Leading European carpet manufacturer DESSO® has officially launched their presence within Mexico, spearheaded by a successful event in Mexico City last week. The company has had activities in the Latin America region for the past year, and its growth strategy places high importance on global expansion. The launch event was intended to officially introduce the brand to the market in this region.
The event took place at the Childrens' Museum Papalote (Papalote Museo del Niño) in Mexico City, on the evening of Thursday 17th March. This museum was created in 1993 by the architect Ricardo Legorreta. He designed the building with geometric figures and traditional Mexican tiles and its renowned architectural status in Mexico City provided the perfect location for Desso's launch.
The event was co-hosted by Desso's leading dealer in the region, Ypasa. Alexander Collot d'Escury (Desso Chief Commercial Officer), expanded on Desso's strategy and their plans for the Latin America market. The innovative Refinity® separation technique was also demonstrated; whereby Desso is able to fully recycle old carpet tiles within its own production facilities.
Almost 500 guests arrived on a green carpet, which set the tone for an evening of green food, drink and lighting: intended to highlight Desso's Cradle to Cradle® strategy. Among the visitors were Mr W. Lok (Head of the Economic Department of the Dutch Embassy) and top architects Juan Pablo Serrano from Serrano-Monjaraz, Salvador Arroyo of TEN Arquitectos, Jorge Arditti from Arditti RDT, Juan Carlos Baumgartner from Space, Nadia Borras from Sordo Madaleno, Fernando Vasconcelos from Nuevo Espiritu, Gabriel Salazar from Uso Arquitectura, Aurelio Vazquez from DIN Interiorismo, as well as directors of some of the most important construction companies such as Grupo INDI and GAIA. A raffle was held with prizes including an iPad and an all expenses paid trip to The Netherlands to visit the Desso factory (won by Soledad Tadei of Space). "We were very pleased with the turnout on the day - having welcomed almost 500 people to our event, all of whom were very positive about our strategy", says Alejandra del Pozzo, Sales Manager Mexico.
Desso's Cradle to Cradle® strategy has generated a lot of interest from (potential) customers in Latin America, recognized and reinforced by the Government of Brazil who chose for 77,500 square metres of DESSO Stratos carpeting in their latest Government building: the Administrative Center of the State of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte (created by world famous architect Oscar Niemeyer). In the private sector, Desso has already installed carpets at Banco Santander in Argentina and Apple Headquarters in Mexico City, as well as in public buildings such as the Palacio de las Artes Conference Center in Queretaro, Habana Casino in Guadalajara and the Sedna hospital in Mexico City. "Cradle to Cradle® is a relatively new concept here in Latin America, yet it has been enthusiastically picked up by a number of top architects and designers and is spreading further and further" explains Jorge Haberl, Sales & Marketing Director, Latin America.
Cradle to Cradle® design requires that products are made from pure materials that are safe for human use and can be biologically or technically recycled at the end of their useful life. It sees carpet as being made up of nutrients that can be reused in an unending cycle, whereby old carpet can be remade into new carpet, again and again and again. Whilst the Netherlands is seen as a forerunner in the adoption of Cradle to Cradle® design, in this time of increasingly expensive raw materials and depleting oil reserves, the ability to reuse products after their useful life as raw materials for new products is a concept that appeals to all regions of the globe.
Alexander Collot d'Escury was impressed with the positive response shown by the guests: "What a fantastic way to launch a brand: with a major turnout, positive feedback and enthusiastic responses. We are all very pleased to have been received with such interest, which shows great promise for Desso's growth within Latin America."
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