Forty years in business are a great achievement, especially in an industry with a short history compared to other sectors. And if those forty years have been filled with passion, desire to innovate, strong bonds to your land and your past, there is much reason to make a big party!
And so it was: on Sunday, October 8, over 300 people gathered in Pavia di Udine to celebrate Metal World, one of Italy’s top toolmakers. It was not just a celebration of the company – and we really appreciated that – but most of all a way to say thank you to customers, friends, employees, anyone who has played a role, small or big, in this story…
A story that began with four cousins – Franco, Enzo, Rinio and Giorgio Paviotti – taking up the challenge of making tools far back in 1976, in the industrial district of Friuli chairs that was running at full steam. Then things changed, the world changed, and in 2014 also Metal World transformed: to face this “new world”, you need new tools and keep striving for success with unwavering passion…
In the past two years, the company has been driven by Franco and Giorgio Paviotti’s families, who kept investing in machinery, advanced technology, new products for other industries, taking the Metal World brand far beyond the wood industry into aerospace, automotive, advanced materials.
“Think new, think different”, said Franco Paviotti with a touch of emotion as he addressed the audience of the 40th anniversary party. “If you want to carry on, you must have the courage to look through new eyes, to invest, to value your staff, to understand it’s high time you explored new territories, to complement our great experience and expertise in special tools production with a catalog of standard solutions, so that we can develop a different organization for our business. We know that these have only been the first forty years, then there will be the next generations of our sons and daughters, and possibly our grandchildren, to guide Metal World and to write another piece of our story”.
It was an intensive day, sometimes exciting and emotional. A quick tour in the production department, after welcome and registration. And then a tasteful cocktail buffet, before the official ceremony, the greetings, the speeches of those who know Metal World and its owners, starting from Mauro Di Bert, deputy mayor of Pavia di Udine, the president of Confindustria Udine Matteo Tonon, the priest Guido Genero of Ucid, an association of Christian manager and entrepreneurs, where Franco Paviotti serves as president of the Udine section. There was also an official recognition by Acimall, the Italian association of wood technology manufacturers: president Lorenzo Primultini and director Dario Corbetta honored Franco Paviotti with a plaque for his untiring commitment to the association, in the role of vice president, and for the innovation and quality contribution that he and his partner Giorgio have given to the Italian industry.
In front of them, in a factory hall that had been converted into an elegant celebration hall, plenty of entrepreneurs – from Paolo Fantoni to Alessandro Calligaris, from Silvio Zamò to Luigi De Puppi, from Edi Snaidero to many more – and VIPs. Franco Paviotti recalled the milestones of his company’s history, before he gave a wonderful sculpture by Eros Morandini to Silvano Zamò, co-owner of Ilcam, who represented all Metal World’s customers contributing to the company’s success, without forgetting that Ilcam has always been standing next to Metal World.
And then it was the turn of the family: Franco Paviotti called on stage Giorgio Paviotti, his historical business partner, who was clearly moved, and their wives Ariana and Laura, and children Andrea, Annalisa, Fanny and Luca. Then he called Metal World’s entire family, inviting all employees on stage and introducing them one by one, with one big final applause from the audience.
