CEO Today UK Awards 2021

deal highlights our belief that the sector is resilient and reinforces the fact that Vita will keep investing organically and through M&A to build on our strong market position. Italy has numerous exceptional bedding and furniture companies that are known worldwide for their design, quality, and manufacturing prowess. Over the last few years, our team has built a great business in Italy utilising our other plants in the region to fulfil customer needs for high quality and innovative foams. It was clear early on that there was an opportunity to deepen the successful partnership between Natuzzi and Vita, which has allowed us to establish a manufacturing base in Italy to serve our existing and new customers. The acquisition of the IMPE PU foam business allows us to produce 20,000 tonnes of foam in Italy Additional benefits from the successful acquisition include export routes into North Africa and The Americas by providing the world-class Italian bedding and furniture exporters with a portfolio of innovative new foams to incorporate in their designs. Our plants currently serving our customers in Italy, have already re-directed sales to fulfil unmet demand in their home geographies, which will continue our rapid expansion in the growing economies of Eastern Europe. Eastern Europe is currently our largest market – we have been there for 20 years but continue to see it as a massive opportunity for the group. Last year, we invested in new foaming capacity on our existing facilities and invested in new conversion facilities across the region. Thanks to the surge in people updating their homes whilst stuck inside in lockdown and shopping for homeware and furniture, we’ve been fortunate enough to see an increased demand for the products we manufacture which has allowed us to open four new bedding facilities in Germany, France, the UK, and Romania. For 2021 and beyond that, we plan to continue to invest and innovate to ensure we remain at the forefront of product innovations and sustainable initiatives. We will invest in strategic capital as the business looks to grow, targeting more success across a range of sectors, including the bedding, furniture, industrial, construction, rail, medical and hygiene markets. I’m excited to see what the future holds for The Vita Group. Can you add a few words about this award and what it means to you? My father used to always say to me that everyone is replaceable, and this is something I’ve believed in my whole life. I even think that the higher up the ladder you move, the easier it becomes to be replaced either due to economic performance, relationships with owners, partners, or boards or by an ownership change. The way I look at it is that my job as a CEO is to build a great team. When people ask me what I’m proud of, I never answer with a number or a percentage – I always say that what I am truly proud of is the careers I helped to build and the teams I have helped to form. I am still in touch with colleagues who have worked with me over the last 30 plus years. It is great to see them succeeding and reaching a pinnacle in their designated career, which they themselves never thought they could achieve. No CEO award is going to make that much difference to a person. My key goal has always been to try and figure out a way of creating a team which even once I’m gone, will continue to function effectively and bring value to the organisation. I strive to push everyone to be better as an individual, but also as a team player. I want to build a culture that will reap rewards for the company for years to come! Middleton Bedding Innovation Centre 115 CEO TODAY UNITED KINGDOM AWARDS 2021 Manufacturing