Forel, an Italian company and a global leader in machinery for glass processing, is celebrating 50 years in business with the inauguration of a new production facility at its headquarters in Vallio di Roncade, in the province of Treviso, Italy. This milestone links the company’s half-century anniversary to a new phase of industrial growth, driven by continuous innovation, technological development and the ability to anticipate market needs with cutting-edge solutions.
The expansion, officially presented today in the presence of partners and authorities, represents a key step in Forel’s growth journey. Over the years, the company has combined technological evolution with the constant strengthening of its production structure and growing expansion across international markets, thanks to four foreign subsidiaries and 20 agencies now operating worldwide.
The intervention at the industrial site led to the construction, over a two-year period, of a new production wing, developed as an extension of the existing area and covering a total surface of 9,000 square metres. This investment will allow the company to increase its capacity by 40 percent, enabling it to process orders more quickly and ensure faster delivery times across its various product lines. The new facility also includes a showroom area, conceived as a permanent exhibition space for the machinery produced by the company.
“Fifty years is not only a symbolic milestone for us, but a stage that reflects the way Forel has built its future and intends to continue doing so,” said Fortunato Vianello, President and Founder of Forel. “From 1976 to today, we have lived through half a century of technological evolution without ever ceasing to innovate, often anticipating the market with solutions that did not yet exist. Our approach has always been the same: when a solution does not exist, it must be invented. Starting from this vision, we have grown to consolidate an international dimension, while preserving our family identity, our very strong bond with the territory, and our loyalty to the values that have guided our path from the very beginning.”
“The expansion of the facility represents a very concrete investment in Forel’s future,” said Riccardo Vianello, CEO and Vice President of Forel. “Increasing production capacity, improving the organisation of spaces, accelerating delivery times and strengthening customer reception means putting the company in a position to respond even more effectively to a constantly evolving market. It is a choice that reinforces our structure and prepares us to face the coming years with greater solidity and ambition.”
Making the anniversary even more significant is the recovery and enhancement of Le Ali di Venezia, a monumental artwork with strong symbolic value that Forel has chosen to bring back to life on the occasion of its fiftieth anniversary. Created in 2003 as an artistic and cultural project conceived to pay tribute to Venice and to the heritage of Murano’s master glassmakers, the artwork brings together glass, art and technological innovation, thus becoming an integral part of the story of this milestone.
The sculpture, composed of two monumental wings made with 430 feathers in blown crystal glass, handcrafted one by one, was first exhibited in 2004 in the Bacino di San Marco, at Punta della Dogana, and later also at the entrance of Venice Marco Polo Airport, as a visual synthesis between artisan tradition and contemporary technology.
Subsequently acquired by Forel and kept for years at the company’s facility, it now finds a new location in front of the main headquarters, where it takes on further symbolic value as a tangible sign of the connection between enterprise, culture, territory and design capability.