Summary
- The traditional business of wool mattress made by hand, is transformed in a boutique of mattresses and sustainable design.
- Artesano de sueños remains the tradition of the craft, in the value of the design tailored to the customer, the use of natural, noble and durable materials and the learning of principles and secrets of an old work to new generations.
- At the same time it renews the way of doing business, according to criteria of fair trade, sustainable production and education for responsible consumption, reaffirming the care of the social and environmental issues.
Innovation
- In terms of innovation, the first thing that the owners focused was design and the real innovation is to transform an old traditional business in a design center that today offers more than 50 designs of furniture for all rooms in a house.
- They incorporated a variety of materials that respond to contemporary needs and tastes. It is not usual to work with wool (except when a mattress that fill is reused). Today Artesano de Sueños uses cotton, natural latex in plate and natural latex flakes. In that sense, they focused in the environmental aspects of the trade and they can give account of a cycle full of our products from the origin of the raw materials until the service.
- Artesano de Sueños works on the environmental impact from the origin of the raw material to the provision of a "reuse service" that guarantees the unlimited extension of the life of the product.
Inspiration
- Artesano de Sueñosis a small family company under the leadership of Jorge Grimaudo - fifth generation of teachers colchoneros Italian- and Mercedes Ghioni -specialist in sustainability.
- In 2009, the family relaunches the traditional business as a boutique of mattresses and sustainable design. Since they launched the business, their product mother - mattress - is diversified and the ancient craft of mattress is recreated from the general principles of corporate social responsibility.
- They keep intact the tradition of craft, the value of the design is tailored throughout the customer's needs; the use of materials natural, noble and durable; the intergenerational transmission of principles and secrets of the work; and the cordial, pleasant and family with the other (partners, suppliers, consumers, community, organizations, etc.).
- At the same time it renews the way of doing business, according to criteria of fair trade, sustainable production and education for responsible consumption, reaffirming the care of the social and environmental issues.
Overall impact
Artesano de Sueños used to having trade clients of the mattress to sleep and the small business were transformed in a project of sustainable design that today offers more than 50 designs of furniture for all rooms in a house - including outdoor spaces. Incorporating new materials that were sustainable.
In that sense, also, they focused in the environment aspects of the trade converting an old business into a triple impact business, with social, economic and environmental impact.
Social: people that are working with them are young men who didn't have any chance to get a job; now they are learning how to make a mattress and at the same time they are finishing the secondary school (obligatory in Argentina).
The impact on health allergic growing population in large cities is an indicator relevant within them reviews of their customers.
After 7 years working in this business they can distinguish the type of customer who buy in Artesanos de Sueños, and its influence:
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Customer in search of customized product and design. They realized that they could generate changes of habit and conscious in the clients if we have direct dialogue.
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Customer looking for a sustainable product.
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Customer in which both previous interests converge.
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Older customer: people who always had wool mattress and until today are still reusing their mattress as a habit acquired since they were child
- Consumers often buy irresponsibly because they have no information
- Young generations, whose interest is remarkable and Artesano de Sueños is changing their strategies of communications considering this target.
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we realized that we could generate changes of habit and conscious in our clients if we propitiate direct dialogue said Mercedes in the interview.
Business benefit
- Artesano de Sueños is profitable not only for family support, but also in order to support the growing teamwork.
- In order to get to this point, they took a very important strategic decision at the beginning. When resources were scarce there was a need to focus and reinvest in the participation of main fairs of design and decoration of the country. In those, they were tested by the most demanding public with the most important companies-that are the ones that generate local trend. The response of the public and the press was very strong.
- So today they are sure that they have a product for which they can project a very promising future. At this time, they are focused on improving internal processes and, also, to create a platform for communication. Internet is, without a doubt, the tool for the future. And they designed a line of specific products for this channel as a unit of business other than the product customized until now, they have been working
Social and environmental benefit
- Artesano de Sueños incorporated a variety of materials that responded to contemporary needs and tastes. It is not usual to work with wool (except when a mattress that fill is reused). Today it uses cotton, natural latex in plate and natural latex flakes.
- The company gives priority to materials 100% natural, healthy, biodegradable and reusable indefinitely.
- It works on the environmental impact from the origin of the raw material to the provision of a "reuse service" that guarantees the unlimited extension of the life product. Artesano de Sueños takes a great commitment as regards quality, duration and impact of the variety of products that they put into market.
- The opportunity of reusing someones mattress translates into a significant saving to family economies. Since mattress service costs only a third of its new cost. In moments of economic crisis, the option of reusing enables people to access to rest of maximum quality with a considerably reasonable investment.
- Mattresses have a special policy of marketing that deliberately keeps best prices as low as possible so that it is a product accessible to all. Such prices include a reduction of ⅔ below those marks (industrial) leaders of the market.
- One of its strategies, and which with they want to work in depth, is traceability. Some of its suppliers have known sustainable standards. For other materials, for the time being, they have tried working with certain certified suppliers, but the cost makes it almost impossible for them to sell, except to a very small segment of customers.
- Therefore, they prefer to work in the chain of value with "certifications social" that are of origin reliable, which assures them certain price that allows them to have profits out of the finished product.
- Artesano de Sueños works in order to eradicate all these problems and focuses in transmitting this message to their clients.
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Business information
Artesano de Sueños
Buenos Aires,
AG
Year Founded:
2009
Number of Employees:
2 to 10
Artesano de Sueños is born from the union of Mercedes Ghioni and Jorge Grimaudo. Partners in life and in business. Mercedes is a political scientist specializing in international relations, who for 20 years worked in various governmental areas, advised companies and NGOs, but always was concerned about social and environmental issues. Jorge is the fifth generation of “Colchoneros masters” of the Grimaudo family. Craft + Eco-Design was the first equation that motivated this couple to launch its brand in the market. Jorge inherited the craft and the experience of Former House Grimaudo. This family business which made mattresses of wool with the traditional artisan methods brought by his grandfather from Italy in Buenos Aires for almost 100 years.
The handmade mattress - 100% natural - is more beneficial for health and restful. A product of maximum quality, but whose demands not resisted the advance of mattresses industrial. Before, all mattresses were handcrafted and “colchoneros” had in each neighborhood, town or city.
In 2009, Mercedes and Jorge seized the opportunity to relaunch his family business in different design with the name of Artesano de Sueños, to introduce sustainable products and design and promote good practices.
From that moment, the "mother" product of entrepreneurship - sleeping - wool mattress for rest, saw its iconic aesthetics diversified in numerous and different products.
Regarding innovation towards design, they incorporated new trends of modern and comfortable materials that were the key to the revival of the trade and a growth uninterrupted.
Stems, therefore, an audience that follows them and recognized easily by their product quality and your personal warmth.
Today, Artesano de Sueños offers sustainable furniture for almost all the environments of a house; mattresses for all the ages, beds, backrests, armchairs for inside and outside, poufs, multifunctional designs, cushions, mats, products for meditation and relaxation.
The company gives priority to materials 100% natural, healthy, biodegradable and reusable indefinitely.
