We were lucky to catch up with Fernando Alvarez recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Fernando, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
Our mission is to provide a workplace sanctuary that promotes progress, serves the community, and a better life for its’ families. To treat its co-workers and all those who walk through the door with humility, respect, honesty, and integrity and honor the culture of furniture and, above all, God.
Knowing that my brothers and I contribute to the success and happiness of all of our employees and their families is the greatest accomplishment we can achieve.
We focus on integrity, craftsmanship, and details, a value shared with all our employees. Le Jeune Upholstery prides itself in using the finest construction materials and the most innovative assembly techniques in the fabrication of all our designs. For over 50 years, we have maintained that “bench-made” process of furniture building, ensuring the finest finish possible.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My brothers and I were born into upholstery; as babies, we slept on foam blocks with the sound of compression guns as our lullaby. Our childhood memories include stripping furniture, hiding and seeking in the fabric room, taking orders, and non-lethal staple gunfights, all in Le Jeune Upholstery’s workroom. Once we were legally able to drive, we would meet customers for quotes and templates, stoking a passion for design and creation.
I, Fernando Alvarez, inherited my mother, Connie’s artistic skills, which translated seamlessly to furniture design and Vice President of Design. My older brother Gerardo was blessed with strategic thinking from my parents, poising him to excel as the Vice President of Operations. Lastly, my younger brother, Alex, has the gift of gab, creating the perfect Vice President of Sales.
At Le Jeune Upholstery, we offer high-end locally hand-crafted bespoke furniture. Over 50 years, we have created two furniture collections, our Classic and Studio Collection, including benches, chairs, stools, dining chairs, ottomans, sofas, beds, and sectionals. Most of our designs are found on our website and in-person in our new Studio, open by appointment only. In addition to our collections, we specialize in custom designs for residential, hospitality, and commercial projects, as well as reupholstery. We pride ourselves on our integrity and connection to the trade.
Our 50 plus years of experience allow us to circumvent problems and issues before they arise. We create sample prototypes tailored to the customer’s physical and aesthetic wants. This process enables us to determine aspects that our clients never anticipated they would need. We focus on proper seat and back pitches, sitting dimensions, cushion density, and general scale. When choosing a fabric, we always request a sample to guarantee it is suitable for the project at hand.
If you can dream it, we can make it. Le Jeune Upholstery offers its clients the ability to create a true custom design. We meet with our clients to discuss aesthetics, proportions, and comfort so we can create your perfect piece. We include a “fitting” for every customer before construction as part of our services. We then provide a final sampling in muslin before the furniture is finished to ensure optimal customer comfort and satisfaction.
Details matter; details are what set us apart. Our parents were perfectionists; they engrained this mindset from a very young age. Elements that are not even seen matter as much to us as those that are front and center. For example, Finish Cambric placed under every upholstered piece gets stapled on very neatly, matching the staples to the Cambric with paint.
Family is at the center of our business; this strength and connection bless us with a foundation for success. We consider our employees part of our family; we strive to support them as individuals, not only as employees. Each day, we eat lunch as a family in our workshop corner kitchen that Connie started. We have a fantastic chef who learned from my ovalacto-vegetarian mother, who prepares fresh daily meals. We often invite designers and clients to eat with us and share as a part of our family.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Service is an essential component of our reputation. Service extends beyond delivery and customer service; each client deals directly with the company’s owners regardless of the size of the order. When a client works with the owner, there is a heightened sense of care, passion, and attention to detail. Each sketch and work order is created by the owners, Fernando and Alex, strengthening the connection between Le Jeune and the trade. This intense dedication has cemented Le Jeune Upholstery as one of the industry’s best. We do everything to ensure our clients experience a seamless and enjoyable process with an end product that they love.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Le Jeune focused primarily on reupholstery with the occasional frame construction fifty years ago. As my involvement in the company increased, so did my direct interactions with the clients. These relations allowed me to assist customers in building new furniture for their needs and the reupholstery. It was this connection that revealed the need for expansion in our company. We began to focus on construction and furniture design. This pivot lead to the company that we love today in addition to our new Studio that showcases our own personal designs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lejeuneupholstery.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/le_jeune_upholstery/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeJeuneUpholstery
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/le-jeune-upholstery/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LeJeuneUpholst
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQB5xuSnGW4M5CW8k8B33eg
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lejeune-upholstery-miami
Image Credits
Moris Moreno