The Czech furniture producer TON exports its products to 60 countries around the world. Its products have enjoyed great success not only in the South Korea and Australia, but also across the Scandinavian markets.
The history of the TON brand dates back to 1861 when a bentwood furniture plant launched its operation in Bystřice pod Hostýnem. The plant is now the oldest of its kind in the world. Its founder, Michael Thonet, after whom the brand was originally named, did not choose this location by coincidence. Surrounded by beech forests, the area offered enough material for the manufacturing process.
The TON website summarises the history of the brand as follows: “As early as ten years after the plant had been opened, its production capacity equalled to 300,000 pieces of bentwood furniture per year. In 1912, the production capacity amounted to 445,000 pieces per year, where almost 2,000 employees took care of the manufacturing process. The Thonet family, in turn, took care of their employees. They established vocational schools and kindergartens, built workers’ houses and even a casino in Bystřice pod Hostýnem.”
In 1946, THONET became a state-owned enterprise and in 1953, it was renamed to “TON” (abbreviation standing for “Továrna Ohýbaného Nábytku” – a bentwood furniture plant). Today, the company exports its products to 60 countries around the world, including Scandinavia. “It’s a paradox, but our sales have been going up even in Sweden. We’re exporting design products to Sweden, the land of design,” Jan Juza, the Marketing Director at TON, informed the Czech media.
More than 15 designers from the Czech Republic, Germany and Denmark have designed products and/or collections for TON. Since 2011, TON has won several awards and nominations in prestigious designer competitions, such as the Interior Innovation Award, Red Dot Award, Czech Furniture of the Year Award and German Design.
The TON website summarises the history of the brand as follows: “As early as ten years after the plant had been opened, its production capacity equalled to 300,000 pieces of bentwood furniture per year. In 1912, the production capacity amounted to 445,000 pieces per year, where almost 2,000 employees took care of the manufacturing process. The Thonet family, in turn, took care of their employees. They established vocational schools and kindergartens, built workers’ houses and even a casino in Bystřice pod Hostýnem.”
In 1946, THONET became a state-owned enterprise and in 1953, it was renamed to “TON” (abbreviation standing for “Továrna Ohýbaného Nábytku” – a bentwood furniture plant). Today, the company exports its products to 60 countries around the world, including Scandinavia. “It’s a paradox, but our sales have been going up even in Sweden. We’re exporting design products to Sweden, the land of design,” Jan Juza, the Marketing Director at TON, informed the Czech media.
Manufacturing secrets of the successful furniture
The company’s manufacturing secrets consist of eight seemingly easy steps towards the perfect piece of furniture. It takes three months to dry out the wood. Then, the wood to be bent is placed into a kiln to be steamed for several hours. This is followed by the process of bending as such. It takes up to one year to master the art of bending. Then the wood needs to be stained, the finished piece of furniture must be assembled and further adjusted according to the customer’s specific wishes.More than 15 designers from the Czech Republic, Germany and Denmark have designed products and/or collections for TON. Since 2011, TON has won several awards and nominations in prestigious designer competitions, such as the Interior Innovation Award, Red Dot Award, Czech Furniture of the Year Award and German Design.
