18 Jun Resuinsa celebrates its 45th anniversary by looking to the future with its feet firmly on the ground today
The family-owned business Resuinsa, now run by its second generation, is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a footprint in 140 countries around the world. It competes successfully head-to-head with the big Italian and American manufacturers thanks to the quality of its textiles, its continuous R&D and its unwavering commitment to sustainability.
Resuinsa’s Managing Director Félix Martí tells us about the company’s journey, including the most challenging year in its history and how it’s gearing up for the imminent resumption of tourism.
How and when did everything begin? We started as a family group that my grandfather established in the early 20th century. In 1976, my father, Félix Martí Olivares, saw how the business side of the textile industry had changed over the years and so he set up Resuinsa to meet the needs of a specific sector: the hospitality industry. I joined the company’s management team twenty years later. I’m the second generation, but my father taught me everything I know. The company’s 45th anniversary is the finest tribute I can pay him after he passed away last December. Without his efforts, enterprise and resilience none of this would have been possible.
What’s the secret to achieving this level of international outreach? We are very mindful of where we come from and who we owe everything to. We started out here with the help of the best hospitality chains and professionals in Spain and so we see ourselves as exporters of this expertise. These are tough times for the industry, and it needs help and support both at individual and mainly at government level. Resuinsa’s exports are not one-off sales. Exports require a medium-term vision and in-depth knowledge of target markets, including their tastes and customs, to ensure we can manufacture the products our trade clients need. We are an international firm because we have a very robust sales and logistics structure in place which enables us to supply our customers anywhere in the world. International means bringing something fresh to the table, taking risks, being enterprising and open-minded and stepping out of our comfort zone to tackle fresh challenges.
What has this pandemic year been like for Resuinsa? In March 2020, we targeted our efforts on helping hospitals and nursing homes by donating masks and all kinds of textile items. Over the following months, we developed new products to make it easier for the hospitality industry to comply with health and hygiene protocols when reopening. However, in spite of all our hard work and remaining open for business throughout the health crisis, it has been the most unusual year we have ever had. We can proudly say that from the onset of the pandemic we have catered for the needs of every customer who has requested our services. We have pressed on with our technological development during this testing time by investing in textile digitalisation and sustainability as these are also exceptionally important areas. We have additionally kept an eye on the changes brought about by the global pandemic, which have included steep raw material price increases, shortages and shipping problems, so that we can respond to them and stay ahead of the curve. Here at Resuinsa we are staunchly behind the industry as we are a company that works for and with hospitality professionals. We are fully prepared for the long-awaited “take-off” with thousands of items manufactured to deliver instant service to our customers. We are really going for this summer and are eager to get stuck in. We are tremendously excited about it.
What word would you use to describe yourself? I think I’m lucky because I work in something I like doing. I have been fortunate to get to know many cultures and many people and I’ve learned a great deal from them. I’m proud of my co-workers when I see them growing personally and professionally at Resuinsa. It is a privilege that more and more people are helping me to steer this ship.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all our customers, partners and employees who make up Resuinsa. We’ve been through many good and not so good times with each other, but we have always stuck together. Reaching our 45th anniversary is largely down to each and every one of them. I’m absolutely thrilled to continue working with all of them to keep the Spanish hospitality industry flag flying all over the world.
