GRAPHTEC GB
Keiyosa love imagining new designs and making them come to life In a recent interview with Keiyosa we spoke to Vipul Patel who, with his partner Shivani Nana, love imagining new designs and making them come to life. From the homeware to the stationery they create a variety of gifts and take nature as their inspiration. “We aim to bring this connection to you through the beautiful natural materials we use to make each individual piece”, said VP. Beginning in 2013 and located in the heart of England where they design and hand-make all their products, they are proud to say that their customer base stretches across the globe. The Keiyosa ethos is to contribute positively to the environment. All of the materials used, therefore, are consciously sourced from sustainable, responsible vendors. The wood used often comes from trees naturally felled in the UK and all of the packaging is environmentally friendly. They even use their wafer-thin wood shavings to help package pieces they make!
Vipul began by making carbon fibre parts for cars and so initially bought a woodworking machine. This then expanded into gift boxes and suddenly commissions started to roll in. As things steadily grew Vipul was approached by a family member who was interested in calligraphy and wanted a drying rack. Vipul created this from scratch and through the popularity of this product, created the transition into bespoke calligraphy and desk stationery. In addition, by maximising social media channels their website and the ecommerce platform Etsy, this has continued to grow at a vast rate. Keiyosa are very much user led and will always try to accommodate request for bespoke products. As the variety of products increased (for example, the entry into the audio furniture market with products including headphone stands) more specialist equipment was required. The purchase of a CNC machine was the start and more was to follow. The need arose for a cutting machine to cut out and engrave cork for use as branding and as an anti-slip base for the Keiyosa products. After looking at several brands he found that Graphtec GB gave peace of mind in both quality and service. “I am very choosy about which suppliers we use. We will only use those that we can recommend to others” admitted VP. When in discussion with Alastair Evans Graphtec’s Digital Marketing & Ecommerce Executive about which model of the Graphtec’s popular Silhouette cutter would
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be ideal for their needs, the conversation turned to lasers and their versatility. “I had in the past been contacted by various laser suppliers but felt uneasy by the support - or lack of - that was on offer” said VP. Graphtec GB invited Vipul to their premises for a demonstration by the Business Development Executive, Ellen Wain, and he was immediately impressed by the versatility of the WidLaser. Ellen explained that the laser could be used to cut out and engrave at the same time with a precision and accuracy that had previously been unattainable. This was the perfect solution for Keiyosa and it resolved their problem. Ellen gave a follow up training session and what was most pleasing to Vipul was the support he was offered by Graphtec GB “By people who really know their machines. Reassurance that if there are any issues there is onsite support and replacement parts available. No long lead times or for larger problems inadequate tech support over the phone, actual people onsite. Graphtec GB are upfront about what they will offer you in support and service and the capabilities of their machine. Industry knowledge from Graphtec has been vital in helping us move forward with obtaining the most out of the WidLaser system” VP added. Asked how he was getting on with the C500, Vipul explained that the RD Works software “is very easy to pick up, intuitive and works in conjunction with all major industry software such as Adobe which for Keiyosa is a big
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