Digitalisation Initiative
In the year 2021, the bedding manufacturer HEFEL celebrated its 114th anniversary and is the only bedding manufacturer in the world to produce comforters, pillows, mattress pads and Tencel bed linens in a fully integrated process from fabric to finishing to ready-made products without long transport routes. The company owns the only remaining ticking weaving mill in Europe. Production takes place exclusively in Austria. Founded in 1907, the factory is family-owned and successfully managed by the fourth generation of the family, the two cousins Ulrike Hefel and Dietmar Hefel.
The HEFEL bedding factory was founded in 1907 by Josef Anton Hefel. His nephew Johann Hefel took over as sole proprietor as early as 1924, and at that time thought: "Only from craftsmanship can one rise to art." He installed one of the largest and most modern ticking weaving rooms in Europe. Meanwhile, the only remaining ticking weaving mill in Europe is located at the headquarters in Schwarzach, where the world's finest and most exclusive down-proof ticking fabrics are still produced today. That is why HEFEL quilts are quilted with delicate fabrics from the company's own ticking weaving mill in an elaborate one-off production process in custom-made frames made of Ramin wood. Experienced hands stretch the fabric onto the frame like a precious painting. This requires the utmost precision and the trained eye of qualified specialists, many of whom have been working at HEFEL for several generations. Today, as in the past, HEFEL bedding is manufactured 100% by hand in Austria in Schwarzach in Vorarlberg and in the Mühlviertel region of Upper Austria.
HEFEL was committed to innovation leadership and the sustainable production of natural bedding at a very early stage. This is also reflected in the company's mission: "To make everyone happier through healthy sleep by allowing them to enjoy a night-time spa, so to speak, with bedding from HEFEL".
HEFEL is regarded as the TENCEL™ pioneer in the bedding market and was promptly given the "Best New Product" award at the New York Home Textile Show in 2001 for the "first comforter made from wood". In 2002, HEFEL was again honoured in NYC with this award for the "first comforter with seaweed".
In 2007, HEFEL was again the pioneer in launching the first stone pine bedding range. HEFEL processes only the finest treasures of nature: precious cashmere from the Himalayas, fine camel fluff from Mongolia, delicate organic silk, exclusive virgin sheep's wool from France and ecological fibres from wood, TENCEL™ Lyocell and TENCEL™ Luxe from Austria, to name but a few. The use of sustainable raw materials such as organic cotton from controlled organic cultivation, organic linen, vegan organic hemp and merino virgin wool from controlled organic animal husbandry, as well as fine down fillings with Responsible Down Standard to protect animal welfare are a matter of course at HEFEL.
It is therefore not surprising that in 2018, HEFEL was the only bedding company from a pool of around 4,800 companies to be awarded the "Ecologically exemplary" rating by the magazine "Focus". Ecological, social commitment and employee responsibility are integral parts of HEFEL's corporate philosophy, based on the uncompromisingly honest values of a traditional family business.
From New York to Tokyo
The products are sold through high-quality specialist retailers, furniture stores, hotel suppliers of national and international luxury hotels and yachts as well as online retailers. The manufacturer's fine bedding can also be found in luxury department stores from New York to Tokyo, such as Harrods in London, Le Bon Marché in Paris or TSUM in Moscow. Hollywood stars also like to wrap themselves in HEFEL's fine bedding. There has been a partnership with the Austrian Ski Team since 2011. Many top athletes only travel to their competitions with HEFEL bedding in their luggage.
Digitalisation – Directly to the Consumer
There is no question that Covid-19 has given the digital transformation a boost and spurred digital commerce. We are moving away from the eternal debate of "brick-and-mortar or e-commerce?". Both can be justified. So it's not an either-or decision, but rather a decision for both. At HEFEL, we therefore decided more than two years ago to proactively push the digital transformation forward, not least because of the increasing disappearance of specialist retailers and the realisation that consumer behaviour cannot be controlled but must be addressed. Digitalisation offers retailers and producers the opportunity to get to know customers better based on their shopping behaviour and to address them with personally relevant offers on their preferred "channel". In addition, there are the manifold possibilities of after-sales service. We started with a web shop in Switzerland and, simultaneously, with a web shop in China; in Asia, we are just learning what flexibility and speed of response mean. For 2021, we plan to continue our digitalisation initiative in the direction of Western Europe.
