Emu Group S.p.A., is an Italian company that has become the international symbol for outdoor furnishings Made in Italy. The administrative and production headquarters are located in the 70,000 sq. mt premises in Marsciano, Umbria. More than 500 people make up the work force, including allied industries. With more than fifty years experience in the promotion of authentic Italian style and living, Emu has grown constantly in size, production and distribution. The exclusive Aluminium, Emu Wicker, Teak Metal and Metal Collections make up Emu’s production range that brings together a variety of style trends and innovative interpretations of classic models.To guarantee the quality and suitability for professional use even in the most severe climatic conditions, Emu carries out rigorous testing and uses industry-best industrial processes for metal protection (Emu Coat, cataphoresis) and finishes (powder coatings) of its products.Year by year, the Company’s research into new designs and technological innovation lead to the launch of new products. More than 700,000 articles are produced annually in the Marsciano factory: 450,000 chairs and lounges in approximately 50 different models. The brand is represented in more than 50 countries with a widespread and qualified distribution network through Emu Flag Stores, shops and garden centres.Emu acts as a partner in retail and contract distribution. More than 650,000 catalogues and price lists with striking graphics are distributed yearly to clients to communicate the high quality and design level of the production. Emu participates in the most important international design fairs.

History

Founded in 1951 to produce military transmissions, hence the name Emu (Elettro Meccanica Umbra), the company was one of the first in the world to patent an exclusive metal plasticisation process with exceptional resistance to atmospheric agents. On the strength of this modern technology Emu found its true vocation in the 60s: outdoor furnishings. This sector gave the Company the opportunity to best express its acquired technology, know how and local skill in working metals.Emu’s strategy went hand in hand with a new way of perceiving gardens that became an extra room for the house.The passion for research and development of technologies and fresh designs led to Emu’s continuation of its garden project and to firmly establish itself. Its first success came in 1966 with Rio, “Italy’s favourite seating”, that sold 8,000,000 pieces since then. The 80s were the years of consolidation of the company identity and development of its international essence, when an increasing part of the turn over came from overseas markets. The change of management in the 90s saw Mr R. Biscarini give a completely new style to the company. The Emu brand name had by now become an international point of reference of Italian style and quality. In September 2005 the new management is reinforcing the brand name in the accessible luxury goods market with a development strategy focusing on design and qualified distribution. The preferred channel for increasing product visibility and centrality provides for the opening of Flag Stores in the main European capitals, franchises and authorized dealers.The company’s development policy also proposes to promote the brand by making use – starting already in 2007 – of the creative contribution of world-famous designers such as Jean-Marie Massaud, Christophe Pillet and Rodolfo Dordoni, the first to put their names to the new Advanced collections.

Research & design

More than half a century of research into technology and aesthetics is a defining factor of Emu Group S.p.A. activities.A dynamic concept of design and quality that pave the way to the development of innovations and trends.The creative heart of the company led to it being the first company in the world to patent the hot plasticisation of metals in 1959. And in 1961 Emu built the first plasticisation plant in Italy. Emu, always in the vanguard of technological innovation, created a new generation of outdoor furniture: the elegance and resistance of metal took on a new vitality outdoors thanks to the PVC coating. The combination of metal and plastic had never been seen in a chair and this led to an explosion in demand. Created in 1966, the Rio chair has sold since then 8,000,000 pieces, the greatest success ever seen in the history of garden furniture. Emu articles undergo hi-tech processes, such as Emu Coat and cataphoresis, developed with the cooperation of major universities and chemical companies. Materials experimentation has produced exceptional results, such as Emu Wicker, the latest discovery in the industrial fibres sector. Innovative combinations of materials create exciting results: wicker and stainless steel, metal in Indian brown and teak. Aluminium is used with wicker in our exclusive combination, steel netting with leather, to create decor of great scenic impact.Emu furnishes the most beautiful squares in Italy and abroad: it leads the contract market in the most exclusive places in the world.Emu is a partner in luxury events, such as “Deluxe” held in Porto Cervo, Italy.In 2007, thanks to the creative inspiration of great international designers, the company created a new identity for metal, putting the most extensive know-how in the world into the production process.Metal is reborn, leaving its coldness and stiffness behind, dressing the collections in a new way, emphasizing the soft, sinuous lines of the Advanced creations with a new gracefulness and plasticity. Steel is worked like a precious fabric and acquires the quality of a strong emotional added value.Jean-Marie Massaud, Christophe Pillet and Rodolfo Dordoni choose metal for interpreting creations that go beyond an exclusively outdoor use and are equally well-suited for the home or the garden.The company gives a new dignity to metal, exploiting its natural properties of flexibility, lightness and strength, enhancing elegance through the exclusive design of its products.