(Editor: Leona) Leather upholstery major Natuzzi said worldwide sales rose 8.2% in the third quarter as the company cut its net loss by nearly 50%.

The company, which reports some financial information in U.S. dollars, said the results were aided by improved productivity in its factories, as well as the success of several new products launched this year at trade shows in High Point and Milan.

“The industrial efficiency recovery measures … aimed at solving production delays in China and Italy that affected our turnover during the prior two quarters have started to generate the expected benefits,” said Chairman Pasquale Natuzzi.

Net sales for the quarter ended Sept. 30 totaled $148 million, up from $136.8 million in last year’s third quarter.

The company’s net loss totaled $12.5 million or 23 cents per share. In the same quarter a year ago, the loss was $24.8 million or 45 cents per share.

Natuzzi also reported that High Point-based Natuzzi Americas had third-quarter sales of 43.4 million euros, or about $54 million. That’s an increase of 12.4% from 38.6 million euros, or about $48 million, in last year’s third quarter.

For the nine months ended Sept. 30, however, sales at Natuzzi Americas fell 5.4% to 116.4 million euros, or about $144.7 million.

Worldwide sales for the first nine months of 2014 totaled $437.5 million, down 1.6% from $444.7 million in the first nine months of 2013.

The nine-month net loss totaled $46 million or 84 cents per share. That compares with a loss of $52.7 million or 96 cents per share in the first nine months of last year.