As Artige celebrates its 25th anniversary, founders reveal what’s been happening in Holland
“In the last year, our market has embraced greeting cards even more than in 2020 – and we wouldn’t have thought that this was possible,” exclaims Dutch publisher Dorothé Hollander.
She adds: “We feel that Covid-19 has made everyone more aware of the importance of sending a greeting card. The greeting card is very much back in the picture– and here to stay!– in the Netherlands.”
But the buoyancy of the Dutch card market isn’t the only thing Dorothé happy about, as she and husband Ton look back on Artige, the greeting card company they founded based in Doetinchem, in the east of Holland.
“This year is Artige’s 25th anniversary – something worth celebrating,” she says, explaining how it all started with a dream that came true.
“I had a dream of having our own company, how great would that be but, with three young children, this dream seemed too big. Should we give it a try or not?” Dorothé recalls.
“But we decided to give it a go and put all our savings together and started from the tiniest room in our house. Then, at a tradeshow in Frankfurt, I met English publisher John Norris who mainly sold African-inspired art cards with whom I instantly connected.
“John granted us the rights to sell the beautiful Prime Arts collection in the Netherlands and Belgium, and helped us financially by allowing us to pay the invoices after our customers had paid us. I’ll always be grateful to him for this support.”
Fast forward to today, and Dorothé says that how the company has evolved is beyond what she and Ton could have imagined.
“We work in a team of beautiful people and keep on developing new collections. A greeting card is such an amazing product. The past years we’ve learnt that even in times of crisis good things happen – people make each other happy with a greeting card, they send a smile through the mailbox.”
Summing up the company’s first quarter century, Dorothé adds: “So, my dream came true and it keeps on growing. And those young children of 25 years ago now have taken their own place in our family company!”
Here Dorothé and Ton share more about what’s been happening in the Dutch card market as well as at Artige over the last year…
What have been the main challenges and positives of the last year?
“Our biggest challenges have been that we started and ended last year with a lockdown, during which almost all of our customers had to close their shops.
“However, even though we are in crisis, the economy has grown here and, in common with most other companies, we have a shortage of staff.
“In general, it seems that people are looking after each other more, which naturally means that they send more greeting cards too. It feels good that we sell such a great product – a product that makes people smile!”
How have you adapted to the new card-buying habits?
“We always try to be alert and on point with market changes, being fast and flexible to reflect developments in the market or special situations like Covid. We were the first in the Netherlands to offer special Covid-greeting cards, a trend which many companies followed.”
Share one of your company developments of late.
“We have created more collections than ever, most notably our Gold Rush range, which is something really special.”
Are you coming to PG Live in June?
“Yes, definitely! We are really looking forward to exhibiting at PG Live once again and seeing everyone from all over the world! 😊”
PG Live takes place June 7-8 at London’s Business Design Centre, bringing the whole greeting card ‘world’ under one airy roof. To register to attend, click here.
To find out more about exhibiting, contact Warren Lomax on warren@max-publishing.co.uk or call him on 07977 572086.
Top: Dorothé and Ton Hollander, co-owners of Artige
