Gruppo Sintesi was established in 2006 with the initial merge of Galvanotecnica and Sintesi 2 (with the brands of Galvanotecnica and Sintesi, well-established Friuli-based concerns) and its company structure later expanded to take on board Bum, BBBemmebonacina and DMK. The Group’s mission: to combine functionality and design while creating quality furniture able to last for a long time. The name in itself is indicative of the company’s aggregative approach: to bring together the various pre-existing members and create a new business that can respond to increasingly broad demand. The question still remains however how to best preserve the essence of each brand. We asked the President of the Group, Mr Pietro Piccinetti, for more information on the matter.

Was it difficult to bring together so many companies and make them all share succesfully in the same mission?

The process was not painful, if that is what you mean. The merging has allowed each company to retain its own personal identity and, in fact, given a new boost to the various brands, further strenghtening brand awareness. This has allowed us to create a structured group whereby each member has the same mission.

What is the importance of exclusively Italian production to the group, and how is it tackled on a daily basis?

It is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of our most salient features. Italian production, for us, has to symbolise the uniqueness of everything that is created in our country: the perfect combination of innovation, good taste, an attention to detail and an exceptional standard of quality that make Italian products so famous and sought after in the world. Gruppo Sintesi aims to combine all these benefits in its solutions, day in and day out.

One of the premises for your business model is the ambition to combine sought-after design with affordable prices. Cannot the “democratisation” of style risk however to standardize it as well, giving designers less freedom of action?

I do not believe for a moment that setting affordable prices can restrict designers’ freedom of action. The concept of design is not tied down by the cost of the product, it is associated instead with the innovation of a product in terms of its form or intended use.

You target the residential, contract and business markets. How does your product range differ in these three areas and what level are you aiming for?

All our brands are positioned in the mid-to-top reaches of each market. The only possible exception is Galvanotecnica, a brand intended mainly for broadscale organized distribution. All of our products, however, receive without exception the same attention to technical detail so as to ensure their maximum durability.

A capacity to propose furniture, furnishing complements and accessories made with such a diverse range of materials requires you to have machinery for each and every process. How important is it to you to specialize in production technology for different processes and thereby maximise the diversity of your product range?

The versatility of our production, which involves all kinds of materials from iron to plastic and wood – as well as padding – requires us to constantly research into and specialize in the most cutting edge technology. As a general rule, we invest around 5% of our annual turnover in updating and improving our production technologies.

Allow me to ask another question on R&D. In which fields do you effectively channel your investments?

We channel our investment into research in the innovation of our products and processes. The most important issues in this regard are without doubt “intelligent” design, moulding with advanced technology, and innovative materials and forms.

Which are your main foreign markets of reference? I take this to mean not only mature markets but also emerging ones.

Aside from Italy, we operate in countries practically all over the world. The Arab Emirates, Russia and Eastern Europe are certainly the most promising outlet markets at the moment and are extremely receptive. The Arab Emirates are particularly receptive in the contract sector, while Russia and Eastern countries more so in the residential sector. We are however looking to strike up partnerships in these latter countries.

On the same subject, which aspects would you say make Gruppo Sintesi a reliable commercial partner?

Above all, I would mention our constant search for suppliers able to guarantee us high quality products, the inspections carried out by our Quality Office and the attention we pay every single day to ensure the absolute best for our customers.

How important is it to take part in the main international trade fairs for spreading the word of your brands?

It is essential as it allows us to inform others of our merits, both in Italy and the rest of the world. By showcasing our products at these fairs, visitors can appreciate up close our refined design, affordability and new materials. They can also see in person the involvement of young designers – in whom we strongly believe – and the very Italian nature of our products, as we mentioned earlier.