The Natuzzi Group has disclosed the key details of its plan to re‐organise the company, a matter which is being discussed by the group, the Italian industry and labour unions. It entails an investment of €190m aimed at adopting a new lean production processes, entering the bedroom furniture market and launching a new range of ergonomic armchairs.
As previously announced, the plan is strictly oriented towards the recovery of the Natuzzi Group’s competitiveness, by reorganising resources and some Italian operations, as well as through a projected investment of €190m between 2014-2018.
In more detail, this commitment will firstly address to the following areas of investment:
• Process innovation. In all the Italian plants, a new production process (moving line) will be implemented, modeled using lean manufacturing principles. Thanks to a more efficient and effective use of the workers involved, the moving line will allow the relaunch of competitiveness of the Italian plants, minimising waste, improving productivity and
quality. The new production process is intended to fully enhance all the human capital potentialities, increasing their skills and motivation.
• Expansion of the range. Entering the bedroom furniture market, with a collection specifically designed for a home environment never before developed by the company.
• Product innovation. Launch of a new range of armchairs which use ground-breaking technology, based on the concept of dynamic comfort, the result of in‐depth studies in the field of ergonomics, able to adapt to and follow the human body’s movements.
The company, that since 2002 has invested more than €420m in the brand’s repositioning and developing its worldwide network of point-of-sale and showrooms, has confirmed its commitment to continue expanding in the international markets whilst reorganising its Italian operations.
Founder and chairman Pasquale Natuzzi says: “The need to reorganise our Italian plants doesn’t imply any relocation of the production activities. The Natuzzi Italia products – appreciated worldwide for their high quality and design – are the result of the know‐how built up over 50 years of history, a long-standing expertise and ability to innovate that cannot be replicated outside our country.”
