Entry-level and high-end products live together within the offer of a historical Made-in-Italy brand
Faber is the second brand in the world in the field of hoods. Its trade policy – business unit of Franke Group – aims to increase its market share in the most strategic areas of the planet. The offer is instead focused on Made-in-Italy. The headquarters is in fact located in Fabriano, in the Marche region, an area traditionally known as the “heart” of Italy. The company production plant is situated near Sassoferrato, a town not far from Fabriano. We met Riccardo Remedi, commercial director of Faber.
Tradition and innovation: how do they live together in your mission?
It is a combination that coexists within the company all the time. Since its birth, in fact, Faber works with the objective of creating highly innovative products with regard to technology, design and performance. This combination corresponds to its mission: design, innovation and functionality. To offer excellent quality hoods, the priority is to pay equal attention to the product and to the consumer.
Has the balance between these two components led to specific measures in terms of productive organization?
At the level of production organization, Faber started in the early 90s a process of internationalization, which is not a process of relocation. We only want to be closer to the markets in which we operate, organizing the production activities on-site. Not so much to take advantage of the low costs offered by some countries, but to meet the specific needs in terms of logistics and product, always keeping the research, development and design steady at the headquarters. Fabriano, as a matter of fact, coordinates the production activities of all our global offices – as well as Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Turkey, Argentina, India and Mexico – ensuring high quality standards for all production plants.
How do you manage to intercept or anticipate new trends in demand?
We are always in close contact with our partners and customers, with whom and from whom we try to understand and anticipate the market trends, both for furniture and with regard to the client’s needs: clients are more and more informed about styles in fashion and, consequently, more conscious in their choices. In this way, we pay the utmost attention to trends in the areas close to the home appliances, such as interior design. In addition, the constant collaboration with avant-garde architects and designers allows us to anticipate the market and its demands, proposing innovative products, able to anticipate trends and fashion.
What tools allow you to meet the specific needs of a buyer?
It is essential for buyers to have reliable suppliers. A requirement to which we try to answer paying great attention to their requests. Being in line with customer expectations means on-time delivery and zero fault or problem related to the product. Ultimately, we make sure to satisfy all requests with the utmost professionalism and care.
Which positioning do you intend to pursue in the future?
As specialists in the production of cooker hoods, we cover all price ranges, starting from the ‘entry level’ products, that we produce thanks to high investments in automation. For what concern the mid and high level, we focus on high quality, on huge investments in research and development, on technological innovation and design. So we try to cover any kind of price positioning because, having a global approach, we address to different kinds of markets, where there are areas in which the entry level product accounts for 90-95 per cent of the demand.
Are the international certifications an opportunity to reaffirm the intrinsic value of your production?
Yes, of course. All our products are certified on international level, included all specific certifications required by each country where we export.
What does the expression “Made in Italy” suggest to you nowadays?
It refers to products that stand out for their uniqueness, which have a high added value in terms of design and technology. A made-in-Italy product always joins a touch of originality and a unique look, with attention to quality.
What characteristics allow a national product to stand out in the global market?
Compared to those from abroad, the Italian product wins for its plusses, that are originality and quality.
How can they represent an added value for a buyer who invests in an Italian brand?
The foreign buyers can rely on original and exclusive elements, that are the prerogative of the Italian excellence, always able to anticipate trends and times. In addition, Faber offers the reliability and expertise of more than fifty years of history. The story of a brand that invented the extractor hood and created, as a matter of fact, this market.
Do you think it would be desirable a stronger synergy among producers to strengthen the made-in-Italy in the world?
Yes, no doubt. They often speak about consortia and “creating a network” but, looking at the facts, we are not trained enough and prepared yet to share common elements. In Italy, as a matter of fact, everyone does by himself.
| Italian heart Faber history is the story of an Italian record, that has been lasting for over fifty years. A success built over time by experience, commitment, and with the eyes focused on the future. First Italian leader and second in the world in its field, thanks to a policy oriented to the acquisition of market share in areas of the world that are considered strategic, today the company has 7 plants around the world: Italy, France, Sweden, Argentina, India, Turkey and Mexico. Since 2005 Faber belongs to the Swiss Group Franke, but its activity is still deeply rooted in the territory in which it was born, it has developed and where, after over fifty years, it still plays a very important role in the industry. All this in the name of made-in-Italy and of a production cycle that has its heart in Sassoferrato in the Marche, a few kilometers far from the headquarter at Fabriano, where top level hoods are manufactured, with an approach always oriented to quality and to the highest technological standards. For customers and business partners, the brand represents a landmark in the treatment of the air, thanks to the attention to the excellence of its products and services, efficiency and operational safety and respect for the inside and outside environment. |
| A global role "From 1995 to 2004 I trained professionally in Faber, through a path focused on business development in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Then I became director for these areas. After two years in the commercial refrigeration sector in the public exercises with responsibilities in the field of export, I returned to Faber in 2006 as global commercial director. It is a job that requests sacrifices in terms of commitment. It is characterized by many travels and commitments, but also of a lot of passion and motivation. Sea and motorcycle have the right mix of leisure and hobby that regenerates me completely". |
| Elegance and ‘minimal’ style SkyLift, the new hood model presented at Eurocucina 2014, is an example of home appliance that combines the highest standards of design and functionality in line with the needs of the most demanding consumer. A hood with contemporary features, designed to meet the needs and actions of everyday life in the kitchen, with its technology and its style. SkyLift is in fact the only hood integrated into the ceiling, coming down on the hob. The new model has an exceptional mobility: thanks to 4 thin steel cables, it falls on the stoves only when it is in use and goes back when it is no in operation, thanks to the "Up & Down" technology signed by Faber. Made with white glass and steel for a light and dynamic allure, with an extremely clean and elegant design, SkyLift is at the service of the hob and of the person who uses it, adapting to their needs with ease. At the moment of use, with a remote control it approaches the hob, positioning to the desired height, always maintaining high performance in terms of suction, but also of lighting. All this thanks to two powerful Led bars, inserted into the lower surface, characterized by an energy consumption of only 7 watts. The radial engine, moreover, despite its extremely compact size, provides high performance and low noise. SkyLift is an appliance that is not only an expression of the new design trends, but proves itself to be practical and functional. When the hood is not in operation, in fact, it appears completely integrated in the ceiling, freeing the cooking area of any obstruction. The result is an aesthetic "minimal" effect, in line with the emerging 2014 trends.   |
