An Italian story.
Giovanni, born in 1941, and brother Iginio, born in 1942, were still young men when together with two other partners, Angelo and Bruno, they decided to found the Maronese furniture workshop in Via Taglio in the Maron district of Brugnera in 1966.
With capital of 2 million lira, on Monday 3 October the four young men began their adventure. These were years of great change, known today as the Italian economic miracle, a period in which people dreamed big but also had a decent chance of making their dreams come true.
The values at the root.
The Maronese story is built on the company’s inextricable bond with the local area. In the 1960s the Livenza river area around Brugnera underwent a rapid industrial transformation.
Nevertheless, its age-old values remained unaffected by these changes, passed on by father to son generation after generation: dedication to work, an innate sense of duty and a deep desire to grow.
This backdrop proved to be fertile ground for the enterprising Polesello brothers and their partners Copat and Billot, who would transform their expertise into a world-renowned business concern.
“We weren’t in the furniture trade, our business was
transport and that is how we began to understand
the furniture industry and get to know our customers.
We travelled all over Italy, from Sicily to Aprica in the north,
near Sondrio. But it wasn’t a business
that paid very well so one day we said to each other:
why don’t we make the furniture ourselves?“
Giovanni Polesello and Igino Polesello, 1965
1966, the Maronese furniture workshop is opened.
Founders Giovanni Polesello, Iginio Polesello, Bruno Billot and Angelo Copat.
The first furniture prototypes were produced in an old building owned by one of the partners. As soon as the warehouse was finished, the business moved to a larger site that could accommodate the machinery required to satisfy the growing levels of demand. The wives lent a hand, a few employees were hired and Maronese began to make a name for itself. In 1967 the first living room models were presented at the Milan Furniture Fair.
This was just the start of a long success story that is still going strong today.
The business didn’t take off right away, the company needed time to establish itself and its products on the market. The furnituremakers of Pesaro and Brianza were already organised in large companies while the furniture businesses of the Pordenone area were just starting out: in order to compete, the products had to be excellent.
The first Maronese living rooms hit the market.
Customers would examine every last detail and their first action would be to remove the drawers to see if they were made properly, i.e. with a dovetail joint. The furniture passed the quality controls and was displayed in showrooms all over Italy, selling fast.
The work increased and Maronese grew.
“We began with lots of enthusiasm and a series of 50 complete living rooms.
We sold just one. So we put on the only suits we had
and began travelling around Italy again as salesmen, accompanying our agents.
The big guns expected us to fail but instead we started selling
five or six living rooms a week. Orders were immediately repeated and we were really happy“
Production increased, rhythms became more intense, and thoughts turned to new investments: Maronese continued to grow in size with additional expansions while the purchase of cutting-edge German machines guaranteed a more streamlined production process. In the meantime, Maronese also purchased a 2000 m2 warehouse to begin producing wooden kitchens: Arrex was born.
The early basic craft tools had been replaced and modernised with new machines some time previously, but the opening of the business to foreign markets and the growing competition led to the adoption of increasingly sophisticated technologies. Maronese began to stand out for the excellence of its production systems.
The transition from artisans of the industry to industrialists with an artisan soul was complete.
Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.
Important acknowledgments began to come the way of the company, the first in a long line. Giovanni, Iginio and Bruno are made Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the highest national honour for services to the country in the field of literature, the arts, economics and public roles and activities carried out for social, philanthropic and humanitarian ends.
An important acknowledgment for those who contributed to the creation of a highly successful company.
1984, the ATMA Group is founded.
Strength in numbers.
In a scenario and at a time when competition had become global, joining forces and team building was essential. Sharing resources and ideas was crucial in order to keep growing in an international area and building for the future: the coordinated purchase of raw materials, cross-selling actions and synchronised research and development were just a few of the aspects that from now on would increase the competitive capacity of the Group companies. A revamped image symbolised the new pathway of Maronese but the spirit and values behind its rise and development remained the same.
The new expansions, in the mid and late 1980s, were the visible and tangible actions of a company that continued to invest in technology, people and quality, that still displayed the courage that had set it apart since the outset. That knew how to make the difference thanks to the style of its collections.
1986 was a year of economic recovery for the entire furniture sector, both in Italy and abroad, and Maronese increased its exports.
For years Germany would become its key international market with ad hoc models created to satisfy the functional and aesthetic demands of an exacting clientele. At the busiest times, particularly during the boom of 1995, over 38 lorries would leave the Maron warehouses every week. The experience, techniques and expertise it had acquired over the years enabled Maronese to confidently take its place on the global market and prepare for the tricky challenges of the 1990s.
1995, a space all for itself.
The Poma showroom is opened
The mid 1990s would be the ideal time to promote itself, to communicate to the outside world the image of a firmly established company which, together with the other Group companies, now felt the need to share a space where it could express the concept of a complete and modern home
In Brugnera, a single expansive 7,000-square-meter facility—later expanded to 11,000 square meters—takes shape, bringing together the entire production of the ATMA Group: the Poma showroom.
It is a scenographic, constantly evolving journey that captures the state of the art in furniture, trends, and lifestyles through the offerings of individual brands.
A place to network with other group companies and retailers alike; a venue for hosting events and meetings, and for cultivating professional relationships.
2014: A new journey begins
MARONESE ACF is born
In 2014, the classic-modern soul of Maronese joined forces with the contemporary spirit of ACF. MARONESE ACF was born—a single, powerful entity created to bring the new Maronese home project to life.
Two generations in dialogue—but above all, two generations embarking together on a shared path toward the future.
Stories, design, and passion intertwine at Maronese® to create coordinated collections tailored for every room. A fresh perspective for exploring ideas and solutions—an unprecedented journey through style and design, moving toward a new concept of home.
Today, the story continues.
Maronese, the parent company of the ATMA Group, now spans an area of 48,000 square meters. Continuous investments in structural expansion, technological innovation, and increasingly specialized human resources have allowed the company to build an identity over the years that is both solid and dynamic.
The bond with the local territory and its people, but above all, the deep-rooted commitment of the Polesello family, are the common threads of this long history—one that has continued successfully since 1966.
Since 1984, Maronese has been part of the ATMA Group, collaborating with other member companies to offer complete home furnishing solutions. Today, the ATMA Group comprises 14 production plants and employs over 1,000 people—significant figures that testify to and highlight a tangible stability, the result of a great history and a genuine passion for its work.
In 2019, Maronese® officially entered the world of contracting, giving life to a new, more international vision focused on bespoke projects.
The company expanded its expertise, services, and dedicated facilities, partnering with architectural firms and developers to provide integrated solutions for the residential and hospitality sectors.
1966
The Sunflower
Artist Genesio De Gottardo created the first version of the logo.
1984
Maronese + Group
The ATMA Group symbol is paired with the Maronese logo.
1988
Restyling
The new ATMA Group logo appears alongside the original Maronese logotype.
1995
M letter
The letter M, for Maronese, appears within the ATMA Group symbol.
2014
Maronese + ACF
Maronese becomes MARONESE ACF in both its name and its new logo.
2025
Maronese è Casa
Designing furniture capable of interpreting the evolution of space and the habits of those who live in it.
2025
Maronese® is completely refreshing its displays within the Poma showroom and embarking on a brand redefinition journey ahead of its 60th anniversary. Following the years as Maronese ACF®, the company is returning to its original name, Maronese®, unveiling an updated identity, a new logo, and the tagline: ‘Maronese è Casa’