|
The
History of the Alto Livenza Industrial Cluster
The development of enterprises located along the Livenza
river began in the years after the war. It was also
at this time that a slow social-economic transformation
began to take place, helping this area between Friuli
and Veneto to become one of the richest and busiest
industrial clusters for the wood and furniture secture
in Italy.
According to a study published in 1990 by the Brugnera
Town Council (the owners of 30 companies were interviewed;
companies which had been established between 1960 and
1980), "the origins of this entreprenurial energy
for the local furniture industry can be found in the
farming, share-cropping family structure".
Carpentry
tools |
This
type of social structure had lead these business
owners, to set up furniture making businesses.
These business had a certain uniformity, as well
their professional training, was not very different.
|
It is a common fact that, after having started with an
agricultural, a pre-industrial activity in the wood sector
should follow. It was of great help to have a labour force
available and employed by the local furniture manufacturers,
as well as a work force however small of skilled craftsmen.
To
explain the leap from being a farming community to becoming
an industrialised one, pre-supposes that the inhabitants
already had these etreprenurial qualities or perhaps simply
had the capital available, but they also had a strong
desire to acquire a "trade".
| The
most common way to acquire the skills and training
necessary for this "trade" was to work
as a factory worker for some furniture manufacturer
already established in the area. |
A
view from above of Brugnera |
From the middle of the 1950's, many small businesses
were set up. The reason for setting up small was that
it was " the most accessible formula for local enterprise,
not yet having matured enough to be able to fork out a
large amount of capital nor having the experience to manage
acomplex organisation". Furthermore, it was easier
to acquire a workforce in an area made up of small to
medium sized towns.
It
is very interesting to note the method adopted in
finding the finance to set up these small enterprises.
In the majority of cases, it was sufficient to rely
on family and personal funds which shareholders made
available to the businesses.
There
were no lack in many cases of "friends and fellow
townsmen who gave financial support, in some cases their
own savings, in other cases, many acted as guarantors".
Clearly the fate of this new industry had captured the
hearts of the whole population, who were participating
not only for sentimental reasons, but in the future
prospects of the entrepreneurs themselves.
Sources:The Origins and Development
of Enterprise in the Furniture District - Renata Novaretti
from "Brugnera, Feudo e Comune" - published
by Grafiche Editoriali Artistiche Pordenonesi - 1990 |
