The story of TON

The inventor and entrepreneur Michael Thonet was lured to Bystřice pod Hostýnem, Czech Republic, by the town’s surrounding beech forests, hardworking local folk, and logistically advantageous position. Together with his sons he built his factory there in 1861, the oldest surviving factory of its kind in the world. Throughout its history the factory has been through several ownership structures and name changes. The current name TON originates from 1953 and is an acronym for the Czech Továrny na ohýbaný nábytek, ‘bentwood furniture factories’ in English. What has not changed in the 160 years of its existence is the unique atmosphere of the place, formed by its people and their singular approach to their craft. Their factory is right by the forest they source from, meaning the products really do come from one place.

Each product is the work of at least 20 pairs of hands. They are the hands of a team of craftsmen and craftswomen who for six generations have been endowing steamed wood with new shapes and forms. Once bentwood dries, skilled hands set to work on sanding, staining, assembling, oiling, upholstering, and packing. In short, the story of your chair begins months before you are seated.

At Neiburgs you can find TON chairs both in our restaurant and apartments. The chairs we have in our restaurant, the 811 armchairs, inspired by a model from 1930 by Josef Hoffmann, blends their interest in Art Nouveau and simple shapes with manufacturing processes applied in Bystrice pod Hostynem since 1861. The armchair is therefore more geometrical but bears the clear features of the manual bending technique of TON. This armchair variant combines a plain wooden seat with a woven cane backrest.

However, no matter whether an icon or a novelty, each single piece of their furniture is guided by a mission of timelessness in style, quality, and sustainability. “We dream of beauty before creating each product. For us wood bending is all about strength. A product that is both strong and beautiful is timeless. It passes from generation to generation as our craft. Our ethos is to conduct ourselves in an honest and friendly manner for the benefit of people and nature,” says Milan Dostalík, CEO.

For us at Neiburgs, it is important that in our environment we represent brands that support and reveal our own values. The stories are quite similar, both in a way where an independent entrepreneur does what they are best at and creates something that is enjoyed by many. We are proud to say that there are people who recognize and appreciate the quality and timelessness, and that for us is enough to keep on paying close attention to detail, so to make sure that it is not even perfect, but just right.

Source: https://www.ton.eu/en/