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At 3B S.p.A., growth and success are the family business.

For over 50 years, 3B S.p.A., an Italian thermofoil cabinet door and furniture panel manufacturer, has served the European market. In 2005, however, the company embarked on a major enterprise: international expansion. In order to respond to the needs of the North American market, 3B S.p.A. opened its first U.S. facility, 3B Inc., in Danville, Ky.

“The American customers required us to set-up a production facility in the United States because our U.S. customers want just-in-time, high-end kitchens,” Alessandro Bergamo, vice president of 3B Inc., explains. “It is only possible to do this when you manufacture in the United States.”

In 1950, brothers Luciano and Guglielmo Bergamo created 3B S.p.A. By 1969, the family opened a 100,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Salgareda, Italy. And by 2003, the company had expanded its original size to 1.5 million sq. ft. Today, the children of the original founders are heading up the family’s much anticipated entry into the U.S. market. Luciano’s son Fabrizio is the president of 3B Inc. while Fabrizio’s sister, Silvia, and Guglielmo’s sons, Alessandro and Marco are serving as its vice presidents.

3B S.p.A.’s principal market is Eastern Europe, Italy and the Far East. The Italian headquarters has around 1,000 employees, working three shifts to produce over 65,000 door fronts daily.

Most of 3B’s production is constituted by high-end, Italian-designed doors for kitchens, baths and bedrooms. Generally, its customers are major kitchen and furniture manufacturers. In addition to doors, 3B provides ready-to-assemble furniture in a flat pack.

The Kentucky location was chosen as a strategic point to service customers efficiently and rapidly. 3B’s total initial investment in its U.S. expansion is expected to exceed $20 million.

“We like to say about our products: Created in Italy, now made in the U.S.A.,” says Bergamo.

The new facility is operational and will be running at 100 percent by February 2006. Currently, there are 20 employees, but Bergamo expects that number to jump to 100 in one year and aims to produce around 10,000 finished cabinet doors per day.

U.S. Assimilation

One of the initiatives 3B hopes to implement is the company’s first attempt at American-style mass customization.

“The American market asks for ‘just-in-time’ service,” Bergamo notes. “We call this philosophy ‘a kitchen at a time — just in time.’ We seek to be able to supply to the needs of our customers — from a standard, mass produced item to a custom kitchen-at-a-time production.”

Bergamo compares and contrasts the difference between American and Italian production processes. “In the United States — at least as it regards our industry — the tendency is completely opposite from the way we do it abroad.”

Bergamo had this to say about the implementation of these American manufacturing staples: “The concept of productive flexibility is very important for us, and we translated it in practice. Although, for us, it is really a matter of production flexibility combined with zero defect production. Our technicians have worked very hard to achieve this requirement. It is all very easy to say, a little less so to implement in practice.”

“Doing this is a big challenge but we are every day more confident that we will achieve our goals,” Bergamo says.

Created in Italy

Bergamo feels one of the company’s main advantages in entering a foreign market is 3B’s ability to offer its clients a unique design aesthetic.

“We can offer ‘Made in Italy’ design in a range of colors and finishes unknown to the U.S. market,” Bergamo notes. “Because of this we would like to share our experience with American architects and designer to make them understand all the possibilities of these new materials.”

“We have developed new and exciting styles and products in Europe that the U.S. markets have embraced,” Bergamo says. “Our designs are fresh, our styles are unique and our color offerings are rich and vibrant.”

For example: 3B’s ACRILUX line, a glossy, “mirror like” surface, or the LUX line, made of high quality lacquered material. In addition, the “3-5 Pieces” line, is a product used as an alternative look to wood, where the imitation wood grain can be applied realistically in both directions.

“One of our most creative designs is represented by “3B ROUND,” commonly referred to as 4Sides,” Bergamo explains. “The project 4Sides contributes to design enhancement of the doors by offering four rounded sides on which it is possible to mould alternative shapes. The success of the technological project 4Sides is due to relief and parametric decorations, panel designs with deep grooves and smoothed corners which offered unlimited possibilities for use.”

Recently, 3B unveiled its Synthetic Mirror offering. The surface was developed from a new ecologic material meant to simulate the reflecting look of a traditional mirror. This reflective surface contains real aluminum fumes; the product is scratch and bump resistant. The development of new 3B “application technology” enables the product to be coated not only on its surface but also on the edges, providing new styling solutions.

According to Bergamo, the trends appear to be moving toward contemporary with the use of deep, rich colors and woodgrain patterns.

He also feels there is a growing movement toward “European”-like cabinetry.

“I certainly do not think the traditional wood look will ever be replaced — that look is timeless and elegant — so we are not attempting to compete in that arena. However, I do believe that there is a segment of Generation X that is looking for new and different looks that lend themselves more to the European flavor,” he explains.

Within the framework of 3B exists an entire department dedicated to the research of alternative materials and the improvement of existing ones.

“The most significant result of our research is an extremely refined, high-quality final product that is able to compete in the competitive field of kitchen and high-end furniture,” Bergamo says.

A showcased showroom

It is 3B’s intent to offer a product of Italian design and flavor while being produced as an American-made product.

“Through constant research and development of new design and technology, as well as the use of innovative materials, 3B’s goal is not only to guarantee but constantly improve the quality of our products to ensure the satisfaction of our customers,” Bergamo explains. “We strive to offer positive solutions and to answer the needs of our customers while maintaining close collaboration from the preliminary design stage through the finished product process.”

The foundation for 3B’s quest to establish a lasting partnership with its customers and respond to market needs is its Centro Stile showroom.

In 1994, 3B inaugurated this permanent showroom in Italy.

The showroom displays 3B’s latest collection of the models created during the preceding year.

From design to the finished product, 3B introduces its new ideas and products into the marketplace in attempts to make its Centro Stile showroom a forerunner in kitchen and furniture design.

“Our showroom has been constantly enlarged year after year, and today it offers customers the opportunity to see and to preview more than 4,200 doors displayed in different kitchen, bathroom and living room settings,” Bergamo says.

“The showroom is much more to 3B S.p.A. than a simple showroom,” he admits. “It is the core of the company, the place where new ideas are conceived, nurtured, developed and debuted to our existing and prospective customers.”

Bergamo notes that the showroom allows customers to view new ideas, styles and trends created out of its unconventional materials.

“Customers can choose among nearly endless combinations of colors, finishes and forms, by mixing and matching any of the 4,200 products we display,” Bergamo says.

In the near future, a showroom will be erected in front of the Danville facility; it will be designed by famous Italian architect, Paolo Nava.