Italian leather upholstery manufacturers Natuzzi SpA have announced that from mid-October, they will be calling back 90% of the workers that were temporarily laid off in June this year.
The group plan to restart production at their plants in Puglia and Basilicata in southern Italy to reduce the backlog of orders that have accumulated during the summer shutdown and meet the seasonal increase in demand in the autumn.
Pasquale Natuzzi, ceo and chairman of the board, said: ‘The recall from Cassa Integrazione is a positive signal for our company, but the market is still difficult and uncertain.’
Natuzzi added: ‘The goals of the restructuring plan announced last May are confirmed: reduce manufacturing costs in Italy; improve productivity and increase overall efficiencies so to become more competitive; recover profitability and regain market share especially in the medium-high end of the market where we are investing in the Natuzzi brand. At the October High Point fair in the US, Natuzzi will present our new and charming collection that has already received encouraging comments from our customers.’