Weaving the future

Since its founding in 1886, the family-run company Création Baumann, based in Langenthal, Switzerland, has been characterised by a passion for textiles. An internal design studio and in-house production have always been the driving forces behind the company's ability to develop further in terms of aesthetics, technology, quality and sustainability. The big advantage: from the idea to the realisation, the entire manufacturing process is in one hand.

Now managed by Philippe Baumann in the fourth generation, it was time for Création Baumann to ensure that the values as well as the further development of the portfolio also became more visible in the brand's appearance by carefully adapting the corporate identity. "The brand relaunch is an investment in our brand core. There will be visible changes and it is an important chapter in our company history. Rebranding is always a big step, and it is above all an expression of our strong belief in the future," says Baumann. In concrete terms, the modern and self-confident appearance of the brand is reflected, for example, in pioneering acoustic solutions. Acoustic fabrics from dense to transparent, acoustically effective curtains for smart zoning or acoustic panels and room dividers optimise rooms not only in functional but also in aesthetic terms. The curtain and upholstery fabrics are designed to be particularly robust and sustainable – thanks to smart add-ons such as an antibacterial coating, even demanding projects such as hospitals or care facilities can be comfortably furnished. The system solutions for interior shading also offer planners and users a wide range of interior design options. The new CI is just like the product range itself: straightforward, durable and powerful.

Linda Pezzei: How important is it for an established family business to remain constantly innovative and how does this endeavour manifest itself at Création Baumann?

Philippe Baumann: In my opinion, it is essential for every company today to be innovative and to constantly question itself in order to remain marketable and competitive in the long term – regardless of whether it is a family business or not. When thinking of an established family business, some may immediately think of outdated structures and a routine adherence to the tried and tested. But that is absolutely not the case at Création Baumann. Création Baumann has been producing high-quality textile solutions in Langenthal, Switzerland, since 1886. As a family-owned company, we have always been driven by a pioneering spirit that keeps bringing forth textile innovations. Challenges in architecture and interior design, a deep passion for design and a high level of technological competence are at the heart of our business. This is also expressed in our constantly evolving portfolio.

Which target groups do you want to specifically address with the ongoing development of the portfolio and the relaunch of the brand? Where do you see your strengths – also in comparison to the competition?

Philippe Baumann: Over the past 15 years, Création Baumann has positioned itself more and more strongly in the acoustics sector and recently expanded its product range to include sound reduction in addition to sound absorption. One aspect of the new brand identity is also the clear communication of our brand structure after the acquisition of acousticpearls. For architects, the priority is to solve acoustic problems in a room in the best possible way, both functionally and aesthetically, be it with panels or textiles. With our range, we now offer a broad spectrum of acoustic and aesthetically pleasing solutions under one brand. Another area we are currently focusing on is HealthCare textiles. Based on our know-how – both in terms of design and technology - we have developed a collection that is specifically tailored to the requirements of the healthcare sector. The offer ranges from decorative textiles to flexible room solutions with special product qualities, such as an antibacterial coating. In addition to its technological pioneering role, Création Baumann is also characterised by its sustainable production as well as modern design competence and high product quality. With the modernised brand identity, we want to make this competence visible to the outside world and intensify our good relationship with a progressive target group of architects, planners and design-savvy end customers even more.

Apart from aesthetics – what importance do you think attributes such as functionality, durability and production technologies will gain in the future with regard to sustainable building and furnishing?

Philippe Baumann: Sustainable building and interior design will play an even greater role in the future, we are convinced of that. In order to do justice to the protection of people and the environment, sustainability has always been a central component of the Création Baumann brand. As the significant share of our production processes is bundled in Langenthal, we can introduce, control and further develop sustainable measures in a targeted manner. We pursue an uncompromising quality standard with regard to the longevity of our textiles and promote recycling processes at all stages so that we can reduce the environmental impact to a minimum. It is striking that the large projects for which we are asked are now almost always in a sustainable context. Last year, among other things, we equipped a test building for sustainable construction at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. Under the guiding principle of "Minimal Impact – Maximum Output", or MIMO for short, solutions were sought for holistically resource-efficient buildings. The focus is on a construction and furnishing method that is not only sustainable in itself, but also assumes resource-saving functions in the building and takes changing environmental factors into account. Shading solutions can make an important contribution here.

A corporate identity should convey the company values clearly and simply – what is Création Baumann's core message?

Philippe Baumann: Our relaunch is a contemporary adaptation of the corporate identity to the innovative brand personality of Création Baumann. Since the company was founded over 130 years ago, certain values have been central to us: the functionality of the textile solutions, but also our own production in Langenthal make up the technological competence of Création Baumann. In addition, sustainable action and our passion for design and aesthetics are at the heart of the brand personality. The result is a modern and self-confident branding, but one that retains the existing character of the brand and gets to the heart of our brand values visually.

What do you wish for the future – for your company and in terms of all of us understanding interior design?

Philippe Baumann: We want to continue doing exactly as we have done up to now. And for us as a family business, that does not mean means not standing still, but continuous development. further development. Of course, this also means that we have to questioning and renewing ourselves again and again. It is our goal to maintain the pioneering role pioneering role we hold in order to continue to develop innovative textile solutions at the highest level. The relaunch is above all also an expression of our strong belief in the future.