Nicoletti, Natuzzi expand global sourcing
Open Chinese, South American facilities
Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, April 18, 2005
AT THE MARKET -- Italian leather upholstery producer Nicoletti now owns its facility in China, and Italian counterpart Natuzzi plans to open next year its first tannery in South America.
Nicoletti had owned the factory 50/50 with a Chinese furniture company when it opened last July, but Chairman Giuseppe Nicoletti bought the 80,000-square-foot facility outright from his Asian partner in February, said U.S. Sales Manager Gianni Tucci.As with many other manufacturers, Nicoletti has turned to China to mine new areas of growth and to reap competitive advantages. The plant produces 10 containers per day but is poised to double that yield in the second half of this year, Tucci said. All design and product development work continues to be done in Italy.Concentrating on leather and bycast leather hides finished in Italy, 95% of Nicoletti's Chinese production is dedicated to its U.S. accounts. In a move to repay the Chinese for its investment there, Nicoletti plans to open a network of 40 brand-name stores in China. "It is an offshoot of our commitment to China — a payback," Tucci said. No definitive timetable has been set, he said.Meanwhile, Natuzzi, which has produced its promotional Italsofa brand in Shanghai, China, for four years, is set to open a tannery next year in Brazil, near Salvador de Bahia. The 150,000-square-foot tannery, representing an investment of 25 million euros, will "improve quality and competitiveness," said Pasquale Na-tuzzi, the company's founder, chairman and CEO.Natuzzi already operates two production facilities in Brazil. With the tannery, the company will have about 600,000 square feet of production and finishing space in South America. Italian-owned Incanto Divani's promotional line, Sofaitalia, is made in South America. Other Italian manufacturers with production in China include Chateau d'Ax and Calia Italia's newly launched Divextra promotional line, and Italian-owned DeCoro.U.S.-based producers Bernhardt, Bradington-Young, Distinction Leather, FFDM/Fine Leather, Flexsteel, Kathy Ireland Home by Standard, Klaussner, Largo Leather and Universal Furniture are among the companies sourcing leather upholstery in China.
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Nicoletti, Natuzzi expand global sourcing
May 1, 2005 -
Nicoletti, Natuzzi expand abroad
May 8, 2005
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