“When you’ve been born into a business like ours, core values and vision are instilled in you [via] osmosis. Our foundation was strong, thanks to both our parents,” says Rebecca Nienkämper, vice-president at the office furniture specialist firm founded by her father, Klaus. When Klaus and his wife, Beatrix, opened the company’s first 31 furniture showroom, on Toronto’s King Street East, in 1968, there was nothing else like it in Canada. Nienkämper’s combination of high-quality Canadian fabrication and Bauhaus-inspired designs quickly proved to be a winning formula and helped the firm grow into one of North America’s most recognized office furniture designers today.
“Make a quality product, respond to clients’ needs while maintaining design integrity, and be nice,” says Ottilie Nienkämper, the company’s marketing director, describing her father’s business philosophy. These founding tenets, along with a commitment to doing as much as possible in-house, remain Nienkämper’s guiding principles and help it stand out from the competition after more than 50 years in business. “Nienkämper outsources very little, which gives us greater control over the entire process,” Ottilie adds. “This is pretty unique in our industry.”
Italian kitchen specialist Scavolini shares a similar origin story, and likewise credits its continued success to its founders, Valter and Elvino Scavolini, who began producing modular kitchens in Pesaro, Italy, in 1961. Now in his 80s, Valter remains an active part of the business even though his daughter, Fabiana Scavolini who joined the company in 1995, has taken over as the company’s CEO. Alongside her brother, Gian Marco, and cousins Emanuela and Alberto, Fabiana is dedicated to running Scavolini with the same passion and enthusiasm as Valter and Elvino, particularly when it comes to its long-standing commitment to Italian craftsmanship. “A cornerstone of Scavolini’s identity is its dedication to the principles of ‘Made in Italy,’” says Fabiana. “We continually invest in our production system, nurturing it with responsibility and foresight, guided by the entrepreneurial values that have shaped us from the start.”
Fabiana further credits Scavolini’s success to her father and uncle’s savvy decision to outsource production while focusing on research, development and marketing in-house — a strategy that still guides the company’s operations today. “Producing everything in-house would have made it impossible to meet demand,” she says. “Instead, we opted for a lean production model supported by a supply chain of specialized partners — a groundbreaking move for the industry then.”
Now, with an expansive network of showrooms, from Toronto to Shanghai, and a growing range of living, bathroom and outdoor collections, the Scavolini family’s time-tested strategy is helping their brand prosper. “We believe [Scavolini] must be nurtured with responsibility and vision, remaining true to the ethical and entrepreneurial values instilled in us by my father,” Fabiana says. “He continues to be a reference point for all of us.”
At Roche Bobois, the Parisian brand known for expressive yet functional home furnishings — like the Bubble sofa and the Legend bookcase — family has always been an important part of its business model. In 1960, after a visit to a design fair in Copenhagen, brothers François and Philippe Roche and Patrick and JeanClaude Chouchan launched what would become one of France’s leading importers of Scandinavian modern furniture. Following its initial success, the brand established a new visual identity that married the clean lines and functionality of modernism with a French sense of frivolity. “The Roche and Chouchan families always promoted innovation, creativity and boldness,” explains Eric Amourdedieu, executive director of Roche Bobois SA. “They wanted to produce furniture that is more than just functional but [also] embodies elegance and French art de vivre.”
While the company has grown into a global empire with dozens of showrooms worldwide from Sydney, Australia, to Saudi Arabia, it continues to uphold the founders’ vision under the leadership of Jean-Eric Chouchan and Nicolas Roche. “Being a family-owned company has enabled Roche Bobois to nurture a long-term vision and a deep attachment to its core values,” Amourdedieu says. “It has given us the freedom to make bold decisions, to invest in innovation and partnerships with renowned designers, all while staying true to our roots. This family-based approach is key to our success and our international growth.”
It’s telling that, while almost every aspect of doing business has changed since the 1960s, the vision of Roche Bobois’ founders remain a primary source of guidance and inspiration more than 60 years later. The same is true at Nienkämper and Scavolini, both of which continue to be guided by principles established by their own respective founders decades ago. This isn’t the only thing that sets these companies apart, of course, but it suggests that – in business as in life – knowing where you came from is just as important as knowing where you’re going.
By Jeremy Freed — *This article originally appeared in Insight: The Art Of Living Magazine – The Connection Issue.
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