What does developing an environmental project, in terms of industry and design, mean for Tacchini?

Tacchini intends capitalising on what we have always done as routine: include in specific protocols the natural care and respect we show to an area which for fifty years has given us, and still gives us, a great deal. More particularly our intent is to preserve the professional values recognisable in a functional fabric which extends throughout Brianza, in a symbiosis between population and territory which represents its true worth.

Like in an agricultural supply chain – is it possible therefore to have a zero miles approach in the design industry too?

The design industry is an even more complex supply chain as it involves suppliers and materials of a different and distant nature. Joinery, upholstery, glazing, iron and structural work and coatings are different processes that are added, exponentially, to the variables of different materials. The result is that we have endless combinations of possibilities which normally, in an industrial process, are to be found anywhere in the world. Our area is instead a distillate of different production and technological capabilities that cover a vast part of the combinations we mentioned. Therefore our company has the possibility of joining a supply chain contained within very few square miles. The credit goes to us, as the decision is ours, with gratitude also to a unique territory.

In what way has this environmental focus affected your internal processes and relations with your suppliers?

As mentioned, we have always worked with these systems, yet it’s not enough. We have to observe and follow production processes and standards which contribute, also in a way that is scientifically proven, to reducing the impact of our work on the environment. Gaining ISO14001 certification is the first formal agreement we wanted to sign with the environment, signed not only by our company but also by all our suppliers in the area, controlled and monitored by us during every process.

How does this new relationship with the environment and territory reconcile with the future of the company?

Our company was set up in 1967. During a long process, built up slowly, we expanded in this area in terms of size, market, research and development. In this respect the relationship was symbiotic and two-way, creating balances which are now structural. In the final phase of expansion and restructuring an essential design restraint was the use of reusable and renewable materials. Just like our products, which must have a guarantee of durability so as to export this product philosophy and testimony everywhere.

Could we therefore talk about a DOCG design?

Design is a product and as in all products the origin and site of the production processes are influential. Therefore a place can be a quality feature and, as such, controlled and guaranteed. Tacchini Italian design, made in Brianza, is DOCG design.

All Tacchini products are manufactured in the verdant area of Brianza between Milan and Como, with its strong tradition of Italian manufacture and craft. All the materials and semi-finished products come from a zone of about 50 km around the Tacchini plant and this, as well as allowing direct control of their quality, also enables the pollution and energy consumption deriving from their transport to be reduced to a minimum. A special feature which makes Tacchini an even more special name, also as regards the eco-sustainability of the furniture.

Giving space to ideas and quality to space: a central philosophy that Tacchini expresses not only through its products, but also throughout every aspect of the company. It’s an approach embodied in the headquarters, designed by Roberto Grossi, that lie in the countryside between Como and Milan. Established in 1967 by Antonio Tacchini, in one of the richest moments for design and Italian industry development, the company stood out for high quality and its indissoluble relation with contemporary design right away. Tacchini is nowadays a reference point in furniture business, thanks to its constant stylistic and functional research, project and product culture, care for people and environment.

All Tacchini products are made in the area between Milan and Como, with its strong manufacturing and artisan tradition. Most of the materials and semi-finished products come from an area of ​​about 50 km around the Tacchini factory and this, as well as allowing direct control of their quality, also allows pollution and energy consumption deriving from their transport and production to be reduced to a minimum. A special feature that makes Tacchini even more special, also as regards the eco-sustainability of its products.

Since 2012 Tacchini has implemented an environmental management system according to the UNI EN ISO 14001 standard. Tacchini’s Environmental Management System guarantees rigorous controls at every stage of the process, staff involvement at all levels, satisfaction and transparency with suppliers and customers. Tacchini products are created in compliance with the most recent and widespread international standards, in a healthy and safe work environment, using Italian and European materials and patented technologies.