Special
Top Italian companies focused on export
LAND OF DIFFERENT SPEEDS Interview with Renza Altoè Garbelotto (CEO Parchettificio of Garbelotto and president of the Wooden Floors Group of FederlegnoArredo / EdilegnoArredo) “Italy and Garbelotto are leading the way in demonstrating how wooden floors have become real pieces of interior design furniture” As a parquet country, Italy is known as a supplier of high-end wooden floors. An exponent for parquet flooring of the very highest level is Parchettificio Garbelotto. Garbelotto is an historic company with 70 years of experience and tailoring in the wood flooring sector, with wooden floors that are made entirely in the Province of Treviso. As such it is a more than worthy interlocutor to talk both about the company itself and wooden floors in Italy. Floor Forum International interviewed CEO Renza Altoè Garbelotto during Cersaie (Bologna), where Clip Up System® was highlighted. Mrs. Garbelotto speaks both from her function as leader of her own company and as president of the Wooden Floors Group Edilegno/ FederlegnoArredo, National Associations of Wooden Companies. You are currently presenting a very special product, Clip Up System®. What exactly is this product about? “Clip Up System® is our patented and exclusive glue-free installation system for wooden floors that allows quick and easy installation with the possibility of replacing even a single board in just a few seconds. It is a revolutionary installation system, which goes beyond glued and floating installation and guarantees a perfect and simple installation with the polymer clips placed on the laying surface where the boards fit together. It is suitable for raised and inspectable floors, because the removal and replacement of a board is very fast, clean and requires only a few tools. Clip Up System® is enjoying great national and international success in the world of architecture, interior design and construction because it is totally eco-sustainable, recyclable and reusable.” As this is a special about Italy, we would like to know where you situate yourself as a company in the market of wooden floors. How is this market evolving and what kind of special features do you as a company have to take into account to bring the right products to market? “We are a leader in the Italian market, recognized for quality and reliability in the production of 100% Made in Italy wooden floors. All stages of the production take place entirely in Italy and within our factories.” “The market leans towards two paths: on the one hand the choice of speculative and competitive products, on the other the quality product. Garbelotto has chosen to guarantee a high quality product, thanks to continuous investments in technology, research and human resources. We are convinced that the wooden floor is no longer considered a simple covering, but has become a real piece of interior design furniture. Our R&D department is constantly looking for technological and innovative solutions to propose new laying geometries and special finishes, making customization a fundamental element of production.” Mrs. Garbelotto, you are also the president of the Wooden Floors Group di Edilegno/ FederlegnoArredo, National Associations of Wooden Companies. Could you elaborate a little on what this group does and in what direction you are steering its members? “I was elected in July 2020 as Director in Charge of the Wooden Floors Group of FederlegnoArredo / EdilegnoArredo, the group that follows the specifications of the entire sector from the more technical aspects, such as regulations, problems and prospects of the national market, up to the practical for the enhancement and promotion of wooden floors in the national market with particular attention to the Made in Italy product. I am fortunate to collaborate with an exceptional team, made up of the president of FederlegnoArredo, Claudio Feltrin, the president of EdilegnoArredo, Andrea Bazzichetto, and many other collaborators. We are a proactive team, our mission is to share, enhance and protect the entire wooden flooring sector in Italy and around the world.” “Europe is setting us the right path, as it is increasingly encouraging the use of wood. It promotes this 100% natural material in new buildings, with the aim of significantly reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 2030. Following the important European directives, the FederlegnoArredo wood flooring group is always at work sharing and disseminating updated reference information materials for the whole market and for professionals, such as the new installation manual: "PARQUET - From the project to the installation”, a reference manual for the whole market.”
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