BertO and its call for artisans

The story of BertO, a Brianza-based company from Meda founded by the Veneto brothers Carlo and Fioravante, is the story of an upholstery company that, with the passing of the baton to the new generation, has been able to use digital reality and social media as a bridge of communication to promote a way of working.

The success of this company was born from Filippo Berto, a young entrepreneur who took over the company founded by his father and uncle in the seventies. The bet was to transform a completely traditional reality using the digital revolution. This vision has allowed BertO to grow, to make itself known not only in Italy but on an international level, increasing the staff from 5 to 50 employees.

The company, moreover, carries out permanent research aimed at the insertion of talents in all strategic sectors of the company, from the warehouse to logistics, from upholstery to furniture consulting. “In Meda and in the Brianza furniture district, for centuries a taste for unique style and inestimable craftsmanship have been handed down. This awareness has always led me to think about young people and to try to perpetuate this know-how over the years, between generations” says Filippo Berto, CEO of the company. “Our strong digital propensity I believe is an element capable of encouraging young people to believe in this profession, only apparently ancient. In our workshop, the craftsman must have a digital vision, he does not limit himself to manual production alone, but goes hand in hand with technological innovation to create prototypes and manage all production processes in the best possible way”.

For years, in fact, the company has been actively collaborating with professional schools in the area, with the precise intent of bringing the youngest people closer to the artisan craft. One of these initiatives is DivanoXmanagua, the first co-creation project in Italy, realized in partnership with Terre des Hommes Italia and Afol Meda Training Center. The sofa was built collectively with the participation of students and clients who worked alongside the company’s master craftsmen in all phases of the process, from conception to production.

Starting from training courses, the company has also traced an important path of digitalization, both for internal organization and customer relations, an element that has allowed the company not to suffer this difficult year marked by the pandemic. “Our story has become a case history of corporate growth told in universities and recognized first of all by Google as Excellence in Digital” explains Berto. “During the emergency, therefore, we did not have to upset our business strategies or the work process. We simply diverted all our energy and our communication to e-commerce. If the showrooms were closed, for obvious reasons of lockdown, people could still realize their furnishing dreams by reaching us online, from the site to socials. For years we have been able to deal with online design consulting. The system is very efficient and well established. The same workshop is already accustomed to having relationships with the outside world because we often organize virtual sessions with customers to show how the realization of their sofa is progressing”.