Dutch baker shifts course, transforms into designer

The hands that used to knead dough back in Holland has become the hands behind the furniture master pieces that you see in most of the major hotels and resorts in Cebu.

Hein Chrispijn, president of  Metamorfose Philippines, Inc., came to the Philippines 21 years ago to try his luck in the country  by designing  furniture that he  markets to the rest of the world.

Before that, Chrispijn was a baker in his home in Holland.

“We design them here, make the furniture and then send them to Holland,” said Chrispijn who used to work with a Filipino partner before setting up his own company in 2002.

He was 14 years old when he worked with furniture pieces,  sketching his designs in sketch pads and never knowing that one day he would actually make a fortune out of it.

Chrispijn set up shop at the Mactan Export Processing Zone 1 in 2002, with about 100 workers to help in the production.

The place then was enough for a manufacturing area, office operations and a showroom to display some of his works.

In 2006, Chrispijn moved his operations to a bigger facility in Soong, Mactan.

Chrispijn maintains an average of about 150 people for his operations.

“The place measures about 5,000 square meters in space. We have the manufacturing area, showroom, admin offices, sales and marketing and executive offices,” he said.

The company wasn’t that affected by the recent economic crisis because it managed to penetrate the local market.

“We started offering our products to the local market like hotels and resorts four years ago and that has helped us,” he said.

Chrispijn said that about 50 percent to 60 percent of the company’s market are local customers while the remaining 40 percent to 50 percent is divided among other markets such as the United States  and other countries in different regions in the world.

The firm recently increased its supplies in Hong Kong after it found a local partner-retailer there that would market their products.

Major resorts like Shangri-la’s Mactan  Island Resort and Spa, Imperial Palace Water Park Resort and Spa, and Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan are just some of their major local clients that regularly order from him.

“Abaca (Boutique Resort) is our first and everyone followed after,” said Chrispijn.

Being a designer who takes inspiration for his designs from just about anything that he sees from  TV shows to those he sees during short walks and travels in different places, Chrispijn said.

“Just recently I made a piece for Shangri-la for their children’s area which takes on the shape of an apple,” said Chrispijn.

His pieces show an experiment of designs, colors, and different weaves that spells quality and comfort.

Chrispijn especially focuses on maintenance-free furniture pieces, which require little time to clean and are comfortable to sit or lie on.

Chrispijn also said that with Metamorfose as his company name, his furniture pieces also tell of “change” for the better.

“It’s like when you have our furniture pieces in your homes, they immediately transform the whole place to the better, making it nicer,” said Chrispijn.

Aside from the furniture pieces, Chrispijn now also has gift items and home accessories in his product portfolio.

“I have Arnel Santillan, who is with me for the last 15 years to help me with designing the home accessories and gift items,” he said.

His signature pieces include the trophies given to winners of the Sinulog Grand parade. He has been the designer and manufacturer of the trophies for the past three years.

To continue his local market campaign, Chrispijn opened the first of four showrooms at J Centre Mall along A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City.

“The first showroom measures about 130 square meters. We will have showrooms in all four levels of the mall,” he said.

The firm also sells overruns and some pieces of furniture from their showroom in Soong at discounted prices.

He also planned to set up another showroom at Rustan’s shop in Manila.

“We target to have that showroom open by end of June this year,” said Chrispijn.

With the showrooms, Chrispijn expects to win more local customers as well as continue his campaign to tap different international markets worldwide.