Everything different from everyone else
For 13 years, Prof Dr Günther W. Amann-Jennson ran a psychological practice in Feldkirch, Vorarlberg. The list of patients grew rapidly and the practice was soon fully booked. He realised that almost all people with mental health problems also had sleep problems.
Our professor couldn't let go of this connection. He turned to the few universities that were researching the subject of sleep at the time. The initial study results from these researchers confirmed his suspicions and led him to a question that still haunts him today: How should a bed or the entire sleeping environment and our habits be designed so that people sleep as healthily as possible?
Humble beginnings
They say that there is magic in every beginning. But at the same time, all beginnings are difficult. The founding story of SAMINA is no exception, starting with the financing of a company that wanted to focus on sleep. "Everyone has a bed", "nobody needs one" and "you can sleep even when you're dead" were phrases that the professor heard so often that he almost gave up on his dream.
But he saw sleep as a unique opportunity to improve the well-being of his patients. He was deeply convinced that sleep was the most important factor for health and quality of life, as his years of practical experience had clearly shown him.
He built a prototype of the now world-famous SAMINA sleep system on his own initiative, as no well-known manufacturer wanted to realise such a sophisticated and elaborate concept. So in 1989, with his own capital and enormous pressure to succeed, he founded SAMINA.
"Everyone already has a bed. Nobody sleeps on the floor. There's no market for that."
Why is SAMINA so different?
Innovation means creating something new, useful and valuable that stands out from the existing. To be innovative, you often have to break existing rules that limit creativity, flexibility and adaptability. Breaking rules means expanding the boundaries of what is possible, opening up new perspectives and solving old problems differently.
The creativity required for this often develops out of necessity - a lack of resources coupled with ambitious goals. Prof Amann-Jennson was never prepared to compromise here. For truly healthy sleep, it was important that all materials were 100 per cent natural and chemical-free. It was important that the layer structure corresponded to the human body, even if this structure was more complex and expensive than other methods using artificial materials.
To ensure the highest quality and longevity, it was necessary from the outset to work by hand and without the use of industrial production machinery.
Every part of the SAMINA sleep system fulfils a health purpose for its owners. SAMINA takes an innovative approach in all areas, orientated towards the latest findings in sleep research. What we take for granted today was uncharted territory at the time and met with fierce resistance.
The everything different rule from SAMINA
This is how SAMINA's famous rule came about: Do everything differently from everyone else. When all the competitors on the market said: "That won't work, nobody will buy it, it's no good", it was a clear sign for the professor to keep digging. After all, the competition was designed to sell as much as possible and keep increasing margins - a guarantee for interchangeable products with less and less added value for the buyer.
The health of sleepers simply didn't play a role in the bed and mattress business. As is so often the case, it was all about the money. SAMINA is different. At SAMINA, it was and is primarily about the health and well-being of customers, but also of employees, shareholders and cooperation partners. It's about a new world. A world as it should be.
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Good for people
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Good for the environment
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Good for employees and the location
Professor Amann-Jennson knew that sustainable success for generations is only guaranteed if this triad succeeds.
The everything different rule in action
The rule is firmly anchored in SAMINA's corporate culture and is reflected in our day-to-day business. Decisions and developments are always orientated towards the health of customers, the environment and the people in the company. Anything that does not contribute to this, no matter how big a trend on the market, will not be implemented at SAMINA.
This is why the manufactory, the heart of the company, is still located in the small Vorarlberg town of Frastanz. This is where the entire production of the unique SAMINA sleep system takes place, making it an important point of contact for people interested in health, regeneration and performance optimisation.
With the exception of the natural rubber Vita Talalay, all the materials required for production are sourced locally.
That's why all SAMINA sleep systems are slanted and not flat like all the others.
That's why at SAMINA you sleep grounded, connected to the natural potential of our planet.
That's why you don't just buy a bed or a sleep system from SAMINA, but a piece of health that accompanies the customer for a lifetime and beyond. This consistency, this solution-orientated thinking and the absolute uncompromising approach to health, quality and closeness to nature make SAMINA a special company.