training, growth and wood made in Italy»- Corriere.it

Other than recession, Claudio Feltrin, president of FederlegnoArredo, predicts for 2023 a growth of 4-5%, in volumes, no longer linked to the increase in prices as in 2022, closed with a turnover of the entire supply chain that reached 56.5 billion euros from 43 billion in 2019. This is an increase of 12.7% (in value) on 2021, with an increase in the quantity of just 2%, because the rest is the result of inflation, he explains. After the boom of 2021 (+14% in volumes on the previous year), therefore the supply chain will return to healthy growth, if the prices of energy and raw materials remain stable or if they go down a bit, Feltrin said.

Excellent signals are coming from the Salone del Mobile, open until Sunday at the Fiera Milano-Rho. It started very well, with a high turnout: pre-sales indicate +33% attendance compared to last year when there was also the kitchen, says the manager, entrepreneur of the Arper family business. The Chinese have returned in an important way, even if you are the Chinese market which remained in seventh place for the export of our furniture: it is worth around 700 million, with a small increase of 1.5% last year. The novelty, however, comes from the United States, which have flown to second place for the first time. The American market grew by 25.5% to 1.9 billion, overtaking Germany which, with 1.4 billion (+5.3%), drops to third place as a destination for our exports, while France confirms its lead with 2.4 billion 8+8%. Another novelty: the entry of the United Arab Emirates (300 million, +32.6%) among the top 10 markets for our furniture, while Russia exited.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni inaugurated the Salone on Tuesday. Feltrin asks his government for three things: First of all, the defense of patents and trademarksi, against counterfeiting, given that the problem of raw material costs, a real emergency last year, is less pressing. Between late 2022 and early 2023 prices have stopped rising, some are going down. Then tax incentives to accompany companies in the ecological transition. It’s a transformation that can’t be improvised, takes time and never ends, he says. Hoping, moreover, that the automotive mistake will not be made at a European level.

There is the theme of the exploitation of our forest heritage: Today all wood is imported, acknowledges Feltrin, specifying that it does not mean cutting down all the trees without rules. It must be controlled deforestation with simultaneous planting, considering the growth times. It is also positive for the cleaning and control of the forest. Meloni has already agreed on the made in Italy wood, he anticipates.

Last but not least, there is the question of skills. According to a study we carried out last year, 15 to 18 thousand people will be missing in the next 3-5 years. As a Federation we participate in the Lentate training centre, which prepares 3-400 young people every year for the wood-furniture sector, already hoarded by companies even before the end of the courses, proof of the hunger for manpower. Considering the demographic crisis, the prospect is really worrying in the medium term, because we will not be able to satisfy the demand of a growing market, says the president.

For this reason tomorrow at the Salone del Mobile Feltrin has organized a meeting with the major ITS in Italy in the wood-furniture sector to understand the most effective strategies to bring on board the new workers of the future. The companies will explain which professional figures are most needed, so that they can be trained. They range from the simple operator on board the machine to the new roles linked to sustainability and digitalisation.