The most important employee of Marloes Pijfers’ toy company is her 5 year old son. If he doesn’t like a design, it won’t be put into production. Marloes is the creative brain and is bursting with ideas. But the critical eye of my son ensures that most of the wild plans end up in the garbage can.
Marloes Pijfers makes wooden toys together with her father Lucas. Solid dollhouses, castles, rockets and farms, made of wood, that will last a generation. The idea arose during corona, when father and daughter had less work and a lot of free time. The first designs were made with an unemployed CNC milling machine and a sheet of wood. When my son immediately started playing with it at home, the company was a fact.
Wooden toys are not necessarily good and durable, as Stefanie van Beijnum knows from her own experience. Her wholesale mainly supplies toys to nurseries and schools. Sustainable toys must be made of the right wood, treated with environmentally friendly paint or oil, and above all last a long time. So it should not end up in the garbage after one play.
Marloes and Lucas have passed the start-up phase of the company and have decided to turn it into a serious company. “I have the ambition to create a global brand”, is how Marloes describes her vision for the future. There is an ever-increasing group of parents who choose good toys that last for generations. It is a bit more expensive, but because it lasts a long time you will get that money out, Stefanie argues.
Grab an Green
More and more North Hollanders are taking action to tackle climate change. Residents change their lifestyle, buy responsibly and insulate their homes. Entrepreneurs see opportunities and break new ground with sustainable products and services. You can see it on TV every Tuesday in the program Pak An Groen.
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