest products. This year will be no exception: we will debut ten new collections. They include a new collection of indoor chairs, an outdoor chair with or without armrests, as well as range expansions of our now iconic collections. One example is the Héra chair, which now has a new version with straw for the seat. This chair in ash or American walnut (the ash version is made with FSC®C114358 certified wood) has a seat woven by hand in cellulose cord. The model references the straw chairs of the 1970s and 1980s, in tune with a simple, Scandinavian image. Introduced three years ago, this new version is a very informal product, suitable for vacation homes, situations in the midst of nature and the countryside, and it represents an even more traditional version.
