Pininfarina Segno is a business story similar to those of great innovators. And so it can only begin in a garage, perhaps with the requisite surfboard on the wall, since we are in Ravenna.

The main characters in this case are Davide Fabi, who in 2005 was 34 years old and ran a nightclub on the Riviera Romagnola with his two partners. A job where they give their all, but still feel the yearning to embark on a new entrepreneurial journey. Fabi recalls "We started a year-long commercial engagement, and so the company Napkin was born in a garage, which, despite not having much investment, is still alive and kicking after almost 20 years. The idea of producing a range of hospitality supplies that was different from what was available on the market proved to be a winner. The flagship product was compressed wipes, small tablets that, when moistened with water, transformed into mini-towels ..

The company grew, the garage became too small and they moved to new premises; the product sold well, so much so that they patented the idea and added a line of compressed clothing, from T-shirts to bathrobes.

But once again Fabi and his partners were in search of something more: "We wanted to enter the world of retailing - business retail - because until then our field of activity had been hotels, restaurants and catering. Then we turned to an idea that had been in the wings for a long time, the result of a study by Leonardo Da Vinci, who famously wrote with a metal tip on specially prepared paper". Of course, it was unrealistic to expect users in the third millennium to soak paper in resins and calcium carbonate; the challenge was therefore to create a new alloy capable of writing on ordinary paper. Brainstorming with universities and engineers led to the creation of 4Ever in 2010, a line of writing instruments with a tip in the brand new alloy Ethergraf.

The innovation was such as to capture the interest of Paolo Pininfarina: "He granted us the licence of his brand - says Fabi - and the business then developed so significantly (with the Pininfarina Cambiano, Aero and Space writing instruments, sold in tens of thousands) that in 2017 we created together a new company, Signature, the mother of the Pininfarina Segno project". Since then, Napkin has become a true hub within Pininfarina, with commercial and development departments that design, prototype and produce, as well as a division - Brands We Like - that scouts young designers and provides a showcase for their projects.

The arrival of the pandemic forced Fabi and his team to explore new opportunities in terms of sales to stores in Italy and distributors abroad. It was during this period that Pininfarina Segno had the opportunity to make its mark on the customisation market. “With the launch of the One to One division," says Fabi, "we no longer offer a gift from the catalogue to be personalised, but we design, produce and deliver a product 'just for you' to your home.” It all started with a bang when Hyundai commissioned the pen as a gift for buyers of its Genesis car, and later Rolls Royce and Maserati joined the list of customers. With some forays into packaging, such as the successful collaboration with Franciacorta.

The latest project to emerge from the now large Pininfarina Segno family is "Timeless Gift", a division that extends the range of customisable writing instruments with various business accessories, from desk to travel to entry-level, thanks to the partnership with Writech, a Chinese giant that combines very high production rates with very sophisticated design, the result of a network of affiliated designers spread around the world, which has also earned Writech some patents. These gift pens will be the flagship product on the Pininfarina Segno stand at the next PTE, but there will also be travel items such as backpacks, small leather goods and trolleys, as well as other work accessories such as hi-tech desk pads.

We will also see ideas for desk lighting, the next big milestone Fabi and his team are preparing for. Judging by their history, it's a safe bet that it won't be long before their next big innovation.