1DOWNPASS STARS

Spessarttraum:
We love and live sustainable action

Since 2005, Michael and Thomas Pflugbeil have been running the medium-sized family business Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG. in the third generation. Around 90 employees manufacture bedding at twomodern production sites in Rengersbrunn and Gemünden am Main (Germany) for the high-quality andexclusive trade on the German market and export to Benelux, Austria and Switzerland.

Downpass talked to Thomas Pflugbeil, Managing Director at Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG.
For more than 15 years you have been managing Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG together with yourbrother, now in the third generation. Which principles are guiding you and what do you mean when you
say "We are holistic"?
Running a business together with your brother is certainly not always easy, but it has very significant advantages. In particular, we are bonded by our personal guidelines and principles, which our parents passed
on to us. Especially in terms of the strategic direction of the company, we pursue concurrent goals, and thatis very valuable for us and for the company.

Photos: © Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG–1–

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After 15 years of working together, we know who we are and what is
important to us in our products and service offering. A high-quality duvet is one thing, but it also has to fit the customer's sleeping needs. And
because everyone has their own individual standards for restful sleep,
we always take a holistic approach to our work. Covering materials, filling materials, manufacturing, sizes – everything is communicated to us
through holistic marketing. Because: comfort and lightness play an important role for us as a company. On the one hand, we look to the wellbeing of our customers, but also to a special extent to our partners andour great employees.

Michael and Thomas Pflugbeil

We always make important decisions as a team and look at themfrom different perspectives. In this way, we have jointly created anidentity for our two brands with a great deal of passion and defined
precise specifications for this. Our product development is based ona clearly defined product range strategy that offers our partners' customers the best possible buying experience.
Together with three other companies, Spessarttraum 2021 launched the non-profit organization Spessartbaum. The focus is on planting campaigns to reforest areas and care for the seedlings over a period ofthree years. Why is a Bavarian bedding producer involved in such a project?

"Let's shape our homeland together" with this vision we founded the non-profit organization Spessartbaum
together with three befriended companies
As regionally rooted companies, we want to work together to leave a sustainable footprint for our homePhotos: © Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG–2–

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land and future generations. The condition of our forests is becoming increasingly critical. Climate changeand monocultures endanger our livelihoods in the long run. Today, our Spessart is the largest contiguous area of mixed deciduous forests in Germany, and we want to keep it that way.
Through new projects every year, such as planting trees together, we would like to shape our region in a future-oriented way, provide information and create a new awareness for our homeland.
An end consumer is looking for a new down duvet. What are the criteria you give him to make the rightchoice in the variety of available products? And under which duvet do you sleep best?
The secret to restful sleep is as individual as the sleeper. For this reason, you should tailor your duvet entirely to your personal sleep
needs. With our brand Schlafstil, we do not only offer bedding for thehighest demands, but above all a consulting system that makes thesearch for the right quilt very easy. We recommend choosing according to three criteria: 1. HEAT REQUIREMENT – What is my heat requirement? Winter, summer or all-year duvet. 2. SLEEPING COMFORT – How much sleeping comfort do I want to enjoy? The betterthe quality, the lighter and more comfortable the duvet. 3. SIZE –Which size suits me? Single or double duvet – there is a suitable sizefor everyone.
Personally, I sleep under a different duvet every now and then, after all, you have to know what you're selling. But my absolute favorite duvet is the Schlafstil D800EL, a super light summer duvet - a touch of nothing
and still covered.
How important are independent certifications for your success andwhy do you rely on the DOWNPASS seal as a label of animal welfare& quality?
We love and live sustainable action. For us, this means dealing withall three dimensions of sustainability: environment, economy and social aspects. Today, Spessarttraum stands for high-quality duvets andpillows, manufactured in the Spessart region, where our manufactory
was once founded. The way to a safe and good future is only throughtransparency and the willingness to have our promises to the end
consumer checked by independent testing institutes. Our customers
should feel safe with us and be able to trust the products we provide
them with. Independent certifications are a very valuable tool forThomas Pflugbeil
this. We have committed ourselves to using only down and feathers
Managing Director at Spessarttraum
from supervised animal breeding and pay attention to perfectly traceable supply chains. Therefore, we purchase all down and feathers according to the Zero-Tolerance Standard
DOWNPASS. The traceability of the fillings via an individual identification number on the end product andthe regular control of the filling quality through targeted test purchases guarantee maximum safety for theend consumer.

Photos: © Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG–3–

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Furthermore, we had been audited according to STeP by OEKO-TEX®
this summer – an independent certification system for brands, trading companies and manufacturers from the textile and leather industry. The certification is suitable for production companies at all stages of processing that want to communicate their environmental
measures credibly and transparently to the outside world.
As soon as our sub-suppliers also have been certified accordingly, wewill be able to label our products "Made in Green". The requirements
for this have been met and this is another step towards bolstering
the sustainability of Spessarttraum.

Source: Downpass e.V.

Photos: © Spessarttraum GmbH & Co. KG–4–