"There is no doubt that 2021 has been a complicated year, at times difficult, which has put many to the test. A test that I must say Catas has passed, achieving important results on all fronts on which it is engaged": with these words Lucia Cristina Piu, President of Catas, traces the balance of the year just ended.

 

An excellent 2021 for Catas

The 2021 turnover of Catas, the most important European laboratory for the wood-furnishing sector, has once again exceeded the threshold of 7 million euros, thanks to a 6% increase in the number of "subscribers", i.e. those Italian and foreign companies that have an ongoing collaboration with the laboratory, which rose from 1,272 in 2020 to 1,345 last year. There is also an increase in the number of tests carried out (52,218 in 2021 compared to 49,662 in 2020) and product certifications (177 in 2021, 164 in 2020), with an increasingly strong emphasis on "Made in Italy" certification.

"A growth - explained Piu - to which the inauguration of Catas Point Pesaro has contributed significantly, the first of a series of centers in the area that will allow us to be increasingly present and proactive in the various furniture districts, thanks to which we have started collaborations with some of the most famous brands of the large national distribution. This new scenario has put Catas in a position to communicate the value of its activities to end consumers, who are the ultimate recipients of our certifications.
 

A 2021 full of investments

In 2021 Catas invested more than 500 thousand euros in upgrading equipment at the Lissone site in Brianza (furniture testing) and in San Giovanni al Natisone in Friuli Venezia Giulia (chemical laboratory).

In terms of training, Catas Academy has organized more than 30 courses, in addition to many internship experiences with students from universities and high schools. Also in 2021, it published the first "Edgebanding Handbook," produced in collaboration with Federchimica-Avisa, which put a stop to one of the fundamental steps in furniture production.

Also significant was the launch of a new analysis service, called "The Life Cycle measured by CATAS", which offers companies in the sector an objective contribution to the theme of sustainability, offering them a rigorous tool with which to measure the environmental, social and energy "weight" of their products.

 

Many projects for 2022

"In 2022, - continued President Piu - health emergency permitting, we will increase our presence in Italy thanks to our roots in Friuli Venezia Giulia, in Brianza and in the large furniture district of Pesaro. Another important step will be the organizational response to the growing demands of companies, with the expansion of the headquarters in San Giovanni al Natisone where we will build a new three-storey building, for about 2,500 square meters, dedicated to laboratories for fire tests and mechanical tests on materials and adhesives.

New programs are also being defined for 2022 on the training front in schools and universities, in addition to the rich and articulated calendar of webinars that will be held in the coming months with Federchimica and Acimall, the association of Italian manufacturers of wood and furniture technologies.

For some years now Catas has also been designing, manufacturing and supplying testing equipment for components, chairs, tables, beds and furniture, also on a turnkey basis. This offer is the result of the knowledge and experience gained in many years of activity and already represents a qualifying item in the activity of the organization, on which it intends to focus more and more in the future. Also in the light of this new address, the new Catas Engineering catalog has been developed with this kind of offer.