Despite going into national lockdown on March 9 after becoming an early epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe, Italy has now reopened many of its manufacturing facilities across the country, including those of leading furniture brands such as B&B Italia, Moroso, Minotti, Porro, and Flexform.
The positive news comes after the Italian government eased restrictions at the beginning of May, which allowed factories that produce goods for export to resume work, albeit ensuring that employees are provided with temperature scanners and personal protective equipment.
In line with the government guidelines, workers at the reopened plants will have their temperature taken with a thermo-scanner before entry, and will be provided with a fresh set of gloves and a mask each day.
“Finally, the situation in Italy is improving and we are ready to start again with more enthusiasm and determination than ever,” said Moroso, which reopened its Udine site on 28 April and had its logistics and warehouse services fully operational just a week later.
B&B Italia similarly revealed it would get the wheels turning again at its factories in Novedrate and Caldogno, describing how it had “implemented all the safety and health protocols” with new sanitising procedures for the rooms, supply of disinfectants at each location and strict distancing measures.
Meda-based furniture makers Flexform is another that expressed its desire to get back to work while taking all the necessary precautions, and Minotti looked ahead with optimism too: “A great challenge awaits us in order to build a new future together, with the same passion, courage and creativity as ever.”
Following the cancellation of Salone del Mobile until 2021 and the pushing back of lockdown in early April, a number of Italian design manufacturers urged Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to allow their industries to resume production ahead of the country’s gradual re-opening, or risk certain “economic catastrophe”.
