FOCUS ON TUBE FORMING
The manufacturing activities of Ahrend and Gispen.
A SUSTAINABLE PROCESS
School furniture endures more than most products: it carries generations, survives moves and turbulent school breaks, and withstands countless lessons. Long-established company, Gispen, has been manufacturing this furniture for around 120 years— well-designed and made to last. Gispen and Ahrend are part of the internationally active Royal Ahrend Group. Currently, 30-40 per cent of the chairs in Dutch elementary schools come from Gispen’ s factory in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Anthony Goossens is in charge of production at the factory.
“ Around 190 people work here, a good half of whom face barriers to employment. These are people who, for various reasons, struggle to gain a foothold in the labour market,” he said. They mainly take care of the final assembly of the furniture and keep the manufacturing processes running with preparatory and supporting tasks.“ We very consciously take responsibility for these employees; they’ re an integral part of our team,” emphasised Goossens.
“ A TruLaser Tube 5000 from TRUMPF, equipped with customised automation, at Royal Ahrend is helping to make production more smooth, efficient and future-proof.”
Royal Ahrend’ s factory in the Netherlands manufactures sustainable school furniture using a new automated laser tube cutting machine from TRUMPF.
Chairs that last longer
This philosophy is anchored in the sustainable values that shape business activities in the Royal Ahrend Group. The same commitment extends to product design.
“ We are pioneers in sustainability and circular design,” explained the operations manager.“ All our furniture is modular, making it easier to repair, reuse and recycle.”
CO₂ emissions are also reduced because Gispen school furniture is manufactured exclusively in the Netherlands and is mainly sold there, which avoids long transport routes. Sustainable materials are used wherever possible. The latest example is the Gispen
32 | ismr. net | ISMR July / August 2026