Set up as a joiner’s workshop in Bologna in the 1950s, the family business grew to become a leader in the fixtures sector. Because today, behind every solution, you find high energy performances, acoustic isolation, safety and sustainability. But, most of all, there are people who live in spaces every day. For FARE INSIEME, Gianpaolo Colletti interviewed Alessandro Severini, CEO of Fabbri & Vecchi alongside Fabio Fabbri.
by Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri and Francesca Aufiero
There are companies that move across time without ever changing. Then there are companies that manage to do so while staying true to themselves. There you have it, the story of Fabbri & Vecchi is part of this second category as here, on the outskirts of Bologna and, more precisely, in Villanova di Castenaso, fixtures were never just doors or windows, they were the concrete way in which a family chose to interpret their work, the relationship with clients and even the idea itself of living spaces. It is a story that started over 70 years ago, crossing generations while maintaining a precise outlook, that is the conviction that things done well require attention, listening to and time. Everything started in the 1950s, when Italy was rebuilding its homes and its trust. In those years, Fabbri & Vecchi was set up as an artisanal business specialising in fixtures, within a territory that would turn manufacturing and high-quality into one of its distinctive traits. In the beginning, there were hands, experience and the ability to work on details. Yet, already at that time, an approach emerged that would become an identity over the years, that of not merely supplying a product, but accompanying customers along the way. “Our story was born from the culture of things done well. Every project has always been tackled as something unique and non-standardised,” explains Alessandro Severini, CEO of Fabbri & Vecchi, proudly.
Company profile. Today, the company keeps on working in the fixtures sector with a model built around customisation and high-quality service. Aluminium, wooden and PVC windows, doors and reinforced doors, design consultancy, on-site surveys, installation and after-sales assistance: each phase is managed internally and with an almost-sartorial attention. But what is truly striking is the continuity between past and present. Next to the new generation, there are still historic figures such as engineer Fabio Fabbri and Francesca Fabbri, a concrete testament to a generational turnover that has not cut the cord with the company identity. In a sector that has recently undergone sweeping change what with new energy requirements, sustainability, innovation of materials and the digitisation of processes, Fabbri & Vecchi has chosen to evolve without taking shortcuts. “To us, innovation does not mean chasing fads, but understanding how to actually improve the service provided and the quality of the product,” explains Fabio Fabbri. The value of time has returned. The time taken to do things and that of listening - even more precious - before doing. It is a philosophy that translates into continuous investments in skills and the ability to integrate technology and artisanal culture. Because today, behind every solution, you find high energy performances, acoustic isolation, safety and sustainability. But, most of all, there are people who need to live in spaces every day. And this is where another distinctive trait of the Emilian company emerges - that is the centrality of this relationship. At Fabbri & Vecchi, customers do not just enter a show room, they enter a path made of listening. “Consultancies have become essential. People today need to be led to make a choice, to understand materials, performances and functions,” says Severini. That is why every project is made to measure with accurate on-site surveys and a continuous dialogue with the customer. A work that combines technological and relational skills.
Ongoing service. Here, even the after-sales service, which is often overlooked in many sectors, here forms an integral part of the model. Assistance, maintenance and ongoing support - the objective is not to close an order, but to build up trust over time. And that is probably one of the reasons that explains the company’s solidity after over seven decades. “Our job does not end with installation. It continues over time through the relationship with our customers,” says Severini. The way of living these spaces has changed too. Homes have become hybrid places, increasingly lived-in and increasingly multi-functional. There is an increased attention towards comfort, energy saving, and the quality of the environment. And fixtures become a strategic part of this transformation. They are no longer just simple technical elements, but components that affect the well-being of people every day. Looking ahead to the future, the path is clear: to continue investing in quality without losing the human approach that has always characterised the company. New materials, increasingly evolved technologies, sustainability and integrated services will be the challenges of the next few years. The company holds the FSC certification, meaning it sources its wood from sustainable forests. And sustainability is found even in the certified installation, which guarantees lower consumption and the use of recycled and recyclable materials. In addition, the sustainability report was introduced in 2024. This is the lesson: in a world that spins faster and faster, huge value is still found in paying attention to doing things well because, as much as we talk about innovation, the future continues to need skill, listening and trust.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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