New collaboration to provide more green solutions for interior design in the business world
Minding has entered into a new collaboration with Inventa, one of Denmark's leading manufacturers of fixtures and furniture designed for all industries. According to the managing director of Inventa, the collaboration is based on a common set of values and the desire to develop green solutions
For almost 70 years, Inventa has supplied furniture for supermarkets, bakeries, jewellers, banks, hotels and offices, among others. According to Inventa's managing director, Pia Grandelag, their success is based on strong and close collaborations with customers and suppliers, and they have always taken a customer-centric approach throughout the entire process. Customer needs have also been the cornerstone of their latest collaboration.
More and more companies are now making the green transition the cornerstone of both their CSR policies and daily decision-making processes in the office – and interior design is no exception. Demand for greener furniture solutions is increasing, and Inventa has therefore entered into a collaboration with Minding, the environmentally conscious branch of the furniture company Top-Line.
“We strongly believe in collaboration. It is important to us that each party does what they do best and that they enter into a collaboration side by side. That way, the customer gets the best possible solution," Pia Grandelag says, adding: "We are good at design and custom fixtures, and it's therefore fantastic to work with someone like Minding, with the furniture and solutions to meet the customer's greener needs."
Cork takes centre stage
Minding was born out of a collaboration between two experienced companies: Top-line A/S, one of Scandinavia's leading furniture manufacturers, and Portocork, agent for one of the world's largest cork producers. With this new collaboration with Inventa, Minding can now call itself a total supplier of both fixtures and furniture for the hotel and restaurant industry.
"We are meeting more and more customers who are interested in green alternatives. But we also meet some who, in terms of design, want the green image to be pervasive and shine through in their shops, hotels or the like," Pia Grandelag reveals.
This is where cork is a strong candidate. According to Svend Ø. Pedersen, CEO of Minding and founder of Top-Line, the characteristic brown colour of the cork not only provides a sense of peace and warmth, it also sends a clear green signal.
However, it was more than just this signal that attracted Inventa to the cork. The production possibilities also played a decisive role:
"As a production company, it is also important that we can continue to produce locally in Denmark. Minding uses cork, which they harvest in Portugal, where 46% of the world's cork comes from.
The fact that the transport routes are not very long is not only good for the climate – it also makes good sense for us, because we want to continue to produce as locally as possible," Pia Grandelag says.
Orderliness and good craftsmanship as a common base
CEO Svend Ø. Pedersen sees many opportunities for Minding in this new collaboration with Inventa:
"We want to spread the word about cork and teach more people about this unique material. Inventa has the means and opportunities to reach out to many different customers and industries.”
At the same time, there is clear agreement from both sides of the table that when Minding and Inventa combine their ambitions, it is about more than good business.
"Our collaborations are hugely important to us, and it means a lot that we can see our own ambitions and values reflected in our partners," says Pia Grandelag, who believes that Minding and Inventa are a good match because they both want to make a difference in their industry.
Svend Ø. Pedersen chimes in:
"It has been important for us to sit down with someone who has the same ambitions for the future. We can do that with Inventa.”
Just like Minding, the furniture manufacturer is also driven by delivering designs that stand the test of time and make a difference both aesthetically and physically, as well as the desire to inspire and prove that beautiful design and good craftsmanship can go hand in hand with consideration for the environment.
Inventa is part of the Climate-ready Production Company initiative backed by the Danish Industry Foundation and the Confederation of Danish Industry. The programme will help to accelerate the green transition and support CO2 reduction at Danish production companies.
The collaboration is off to a good start with participation at the FoodExpo trade fair, the Nordic region's largest trade fair for the food service, retail and hotel & restaurant industry. Then they will be ready again in August – this time at the Oslo Design Fair, which runs from 28 August to 2 September.
