Dolfi Land

2006-2007: A Large, New Dolfi Factory in Runcadic near St. Ulrich

In 2006-2007, the Dolfi Company built its new, spacious facility for the manufacture and sale of wood carvings in Runcadic (community of Kastelruth/Castelrotto) on the road from St. Ulrich, towards the Panider Saddle to Kastelruth/Castelrotto, just 2 km from the center of St. Ulrich. Our old company premises and the office building in St. Ulrich were no longer large enough for the wood-working machines, the storage of the wood, and the many crates of merchandise. The old company building had become too small for the sequence of manufacturing steps, including drying and cutting the wood, the carving process, post-production carving, lacquering, painting, gold application, storage of the finished goods, packaging, and shipping.

The Dolfi Company had to fight for 25 years to obtain the construction permit in Runcadic; that's because the parcel of real estate was an public green zone and belonged to a former farmstead.

The two mayors of Kastelruth/Castelrotto, Vinzenz Karbon and his successor Hartmann Reichhalter, made great efforts on behalf of our company to grant the permit. Finally, in January of 2006, it was possible to commence construction. The construction project for our new facility was managed by the well-known architect Günther Plaikner of Bozen/Bolzano. He succeeded in completing the 50,000-square-meter facility with an appealing design within one year.

The transfer of operations from our old premises in St. Ulrich took place in early-2007. Our large new building in Runcadic was equipped with all of the necessities, including work and production halls, offices, sales room and shipping facilities, display rooms (to present our production,) a small factory museum, a house bar, garages, and a parking lot. All of this encompasses an area of approx. one hectare. Almost all of the production halls in our new building are large.

The lobby / reception area of our new building is quite attractive and appealing. Many small expertly-made huts made of natural wood are located in this large hall.

Dolfi currently has approx. 60,000 items which it manufactures itself. Almost all of these items are pre-milled on modern wood-carving machines. The items then undergo post-production carving. In these wood huts, the items are categorized according to type. Our entire collection is on display. Depending upon the season and the occasion, it can be redecorated. At times, thousands of little figures can be found there. The building also has a special, innovative wood-chip heating system and a modern ceiling heating system.

In recent years, the family of Willi Comploi, with the major support of our Art Director and mother, Mrs. Annamaria Rella-Comploi, established the new company "Dolfi Land." In the year 2008, the Dolfi Company employed 40 workers.

Matteo dares to draw the following comparison: "Nowadays, it seems that everything has to fit perfectly. One could compare our operations to a Formula One race. Thus, if even only one worker doesn't perform his job properly, then the entire race – for which a hundred people had worked hard to perfectly prepare – is at risk." This is similar to the situation in marketing. The competition is fierce, and our customers are becoming more demanding every year.

2008: Inauguration of the So-Called "Dolfi Land Museum" at Our Factory

After lengthy planning, the decision was made to set up a factory museum in the two upper stories of the tower building at the southwest side of our wood-carving factor. This long-term exhibition will be located in the lower of the two stories.
The museum will first present a few valuable examples of Gardena wood carvings from earlier times, including representational art, religious figures, and secular works. Then it will display and describe, in chronological order, several Dolfi Company products. These will include very interesting wood carvings which already have collector's value. Finally, the lengthy history of our company, milestones in its development, but also the current situation of the Dolfi Company will be depicted.

Historically, we begin with the year 1892, the year in which the small wood-carving business by our great-grandfather, Franz Comploj, was founded. Short texts follow, filling in the years up to the present day. Successes, but also critical phases of our company's history spanning more than 115 years will be discussed. It will represent an imaginary trip through the history of Dolfi, including examples of former and current carved objects.

We Are Happy to Offer Our Esteemed Customers:

We offer our esteemed customers an in-depth look at the world of artistic wood carving as it is practiced in Gröden/Gardena, combined with a visit in our factory museum and an excerpt of the history of the "Dolfi Land" company. At the same time, we also offer visitors the option of purchasing any of a wide range of carved items and numerous furnishings made by the new Dolfi Company.

"Dolfi Land" consists of:

Dolfi Lounge
In order to make your visit on our premises as appealing and pleasant for you as possible, we have set up the "Dolfi Lounge" and bar, which offers a selection of simple South Tyrolean culinary treats in a cozy atmosphere.






Dolfi Kids
This indoor area is targeted specifically for children, where they can play with paints and tools and create their own works of art. The outdoor area features Heidi's and Peter's Alpine hut! Your children are free to jump, run, and slide as the area is equipped with a variety of playground toys (trampoline, etc.)




Dolfi Sale
Special offers. Of the more than 60,000 items we produce, about 250 to 300 items are retired from the collection every year. These retired items are available for purchase at discounted prices in a separate area.






Dolfi Museum
2008: Inauguration of the so-called "Dolfi Land Museum" at our factory.








Dolfi Cinema
The upper area of our factory is especially beautiful. It affords a splendid view of our well-designed wooden ceiling, which is equipped with elegant curtains. It has a certain resemblance with an ancient theatre. This room is used for audio-visual presentations, i.e. the projection of videos, films, and video clips in a pleasant atmosphere. Among other things, an informative film about the history of Dolfi, the nearby landscape, and wood carving in Gröden/Gardena is shown here. The "Dolfi Cinema" has a height of 5.5 meters and is a popular entertainment center.

Dolfi Shop
The reception area / lobby in the new building features an attractive design with a comfortable atmosphere and is flooded with natural light. Numerous small expertly-made huts made of natural wood are located in this large hall and serve to present our many collections. Stop by our Dolfi Shop – You'll be surprised what you'll find!




Opening hours:

Open all year round from Monday to Saturday
8.00 – 12.00
14.00 – 18.00
Sundays on request