Fantoni
Italy

Verticalization of the processes, total design, research and technology are the basis of a top-level entrepreneurial activity. This is the heart of Fantoni group, leader in the production of office furniture, pre-finished floorings and sound-absorption panels, Mdf and chipboard panels.

A strong company philosophy features the actions of the group in all the phases, from the designing of the products to their marketing, from the communication between the companies of the group and with the outside.

Nature, environment and sustainable development, architecture, creation of new materials and individual creativity, industrial culture and culture of the project are the distinctive features of an activity which is constantly supported by a strong company identity.

For this reason planning the identity of wood as a material represents an important added value for the company, both in the production of intermediate products (such as MDF) and in the finished products.

The sum of all these elements makes Fantoni to direct every phase of the company life toward the realization of a project led by the idea of an identity which is characterized by the counter-balanced presence of different elements, such as design, quality, interest in research, customization of products, environment-friendly production, respect for nature, enhancement of human resources and individual creativity, constant contact with the outside world.

This peculiar vision of the company’s philosophy fits perfectly with the activity carried out by Fantoni Research Centre. Thanks to the involvement of operators with different experiences (architects, engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, professors, technicians, students, employees) it deals with economic subjects (raw materials, planning, innovation design, markets etc.), ethic, environment and sociological subjects, subjects related to wood as a material and to furniture as a product, through an exploration and learning route. The foundations of this approach are the will to join the enhancement of the value of people, ideas, object etc with the idea that a strong cultural mission can represent the basic tool to improve the surrounding world.

The keen attention paid to the culture of the project has gained Fantoni the prestigious Compasso d’Oro alla Carriera award in 1998 a sign of a journey full of satisfactions. In 1974 45°collection, designed by the architects Gino Valle and Herbert Ohl, was already displayed in the permanent exhibition of MOMA museum in New York and in 2001 the “Topakustik” sound-absorption panel from Patt has been included in the important Material ConneXion archive, an evident sign of a constant and multi-wide-ranging engagement.

The attention of the group for the designing and aesthetical phases is shown also in the realization of the offices and plants in Osoppo, an example of industrial architecture designed by architect Gino Valle, in which the structure is perfectly integrated in the surrounding landscape.