Royal Botania
Kris Van Puyvelde and Frank Boschman first met at university in Antwerp Belgium while studying to become engineers . Many years later in 1992, they met up again, each wanting to start their own business. Together they wanted to start importing teak outdoor furniture from Indonesia; however, they quickly discovered that the products were of poor quality and were manufactured only in a colonial style. Undeterred, they decided that they could create better designs and improve the quality of the furniture. Within days the company was formed and named Royal Botania, an allusion to both the natural beauty of lush botanical gardens and the matching supreme “royal class” furniture they were about to create.
Initially the focus of Royal Botania was to fuse superb quality and refreshing designs made out of teak wood. Quickly the company became internationally synonymous for luxurious quality and design. The reputation and brand name gained worldwide recognition.
This success led to new outdoor furniture collections being designed as well as to the launch of outdoor lighting and bathroom furniture lines. The team expanded and soon introduced lines made of new materials such as stainless steel, aluminum and synthetic fibers.