Ripples visits Dansani factory in Denmark
Earlier this month, Ripples was invited to the Dansani factory in Denmark to learn more about the design principles behind its product range and to see how the products are brought to life within the factory. Organised by Dansani’s UK Sales team, the trip gave us an opportunity to expand our understanding of the Dansani brand and product range.
The day started with a welcome from Dansani CEO Peter Juul. Peter explained how the recent handover from Dansani's previous CEO of 15 years, Carsten Friis, has been one of collaboration and cohesion, giving Peter the time to understand what has made Dansani the successful brand it is, but also space for him to develop his own ideas on how to take it to the next level. Peter discussed his plans for the future of Dansani under his helm, including a pragmatic approach to the adoption of new technology and a dedication to creating an even more sustainable business, from top to bottom.
The floor was then thrown open to Dansani’s Chief Design Officer, Rasmus Kjær who shared the design ideas behind the Dansani’s four core product ranges: Calidris, You, Luna and Mido and explained how each has its place within the Ripples customer portfolio. He then went on to talk about the investment Dansani has made in the research, development and production of its lighting range. Rasmus and his team went back to the core principles of how light affects mood when developing Dansani's lighting collection, to ensure the tone, brightness, functionality and aesthetic are all beneficial to wellbeing.
It was then time for a tour of the factory. Headed up by Dansani Factory Manager Finn Jensen, the tour showcased each part of the production process, from the wood store right the way through to the packaging department. Overall it was an extremely calm and efficiently run factory, with a mission to act responsibly and sustainably at its core. For example, they split recycling into 17 different materials, even down to the food waste from its canteen, to reduce the impact the company has on the environment.
On the theme of sustainability, to close off the day we had a presentation from Sustainability Project Manager Thomas Winther who spoke about the company's goals to become increasingly sustainable. These included initiatives such as: introducing cellular cardboard to replace polystyrene packaging, installing enough solar panels on the factory roof to generate half the amount of energy required to power production and administration, redesigning products to make them modular and therefore less wasteful should they need to be fixed and sourcing only PEFC certified wood for its furniture range.
“Our relationship with Dansani has always been a special one as the first thing we did when we met back in 2005 was create good connections with the team. Our relationship with Dansani, alongside its continued commitment to make great product, has culminated in a successful partnership which I feel will only go from strength to strength.”