The perfect seat

A lot has changed since company founder Hans Weibel opened his upholstered furniture factory 51 years ago. And then again, some things have stayed the same. The high quality standards, for instance, and the Swiss manufacturing base.

“Even when I started out in the firm as a bookkeeper 25 years ago, it was already very careful about where its raw materials came from. Today we source our foams, leather, metal fittings and upholstery fabrics from suppliers in Switzerland and other European countries who have a tradition of upholding high quality standards. Leather from eco-friendly producers that is free of harmful substances is an absolute must,” explains Lukas Weibel. And to ensure the continued availability of apprenticeships for industrial upholsterers, the committed business manager spent many years campaigning for improvements to their training.

The brothers have also redefined the product development process. Whereas the furniture used to be designed in house, the Weibel brothers now work with external designers. Until the generation change, the firm’s mentality was essentially that of a manufacturing company. Now Intertime is changing, transforming itself into a brand with a timeless, understated design language. “The external designers and our development team are sparring partners for one another. We incorporate our expertise in every design,” says Johannes Weibel, who is responsible for this side of the business. Feedback from customers is an important source of inspiration that has already led to the development of armchairs with intelligent functions for supreme comfort: modern, understated furniture that can be converted into comfy recliners with just a few simple moves.

“In the future, we’d like to focus more on customisation, especially in the contract sector,” says Johannes Weibel. One advantage Intertime can offer are the short production times possible as a result of its flexible, logically structured manufacturing process. That’s a big benefit, because it means individual adjustments can be made so as to guarantee optimal ergonomics and comfort. No wonder some customers want to have their favourite armchair freshened up and re-covered, even 20 years down the line. And for Intertime, that’s a form of sustainability too: ensuring the service life of a sofa or armchair is as long as possible.

INTERTIME: Brothers Lukas and Johannes Weibel are the second generation of their family to run the business. The upholstered furniture producer employs approx. 70 people at its Endingen site in the Canton of Aargau. The generation change in 2001 saw an increased focus on design, while the goal of providing customers with perfect seating quality and variability has remained unchanged. In the meantime, numerous new models have won design awards, and in 2014 Intertime was presented with the Aargau Company of the Year Award.

Photos: Martin Birrer (5), René Ruis (1)

Intertime AG
Brühlstrasse 21
5304 Endingen
Tel. 0041 (0)56 265 88 88
Fax 0041 (0)56 265 88 44
info@intertime.ch