Learn more about US, how we THINK and ACT
The Team
The Story
Zero hour in the home cellar & garage
As often, the first development took place in the home cellar & garage. In the eBay era around the year 2000, light and sound items were initially sold via the new online marketplace. A few years later, when online shops all over the world sprang up like mushrooms, we launched our first showking.de online shop for lighting and sound items in 2006. During this time, the whole family of Paul got involved. Packing parcels, picking up goods, taking photos, writing product descriptions, answering customer mails, dealing with crises and problems and much more would not have been possible at all without the great support of the family.
The birth of artplants
With experience gained from selling some artificial plants in the showking.de shop, observation and market analysis, it quickly became clear that artificial plants have potential. At the end of 2008 the idea for an artificial plant online shop with a large and high-quality assortment was born. The name artplants was chosen for the shop, a simple combination of the English words "art" and "plants". Until the first shop version of artplants went online, a whole year passed in which much was designed, programmed, texted and tested. On the evening of 1 January 2010 artplants.de finally saw the world for the first time with about 800 products. A short time later the new showking.de shop went online. By the way, the name showking consists of the words "show" for show technology and "king" together with the claim to be able to offer a large assortment of articles.
The departure into the unknown
When Paul finished his studies at the beginning of 2011, he had to make up his mind. Either he continued as before, i.e. practicing alongside his studies or then working, including family support, or he came up with something else. All members of the family, working themselves, were already more than enough involved in the undertaking. In addition, there was no more space in the cellar or garage. So he had to choose between giving up the idea or deciding it full-time with all his commitment and external support or his own employees. Most friends and acquaintances saw only negative things in a complete independence and have rather advised to a safe job including good salary in the computer science industry. Only his family and close companions stood behind him and recommended him to try it out. Paul opted for adventure and against the security of a permanent position.
The regional round trip
Leaving the beloved cellar & garage in Waldbüttelbrunn was not easy. First we went to Kleinrinderfeld 14 km away. Here a room with approx. 60 sqm was rented from a company. In addition, an external employee packed parcels for the first time. After half a year, however, space was scarce here as well and we continued on to Eisingen. The external employee became the first internal employee and there was now approx. 200 sqm of space available for the warehouse and office. At intervals of a few months the team grew and after 2 years the next move to Höchberg, our current location, was already planned. On an area of 600 sqm, about 25 employees from different nations feel at home in part-time and full-time. Despite the feeling of home in Höchberg, the next move is already just around the corner. It goes back again to Waldbüttelbrunn. The plans for the own nest building are already in work. Back to the roots!
The development
The opening up of new markets proceeded at the same pace as the regional tour. From 2013, many artplants products were not only listed in the company's own online shop, but also on the Amazon and eBay marketplaces. This was followed by internationalisation within the European Amazon and eBay marketplaces. First France, then England and finally Spain and Italy. With the brand "INNA Glas" in 2014 the foundation stone was laid for another company pillar. The loving memory of a girl named "INNA" from early school days has become an integral part of the brand name. Strategies that were good for showking & artplants were also implemented at INNA Glas. Since then, high-quality glass articles from Europe and candles from Germany have been an integral part of the range. As internationalisation progressed, additional country-specific marketplaces and platforms were developed. The relaunch of the new artplants online shop followed on 1 February 2018. Since then, not a week goes by without internal and external changes with all their highs and lows.
Our principles
Think globally, act locally! We try to work sustainably and environmentally friendly by all means and have already changed many of our processes. Many more steps will follow in order to achieve this goal. Reused cartons, our own filling material, electricity and gas from renewable energy sources are just a few of the points that we take into account. We act according to this first principle and try to make our contribution to the protection of the climate and the environment, but we have not yet reached the end of our goal.
All people are equal! Accordingly, every employee and customer is the same for us regardless of their origin, skin colour, gender, faith, sexual orientation, age, position or period of employment. We strive for permanent further training, harmonious cooperation, mutual respect and communication on the same level. Experience counts for us!
Try it out, discard it and make it new again! This second principle has been lived in the company since the very beginning and has ensured that artplants has already had to reinvent itself several times and continues to do so. The artplants team has internalised this claim through countless measures, projects and ideas and is now used to the NEW with all its positive and negative effects.
Our Vision
Personalised artificial plants from fully biodegradable ingredients, a product range that has been largely manufactured in the European Union, environmentally friendly logistics and a role model for other companies in dealing with the environment, employees and customers. This is what the artplants team and its partners have been working on every day since the beginning! Even though many of our artificial plants consist of numerous natural materials (e.g. natural trunks, natural palm fibre material, etc.), our glass articles are mostly manufactured in the EU, and we have already designed many things environmentally friendly internally, we are honestly far from error-free and a gigantic piece away from our goal. But we can promise you one thing: No matter how long it takes, we NEVER lose sight of our goal! Change is part of our DNA.
