The fabric supplier Gabriel A/S is OEKOTEX® “Company of the Month” for August 2014. The company is one of the leading European manufacturers of high-quality furniture upholstery fabrics and upholstery materials.
The fabric supplier Gabriel A/S is one of the leading European manufacturers of high-quality furniture upholstery fabrics and upholstery materials. At their head office in Aalborg, Denmark, the company develops innovative and pioneering textile materials for furniture manufacturers around the world. Almost all the textile products meet the human-ecological requirements of OEKO-TEX® Standard 100. Even when the company was founded in 1851, the company was already giving consideration to the production of sustainable textiles – including clothing textiles at that time. Today environmental awareness and sustainability are reflected in countless implemented and planned actions as well as in internationally recognized certifications. Back in 1991, Gabriel A/S was thus the first manufacturer of upholstery fabrics and cushion materials in the world to be certified in accordance with the Quality Management System ISO 9001.
In addition, the environmental management system ISO 14001 and the European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme EMAS have been implemented throughout the company since 1996.
However Kurt Nedergaard, Manager of Quality, Environment, CSR and Production, goes even further: “We have the opportunity to secure the natural resources for future generations. Even in our consumer-controlled society there is an urgent need for a strict rethink on sustainability and environmental responsibility. We can take this into account by accepting the responsibility for all processes and concepts that we ourselves can influence in the company. Take, for example, the “Cradle to Cradle” certification for our product line “Gaja”, which, with regard to the eco-balance, largely eliminates negative influences on the environment. Incidentally, we were the first Danish company to receive this product certification back in 2010.”
As a result of the wide range of designs, color combinations and technical features such as fire retardancy and water fastness, furniture upholstery fabrics and upholstery materials from Gabriel A/S are used in products for offices (office and conference equipment), public buildings (cinemas, concert halls), transport (aeroplanes, trains) as well as in private residences (chairs, upholstered furniture).
The source materials for the unique material creations from the company are primarily wool from New Zealand and high-quality microfibers. The product range has grown to around 3,000 articles displaying these qualities both in their pure form and in the most diverse quality and color combinations. Kurt Nedergaard adds: “In addition to our comprehensive standard range we also offer complete textile concepts, tailored to our customers, which consist of an individual mix of requirements with regard to design, colors, safety and processing, as well as other services, for example, transport.”
The competitiveness of Gabriel A/S is supported by their commitment to uncompromising quality and strength of innovation. Kurt Nedergaard is convinced this strategy is paying off: “It is our vision to develop optimum products to meet all requirements with regard to comfort, function and design. However, at the same time, rather than just keeping up with technology, innovation also means always being one step ahead with regard to environmental protection and sustainability. We manage this, for example, with pioneering products such as our Comfort+ product line, which consists of 37% recycled polyester fibers”.
