Today, Hettich is one of the largest and most successful manufacturers of furniture fittings on the international scene. It develops and produces a wide range of items, from slide and drawer systems to hinges, from sliding and folding door fittings to kitchen accessories.

All these products are characterised by technology, functionality and quality, as well as ensuring trendy aesthetics that always respond effectively to new market requirements. We talk about this with Andrea Bergamo, Marketing Manager at Hettich Italia.

Start of the year, time to take stock and strategise for the future. What goals are you setting yourself for tackling the markets in 2024?

A year has come to an end, and as the Association Observers rightly remind us, it was a complex year due to the global economic situation, which was also unstable due to the war events. While brilliant new opportunities have opened up for Hettich, especially with the successful launch of FurnSpin, the company has also had to contend with rising energy and raw material prices, while maintaining the high standard of service to which our customers are accustomed. However, in the new year, we are not experiencing a climate of uncertainty at Hettich, but one of new challenges and the implementation of new business projects that will see us take the lead in the coming months with the aim of broadening our horizons and strengthening our market presence.

Innovative FurnSpin system wins interzum award 2023

Sustainability is now seen as a great opportunity for companies. How is this concern for the environment expressed in your company?

Every day our products reach many people around the world. This privilege and our nature as a family business entail a great responsibility for us, which requires us to apply an ethical model and a true code of conduct that bases its principles on respect for people and the environment in which we all live. We have thus implemented various activities aimed at workplace safety, continuous employee training and the provision of innovative tools in the name of digitisation.

We continue to verify our standards when it comes to environmental impact, and we do this through the strict control of production processes imposed by the international environmental certification EMAS. Hettich is the only furniture fittings manufacturer in the world that has met the requirements of EMAS certification for more than 20 years. We systematically continue to improve our energy efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, intelligent use of resources and raw materials. And we strive to make high-performance products that last, ensuring a long life for the furniture: this alone is a clear sign of sustainability. Last but not least, the full cooperation with our customers and all players in the supply chain enables us to achieve new shared sustainability goals.

Design and technological innovation were until now the winning elements for new products; to these is now added the customisation factor, which is also becoming increasingly important in the subcontracting sector for the furniture industry. How do you respond to this trend?

At Hettich, customisation is a highly regarded trend in today's world and is therefore a source of inspiration for many research and prototyping projects. A few years ago, with the presentation of the AvanTech YOU drawer system to the international market, we demonstrated how the theme of the self and the choices of the individual permeate design decisions and characterise living. AvanTech YOU and its Illumination development not only provide a unique solution on the market for designing drawers with more than 20,000 different combinations of colours, formats and materials, but also lend a distinctive character to furniture and offer a means of expressing the characteristics and brand philosophy of the furniture manufacturer adopting them.

The AvanTech YOU Illumination drawer system

For us, customisation also means innovating for ease of use and creating solutions that never cease to surprise and fascinate, as in the case of FurnSpin, the concealed mechanism that innovatively moves a column or storage element, whether in the kitchen, living room, bathroom or any other environment.