Natural Living Concept's Story
"It all started in 1976 ... At the time, my wife had won a night in a presidential suite in a very luxurious hotel. As I lay on the bed, I immediately felt like I was on a cloud. I had never felt that before. A real joy ! The next day I asked the reception what kind of mattress it was and they said "a latex mattress".
From Tourist to Entrepreneur: My Unexpected Journey in Thailand
A few years later, in 1997, I arrived in Thailand. Like many before me, it was initially just a tourist trip. At the time I did not speak a word of English, let alone the Thai but, attracted by this country, I decided to put my bags there. I started by opening a small real estate agency with a friend. Unfortunately, the economic situation of the country at the time did not allow us to perpetuate this activity. I survived for a few years thanks to small import-export activities. Then, one day, a friend who was a sales representative in a Thai company in the south of the country and who sold natural latex mattresses, offered to set up our own factory..
A person who knew nothing about this business would probably have said no. But I immediately said yes. Obviously! I had discovered 20 years ago the happiness of sleeping on a latex mattress. I already believed in the quality of the product and its benefits. The only problem was that neither he nor I had the capital needed for our ambition. After several months of research we finally found a young investor who believed in this project and that's how we started the construction of our first factory which began in 2003. Knowing nothing about the job, I learned everything on the job.
The beginnings were difficult. Until 2005 we made adjustments on the machines, a lot of training with the employees and improvements of our technique. We found the right formula in Vietnam, found the machinery in India. It also had to adapt to the local culture, here you have to be a teacher and a father for his employees. They need to feel that they are important, while proving to them that certain things they believe to be infeasible are possible. In 2014, the factory already employed 150 employees. It was that year that I decided to leave the company to start a new project.
Returning to My Roots: From Factory Investment to Natural Living Concept
So I reinvested with a new partner in a new factory. Company that I'm still part of today but in which I decided in 2018 to invest less to devote myself fully to Natural Living Concept. I created NLC in 2008 to offer finished products to individuals. I wanted to make "tailor-made". This business was for me a hobby rather than a real activity. I wanted to continue creating while working in my factories. After more than 15 years of work and investment in my different factories, I felt the need to return to my fundamentals: creation, nature and human relationships. "
