There is a growing demand for “certified products”: documentation based on objective and reliable evidence that proves that what a manufacturer claims about a product’s performance, materials and safety is actually true. After all, there is a growing desire among consumers for high-quality, safe and “healthy” products – for example, with regard to formaldehyde emissions. The sustainability of a product is also increasingly coming to the fore.

Furniture manufacturers have recognised that certification by independent bodies is an advantage. They provide absolutely credible proof of product quality, allow brand awareness to be actively increased. And thus increase competitiveness. In addition, many companies now regard product certification as an effective and valuable tool for monitoring production processes. Last but not least, more and more large retailers are demanding certain certificates and using these benchmarks to select their suppliers.

For over twenty-five years, Catas has been issuing product certifications based on international standards and specific procedures and rules developed to assess product conformity. The services offered range from monitoring the raw material to the finished piece of furniture or building element.

And not only that: Catas deals with certification, and thereafter with ensuring that all approval criteria remain constant in the long term. For example, in the form of monitoring through inspections and laboratory tests. The latter is an activity of increasing importance for the Italian testing laboratory – the overall competence as well as objectivity and accuracy of the assessments and procedures are even appreciated internationally.

Recently, two new certification programmes have been developed and launched by Catas to mark products with the “CQA – Catas Quality Award”: Once for surfaces in playgrounds and for coatings on furniture from the healthcare sector.

The “Made in Italy” certification for furniture is of particular importance for Italian companies. And it is much more than a slogan or a simple proof of origin, because requirements are attached to the certification that ensure quality at a defined level. This is becoming increasingly important, especially for kitchen and office furniture. The “Made in Italy” certificate is based on the one hand on the national standard “UNI 11674” with its process and product requirements, and on the other hand on strict technical rules. These include on-site inspections to verify that the important production phases are actually carried out in Italy, and equally laboratory tests to evaluate the technical performance of the final product.

“The certification is of great interest worldwide,” explains Franco Bulian, Catas’ managing director. “Thanks to it, when we talk about an Italian product, we are no longer talking mainly about an outstanding design – but for a tested, consistent quality.” The manager continues: “The certificate will help to increase the success of Italian furniture worldwide.”