This is how we started

Collective Supple has its origins in Elden, Gelderland. Around 2014, a steady group of friends arose there who shared the same interest in ‘making’. The barn of Max and Felix’s parents was increasingly used for this purpose by the six friends.

The ideas and plans grew. This was also reflected in the study choices; mechanical engineering, construction fitter, industrial product design and so on. When the first graduated and went into the field of work, the bond with the group of friends only grew stronger. In the free hours, work was done slowly at the beginning of Supple. The men also began to get tools and machines from everywhere. The projects kept getting bigger, the barn looked more and more like a real workshop and the collective was born.

Within the foreseeable future, this workshop had become too small and in the winter of 2017/2018 an opportunity arose at Industrial Park Kleefsewaard. The machines were moved with all their might by family and friends to a large cold empty hall in the industrial estate. Two and a half floors, 450m2 and not in the best condition. In the beginning, this seemed much too big, but the projects grew with it. In the meantime, this new workspace has been thoroughly overhauled. Each member of the collective developed their own place to experiment and design, there was a separation between wood and steel processing, but there was also simply a need for a kitchenette and the much-loved football table. The six entrepreneurs now work full-time within the collective.

Collective Soepel now has an extensive portfolio with large and small projects. From Dock Office to Werkplaats de Dandenbloem. What still connects all these projects? The pleasure of creating together.

Special thanks to:
Bart Laport – video & photography
Jesse Wensing – photography