MATTIAZZI: HANDMADE WITH ROBOTS
When Nevio and Fabiano Mattiazzi were teenagers in the late 1960s,
the brothers worked at their uncle’s wood factory, located in an area
of northeast Italy affectionately known as the ‘the chair triangle.’ The
young men, captivated by the expansive properties of the material,
developed an obsession and before long they wanted to run their
own company. Setting to work to achieve this goal, they built their
own workshop brick by brick and by 1979, their dream became reality
with the formal launch of Mattiazzi.
Today, Mattiazzi remains rooted in this humble heritage and the
traditions of handcrafted wooden chairs, but it has also evolved into
a technologically advanced and ecologically aware company fit
for the 21st century. They are now internationally renowned for the
ethical and conscious industrial production of premium wooden
furnishings conceived by some of the world’s foremost designers,
all while remaining a family-run company with a staff of only 30—a
relatively small size that grants the company many advantages,
including the ability to remain agile, respond quickly to changes,
and be more experimental.
For the first few years after opening their workshop, Nevio and
Fabiano worked alone, continuing to handmake chairs for other
companies. But as Mattiazzi grew, their vision expanded too: ‘For
so many years, Mattiazzi was not known; we produced a lot for other
brands,’ says Cristina Salvati, Mattiazzi’s Global Sales and Marketing
Director. ‘Eventually, we decided we wanted to have our own col-
lection and work with designers ourselves.’
Thus, in 2009, the company invited designer Nitzan Cohen to
conceive a collection specifically for Mattiazzi—and they haven’t
looked back since.
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