Innovation

Cyclus is a company that was created with the strong purpose on helping the environment and the local community. The hands of Colombians from different regions of the country give a second life to the tires of trucks and tractors, making them into bags, wallets, briefcases, belts and cases for i-phones and i-pads, that are synonymous of style, simplicity and beauty. Given its environmental commitment, the company only uses natural materials to make its products such as 100% natural cotton and natural leather, colloquially called "Tala".

But this is not what differentiates Cyclus from the other companies that are dedicated to this industry, the company has also tried to benefit the community of Colombia, not only by promoting the genuine Colombian materials as the natural leather used in all its products, but also because everything that is offered is made 100% by Colombian hand, by men and women who do not hide the love for what they do, who give their best to create new things and share them with the world.

In addition, according to Ralph Thoma, the company's current CEO, one of Cyclus's advantages is its quality, design, aesthetic and textures, as the company has worked hard to demonstrate that it is possible to make trends and fashion by recycling tires and using natural materials, on an international level.

Inspiration

The history of Cyclus began in 2002, when two students from Bogota that were studying industrial design decided to bring a purpose to the large number of used tires that were in Colombia and that damage the environment. Jorge Burgos and Ximena Vélez wanted to be designers of products that are made with recycled materials by local people.

They wanted to create ecological awareness and carry a message through the design of their products:

• The Reuse of urban materials.

• The Recycling of raw materials.

• The Reduction of consumption of resources and generation of waste.

The big change that the company underwent was in 2011, when an enthusiastic Swiss investor, Ralph Thoma, bought the company and began to built what it represents today: an international company that not only offers products that are characterized by their high quality, great durability, impermeability, modern and innovative designs, but also a company that shows that recycling is much more than reusing a raw material, but to promote a new way of life.

Overall impact

Cyclus is a lucrative Colombian company that has almost 15 years selling bags, wallets, briefcases, belts and protectors for the i-phone and i-pad, which are synonymous of quality, simplicity, and aesthetic. They are products that create fashion and trend at an international level, but whose added value is found in their manufacturing processes, being made only with natural materials, with recycled tires from the region, and 100% by Colombian hand, as Ralph Thoma said in the interview: "It is important to promote the local economy and help our own people too".

Over the years, the company has been committed to demonstrating that it is possible to produce fashionable products in a sustainable way while at the same time supporting the national economy and the care of the environment.

Today, the company hopes to inspire not only the Colombian community but the general society, to commit to the challenge of creating brands and products that not only help the environment, but also promote different lifestyles.

Business benefit

Nowadays, many investors are looking for companies that focus on environmental or social impact. This trend has been beneficial to Cyclus because it generates both types of impact and at the same time, it is capable of generating benefits. This is why the company has managed to raise capital, allowing them to grow the business in Colombia and expand to other regions around the world.

The company Cyclus has managed to have a wide expansion because its products, in spite of having a social and environmental impact, also count on a great quality. That is why Cyclus has a large number of alliances and clients that offer their support and trust to the company. Some of them are:

• WWF

• ABARTH

• MACRENNIE

• Energía de Bogotá

• BMW

• Contour

Cyclus has been able to manufacture thousands of products per month in the last couple of years, achieving profitability for the company, not only locally but also internationally, being its main market the country of Japan. Likewise, it has made its own workers love what they do every day, because according to Ralph Thoma, within the company, they are aware that they are doing something different to improve the world in which they live.

Social and environmental benefit

Cyclus is a company that has contributed to the care of the environment through its business model, mainly through the thousands of tons of tires it has collected and recycled from the workshops and streets of Colombia, for the manufacture of its products. Likewise, the use of natural products and materials in their manufacturing processes has contributed positively to strengthening their commitment to the environment.

The company has managed to promote the Colombian handicraft through its products at an international level, and has helped to promote among citizens the ecological awareness and the importance that currently has the care of the environment and the use of each resource as much as possible.

At an international level, the company has managed to demonstrate that it is possible to create fashion and trends through high quality products, that had been manufactured in a sustainable way. According to the current CEO of the company in the interview: "In the first instance, all customers do not necessarily buy the products for the knowledge of the manufacturing processes, but for the design, quality and aesthetics they reflect".

That is why the company is considered a pioneer in sustainability through the manufacture of ecological bags and accessories, and hopes to inspire more companies to accept this trend in the future, as Ralph Thoma said in the interview: "I do not consider this an innovation, this is what everyone should do ", because more than a trend or fashion, it is a necessity of the planet and the environment.

Interview

Ralph Thoma, CEO