M.A.B.E.F. srl - Art Supporters

1948 Our story begins in Ispra, a small town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore. Albino Bruno Mariotto is a talented antique furniture restorer who was brought up in the trade, but has a passion for painting; he and his wife Rita set themselves up in a basement workshop and begin making painters’ easels. Their workshop is only 50 metres square and produces a small number of easels which they sell on the domestic market.	1954 In August the Mariottos move their workshop to the larger town of Gallarate, in the province of Varese; their new premises cover about 250 square metres and permit them to increase their production to 1000 items per year.
1958 A new generation joins the company: the Mariottos’ son Luciano is only eighteen years old, but he is already helping his father run the family business. It is in March of this year that "Mariotto De Martin e Figli" is formally established as a company consisting of Albino Bruno Mariotto, Rita and their children Clara and Luciano.	1970 Clara’s husband Gianni Tottoli joins the staff, purchasing the company’s raw materials and overseeing its productive processes. The company begins to export its products, first to France, then to Belgium, Germany, and Great Britain and even across the Atlantic to the United States. The workshop now employs four people full time and produces around 10,000 easels per year.
1974 The business continues to grow and expand into new markets; a new, bigger workshop is needed. The company moves to its current premises in Via A. Volta in Cardano al Campo, where it occupies 1400 square metres and can employ eight people and increase its production to 20,000 items per year.	1975 "Mariotto Albino Bruno E Figli" becomes MABEF, from the initials of its original name. MABEF rapidly becomes synonymous with high quality Italian easels all over the world.
1981 From a craftsman’s workshop to an industry: in January 1981 M.A.B.E.F. S.r.l. is established with a staff of twelve employees and an annual production of 40,000 easels. The company consolidates its position on its foreign markets and expands into new markets such as Japan and South Africa.	1984 This year marks a turning point for the company: Luciano Mariotto designs the revolutionary KIT easel assembly system. The company patents this ingenious new system, which is to be the key to its future success.
1986 Luciano’s daughter Laura joins him, taking over responsibility for the company’s administration and marketing. Her contribution will help make MABEF a famous name and open it up to new foreign markets.	1988 The company is growing so much it needs to expand its productive capacity yet again; MABEF purchases a factory next to its own and expands its premises to cover 5000 square metres of land, half of which is covered with buildings. MABEF now employs twenty people and produces 110,000 easels annually.
1991 Two of Albino Bruno’s grandchildren join the family business at the beginning of this year: Sandro and Paolo Tottoli, Clara and Gianni’s sons. It is Sandro who is to take care of logistics in the various departments of the company with the aim of organising their work efficiently, while Paolo joins his father and his uncle in overseeing production.	1994 The company expands its premises again with the construction of a new building in August of 1994 which increases the total surface area of the company’s buildings to 3500 square metres, permitting the firm to increase its productivity and efficiency and decrease delivery time. Following this investment MABEF can produce 200,000 easels per year; it now employs thirty people.
1997 This year MABEF has seen further expansion with the construction of an additional 900 square metres building that will bring the covered surface to 4400 square metres, adding space to the assembly area and storage of finished products.	2000 The opening of further foreign markets brings to the decision to add a new external manufacturing plant of around 1600 square meters that employs further 8 workers.
2003 To offer a better delivery service Mabef decides to acquire a new warehouse of 500 square metres which will be also adequate to the annual production of 250.000 units.	TODAY Nowadays, Mabef is present in more than 40 countries around the world, bringing the “Made in Italy” style in all continents thanks to the experience, the commitment and the passion, that led Mabef to become world leader in the production of wooden articles for painters .