Special basis

Anna Moldenhauer: What is Gumpo’s core competence?

Sebastian Waibel: Our core competence is in manufacturing furniture. Parallel to which we also act as service providers if only because we respond to the wishes of architects and make sure they get tailor-made solutions. We don’t compile interior design concepts but instead start at the point where architects tell us what their vision of a particular item of furniture is. Moreover, we certainly don’t predefine how and where our furniture should be used – what’s important is that the pieces are functionally, technically and aesthetically durable. At the trade fairs, we again don’t present concepts but instead opt for a clear product presentation, akin to displays in a gallery. That was the crucial idea when it came to developing “normcore”, as what we wanted to do was offer a basis, but one that is already special in itself.

What approach do you want to use going forward?

Sebastian Waibel: The approach with which we launched at Orgatec 2018 continues to be the right one for us: Producing durable, sustainable products. I believe we desperately need to abolish the rate race where everyone constantly seeks to create something new.

What is your view on homeliness, which is so in demand in the office furniture segment at the moment?

Sebastian Waibel: I think that depends on personal preference. RelvãoKellermann and I are of the same age, as digital natives we grew up with the digital age. That’s why this homeliness trend isn’t really our cup of tea, as it just isn’t feasible for us – when I want to work at my computer, I don’t simply sit on the couch. We weren’t convinced by the pretty aesthetic, either.

How did you approach the topic of flexibility in your creative processes?

Sebastian Waibel: In my opinion, New Work should be viewed as more of a sociological phenomenon. It is more about an attitude and a mindset than about furniture. Meaning we don’t specifically think up New Work-furniture, but quite simply ask ourselves in the old classical way: How does something function? What is actually needed? It’s always important to us in all of this is that a product fits in with what we do, that we can produce it ourselves or in collaboration with a company from our region. That’s more sustainable for one thing, and secondly it gives us a great deal of flexibility as it hinges on close cooperation which also makes for quick consultation.

Sustainable products, manufactured locally – are there further aspects relating to the topic of sustainable production that are important to you?

Sebastian Waibel: Our production is of course equipped with a solar power system, we process the rainwater, etc. I actually think all of that is kind of a given nowadays. My father is Swabian, so frugality was always seen as a virtue at Gumpo! (laughs) What is crucial is longevity in the very structure of the products. We don’t strive to collect certifications as we can’t afford them – neither in terms of the cost nor the bureaucratic effort their require. Instead we rely on common sense.

You had already modernized your company before the pandemic – did the process offer the one or other key insight?

Sebastian Waibel: I joined our family company having freshly graduated. My father has been working in the industry since 1968 and correspondingly there were a fair few “experience monsters” as I like to call them, namely clear ideas of what products and processes ought to look like. A long-standing client then said to me once in conversation: “Mr. Waibel, you’re young, you must know what’s right today”. And that was the moment when for me a kind of light went on in my head. You have to dare to try new things out, even when you’re up against resistance. If the entire industry sticks to the same narrow standards, then all of the resulting products will look the same. The approach RelvãoKellermann takes helped me a great deal in this regard as from the very outset they did not accept any standards as cast in stone. The stability of desks, for example, is to this day still tested in a way that harks back to the time when people used golf-ball electric typewriters. The central insight for me was to trust my own intuition and just go for it.

What would you like to see when collaborating with architects and clients?

Sebastian Waibel: That they discuss things with us at a far earlier stage in things when it comes to realizing their individual projects. We offer far more than just providing products.