Sofa Talks with Werner Disselkamp
It's about value.
Please give us a short introduction about yourself.
I was born in Rheda-Wiedenbrück, Westfalia, Germany; widely recognized as the heartbeat of the German furniture industry. While growing up, I was keenly aware that most of my aunts and uncles were involved in the furniture business some way or another. My ancestors have been crafting furniture in Ostwestfalen since the 1850’s.
In 1985, we moved to Fredericton, New Brunswick, in Canada. There, I attended the largest high school in the Commonwealth at the time, with a population of 3000 students. Although soccer was and still is my passion, I was recruited to be a placekicker on the high school football team. We went 9:0 in my first season and won the championship, and the rest, as they say, is history. This was my most memorable and most valuable team building experience at the time, especially as a newcomer to Canada.
I obtained my bachelor’s degree in business at the University of New Brunswick and represented my graduating class as its Valedictorian. After that, it seemed a natural step to join my father’s business, where we exported North American wood products to the German furniture industry.
Then, I ventured to South Korea to work in investor relations. It turned out that I met my wife and best friend, Marina, while there. A year later, I returned to Canada where I gained two years of retail experience. That led to a decade of further furniture education, while working for Canada’s largest furniture producer in Winnipeg.
We have two children who are both in university now. We call Ottawa, Canada’s capital city, our home.
Besides your work with Furninova, what do you enjoy doing in your free time?
While our children were still at home, I loved attending their sporting events. From soccer games and rowing regattas in the summer, to all the various ski hills in the winter; mainly in Quebec. I follow the German Bundesliga; especially FC Bayern. Whenever possible, I spend time at our cottage. Whether alone, or with my family and friends, it is something which I strongly value. Connecting with close family, relatives, friends, and business colleagues is also one of my passions. I am a very sociable person – most of the time.
Tell us a bit about your journey with Furninova. Where and when did it start?
The year was 2009, and I was ready for a change. Becoming a Furniture Entrepreneur seemed like the most logical next step. During the Cologne fair, while at an Italian restaurant near the Cathedral, I mentioned that I was looking for a unique upholstery supplier.
At the table next to us, a Norwegian gentleman named Runar Ludvik Bråthen overheard me and suggested I look up Furninova of Sweden. I dropped by the following morning and met with the owner, Benny Nilsson, and the export manager, Martin Teilmann. Just like that, my journey with Furninova officially began. Not long after, I became their exclusive sales agent for Canada.
We proceeded to expand the business significantly with key accounts; predominantly in the province of Quebec and soon after that, in Ontario and then coast to coast. Step by step, we have grown our business, weathered a few storms, and carved out a niche as a Scandinavian-designed supplier, with a distinguished assortment of fine retail partners across Canada.
As a sales agent in a large country like Canada, you’ve probably seen quite a few places. Do you have any stories or experiences you’d like to share?
There are numerous stories, which makes it difficult to pick just one. But, in the fall of 2020, during Covid, I decided to take a two-week business trip via car across Canada. In my fuel-efficient VW Passat TDI, and an armchair by my side, skillfully wrapped up in the trunk, I took off on a Monday morning and told my family that I would be back before Canadian Thanksgiving.
I said I had some essential business to take care of, and it was time to see my customers in person again. On the way to Vancouver, I stopped in Thunder Bay, pulled an all-nighter drive to Edmonton and had a surprisingly successful visit in Calgary. I finally arrived in Vancouver Thursday evening. Yup – pretty crazy.
I then proceeded to connect with current and new customers on the mainland and Vancouver Island. On the return trip, I headed back through the Rockies to Calgary and Edmonton and then to Regina and Winnipeg. The armchair was left behind as a new floor model, and I arrived back at my cottage the following Saturday afternoon and over 10,000 kilometers later.
This one definitely stands out as one of my most memorable and successful business trips.
I also have some interesting stories about visiting a coffee shop in Sherbrooke, taking a water plane to Victoria, celebrating a Christmas party at a sugar shack, as well as attending a special anniversary dinner with my clients, while dancing to the music of the infamous Boogie Wonder Band. But, those stories are for another day.
How do Canadian customers view Furninova’s Swedish heritage and brand?
Canadian customers appreciate our Swedish roots and brand very much. Designed in Sweden, it is a story of success. Of course, Sweden is known for unique furniture and retail concepts. It is a down-to-earth culture that takes pride in manufacturing, customer service, and building lasting relationships. Furthermore, the Canadian perception of Swedish design is represented in the high standard that Furninova brings to the table perfectly!
What are Furninova’s strengths today?
Simply stated; it is about value, cover selections, and service. Our factory has maintained a consistent production timeline of four weeks. We offer a value proposition at a price point of great interest to Canadian consumers. Our range of covers continues to amaze our clients, year after year. In terms of service, we offer a quick response time to orders received, product inquiries and also in dealing with quality concerns.
Good Customer service is vital in your role. How do you make sure each customer feels well taken care of?
The key is to be straightforward, honest, and efficient. I believe in being available when my customers need me. Also, relations with the owners and purchasing team are very important. The key ingredients to success are the Sales Managers and their sales associates. They are at the front line and must have all the information available to close the sale. I get most of my phone calls on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This is when the retail action peaks and business gets done. That is when I need to be accessible.
Can you point out similarities and differences between Canadians and Swedes?
Both are very passionate about hockey! We love the cold weather, the great outdoors, retreating to our cottages and celebrating life. We appreciate nature, and we are interested in creating a society where people look after each other. Swedes, at first, are a bit more reserved than Canadians. More often than not, it just takes a little while to get to know them. Largely, Canadians tend to be very easy going. I feel very much at ease and at home in both countries. I welcome all my dealers and their staff to visit us at our new head office in Markaryd, Sweden.
Being in the furniture industry, you must see a lot of different styles. Are there any design trends right now that you find particularly interesting?
Organic shapes are in demand right now. Clearly, space-saving furniture with function as well.
Design, quality, and sustainability are essential at Furninova. How do you talk about these values with customers?
Our in-house design team impresses us year after year with new looks, covers, and design inspirations. Our amazing Cologne and in-house presentations in Sweden give our retailers the perfect platform to become inspired and create their own take on how to best merchandise our products creatively in their store environments.
The recent addition of The Knowledge Hub training material is vital in all my initial and subsequent training sessions with sales management and their sales associates. Having this information available in French and English is a big plus.
Controlling our supply chain from tree to sofa, including all parts of the furniture, is essential. Also, the very close proximity of the raw materials to our factory is strategically advantageous and reinforces the importance of using sustainable supplier options.
Logistics is a crucial part of international sales. Can you tell us about the process of shipping Furninova’s products from Europe to Canada?
Mostly, we ship full containers, per customer, directly to their warehouse. Also, over the last ten years, we have created a shared container program with regular shipments to a hub in Toronto and then splitting the shipments for dealers from Victoria, BC. to St. John’s, Nfld. That works really well. We always ship fully loaded containers.
To wrap up, do you have a favourite piece of Furninova furniture? What makes it stand out for you?
Yes, whatever sells the most is my favourite! “Smiles”. I really like the Cartago sectional. It’s one of the first styles I sold back in 2009 and is still very attractive. It takes centre stage in our penthouse condo. I love the design and comfort. It is timeless, elegant, functional and contemporary. At our cottage, we have an aniline leather sofa called Vesta, simply the most classic Furninova model!
