Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Being a resident of Peru, how many times per year do you travel abroad?   1 2 3 4 or more?

by

Ben Jonjak  bj@livinginperu.com

I recently had the opportunity to sit down for a few words with Jaime San Martin Chirinos (the Gerente Comercial of VAINSA) to learn the fascinating story of Peru's primer producer of quality bathroom fixtures. As we sat in the conference room in the VAINSA factory (surrounded by an elegant glass case displaying the various lines of VAINSA's superb product) Jaime detailed how VAINSA grew from a single small workshop with between thirty and forty employees, to a company that now boasts four different branches and nearly 1,000 dedicated workers.

VAINSA was founded in 1975 in response to the lack of variety supplied by the major fixture manufacturer of the time (INRESA). Starting with a single factory, VAINSA sought to produce a more artistic, elegant style of bathroom fixture. As time passed and VAINSA's reputation grew, they began to specialize and eventually imported some Italian machinery which enabled them to provide a greater variety of products.

By 1980, VAINSA (which stands for Valvosanitaria Industrial S.A.) saw the need to expand, so they founded Metal Tubo S.A.; more commonly known as Metusa. You probably know Metusa as the company that produces the Sole water heaters you have in your home.

The secret to VAINSA's success and continued growth is the fact that, from the start, they have focused on making their name synonymous with quality. VAINSA also strives to maintain a level of customer service that is second to none. VAINSA has also earned an ISO 9001:2000 certificate of quality and is the only fixture company in Peru to have one. To maintain their ISO (International Organization of Standardization) certification, VAINSA is required to undergo two external and two internal audits per year as well as fulfill several other stringent requirements.

In 1993 VAINSA expanded again, this time founding Tecnosanitaria S.A. which is known in the market as Italgrif. Italgrif was launched with the aim of competing with global markets and the recent flood of cheap imports from countries such as China. In 2008, the VAINSA family further expanded by opening a 35,000 square meter plant in Lurin which specializes in the production of toilets as well as other products.

A great deal of VAINSA's ability to grow comes from the fact that their products are not just domestic, but are often used in places such as clubs, hotels, schools, and even airports. Jaime emphasized the importance of using quality VAINSA products in institutions such as schools in place of cheap imports which often contain potentially dangerous traces of lead. In addition, VAINSA exports to Ecuador, Costa Rica, and has recently won a contract for their "Linea Minimalista" for a housing project in Florida.

2007-2008 was an excellent year for VAINSA producing growth in excess of 20%. The recent financial crisis has caused a slight dip this year, but because VAINSA's product is a necessity rather than a luxury the impact has been far less than what has been felt by other industries and the outlook is bright for the future.

Exiting my interview, I was struck by a profound sense that Jaime is a man who is extremely proud of both the prestigious name of his company and all the hard work it took to earn it. VAINSA's rapid growth from a single small workshop with less than 40 employees, to a massive organization that now controls 60% of their market is an admirable story of a business that took the initiative to do things right. VAINSA has proven that they are willing to adapt and make the changes necessary to compete not only against their competitors in Peru, but the ones they will encounter globally, and their continued success should be seen as a source of pride to all Peruvians. VAINSA has made their name synonymous with quality, and they're also the first to proudly declare that they are 100% Peruvian.

VAINSA's products can be found at Decocenter, Cassinelli, and various other retailers throughout Peru. Their web page is www.vainsa.com.

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9 Comments

# Tom says :
18 February, 2009 [ 04:48 ]

Yuck. If you're going to publish thinly veiled ad copy or "advertorials," for companies, please let us readers know when you're doing it. It makes it easier for us, and it's the ethical thing to do, too. I can certainly understand the financial need to sell articles to companies from time to time to keep the website in the black, but please add a line at the top or a speical category for your "business features" so we readers navigate your site accordingly. I'm a great fan of Living in Peru and rely on the site often as an expat in Lima.

# Xian - Chow Ling says :
18 February, 2009 [ 06:12 ]

I prefer the Chinese imports for my bathroom fixtures, they are cheaper and help my fellow chinamen.

# Ana says :
18 February, 2009 [ 07:29 ]

I certainly agree that Vainsa offers high quality products.  Whenever I need to buy any new bathroom fixture, I only choose from the wide variety that is in display in big and small hardware stores or at other retailers.  I have seen Vainsa grow, improve and modernize its products.  Besides, I am sure to get a first quality attention when I call for repair or replacements, since Vainsa has a lifetime guarantee.  Other brands come and go.  Vainsa is here and serves Peruvian needs. 

# Ben Jonjak says :
19 February, 2009 [ 08:33 ]

Tom,
For your information, VAINSA does not advertise with Living in peru.
Ben Jonjak

# Carlos Romero Gavidia says :
19 February, 2009 [ 09:47 ]

I bougt vainsa to replace my old bathroom faucett, and it turn out to be worst from what I had, the chrome came out very quickly and after a while it started leaking, I had to throw it away, now I bought a faucett brand kohler and It´s been 3 years and I have no problems, I am very happy with this brand.

# Eduardo says :
19 February, 2009 [ 02:37 ]

Sorry Ben but that's not the story. Maybe Jaime San Martin Chirinos is proud and surrely we, peruvians, must be proud of peruvian manufacturing but with 100% true stories.

# Carl says :
19 February, 2009 [ 03:06 ]

Eduardo, If that's not the story, what is then? Carlos, We have Vainsa products installed all over our house and never had any problems. Today most of their products come with a lifetime warranty, which for us is another good reason to recommending their products to others. Kohler is a very good product too, but I’m not sure that it is better than Vainsa.

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28 February, 2009 [ 03:17 ]

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