Materia AB

Innovative design since 1992 From the outset we have refused to compromise. The combination of innovative design which places the user at centre-stage, and carefully selected materials and manufacturing methods has been a rapid success. Materia was set up in 1992 by Kersti Sandin and Lars Bülow, both architects and industrial designers. The combination of innovative design philosophy with focus on the user and being totally uncompromising when selecting materials and manufacturing methods quickly lead to success. Today Materia is a part of the interior design group Kinnarps, and our meeting concepts and products are used all over the world. The following summarises our journey. 1992 – Materia is set up in Stockholm. 1994 – Own production facility started in Tranås. 1998 – Main office moves from Stockholm to Tranås. “The blue factory” is also acquired. 2002 – More employees taken on and production facilities expanded with “the yellow factory” for assembly work and logistics. 2004 – Materia is acquired by Kinnarps and becomes an independent brand in the Group. 2008 – Inauguration of a new factory in Höganloft in Tranås. 7,500 square metres with production facilities, offices and showrooms. Our furniture is our responsibility We are extremely committed to the environment and social responsibility. This is exemplified by the Möbelfakta furniture labelling and above all our unique FSC certification. Our focus is on innovative design and on making it a reality in our factory in Tranås in an uncompromising way. But we are also extremely committed to the environment and social responsibility. One simple way to protect the environment is to use local suppliers as this reduces haulage distances. We do this at all times when we can. Substantially more complicated work is carried out using the Möbelfakta product labelling system. To comply with their demands, our manufacturing processes and our suppliers and sub-suppliers must be approved in terms of wages and working environment. As we believe this is an important issue, we go to great lengths to inspect and review our suppliers, both in Sweden and abroad, to ensure they comply with the regulations in force. We are also certified according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 as are most companies in this sector. However we are a cut above the rest with our FSC® (Forest Stewardship Council) certification, which means the wood used in our furniture is sourced from forests that are managed in a responsible manner. Sensitive forests are not touched and trees that are important from a biological diversity perspective are never felled. The certification regulates the entire chain, from protecting flora and fauna to the working conditions for those working with felling, sawing and transporting of wood. All these steps are inspected by FSC® so that you always know you are getting a certified product. Finally, we are proud to have met the requirements of the OHSAS 18001 standard. This is an international certification for occupational health and safety, which certifies our compliance with all work environment legislation and that we work actively to ensure commitment, well-being and safety towards our staff. This certification also includes a review of our management system, which helps us to develop our business and become an even better workplace in the future.