Here at Jesmonite we love to shout about new distributors all over the world – but it’s also great to celebrate those who’ve been with us a while. Especially when they are doing incredibly exciting things. Marti Vidal set up Resineco Composites in Spain in 2010. He did it because he worked at a company selling polyester and acrylic resins and when he found Jesmonite online, he knew products like this were the future. And he was right.
He wanted to focus on less toxicity so set up his very successful company. But more than that. Marti has opened the first ever Jesmonite Store in the world. He has championed the material and decided to branch out into a shop floor in the middle of Barcelona’s Gracia neighbourhood – the Soho of the area. Surrounded by art galleries, the Jesmonite Store now catches the eye of all who pass. It is a showroom of the full range of Jesmonite from AC100 to AC730.
“Going from online commerce to a physical store may seem like a counter current movement nowadays, but right now it can be a good opportunity,” Marti said.
“In the 12 years of experience I have with Jesmonite the focus has changed from architecture and big cladding projects to smaller casts and creatives.
“I thought opening a concept store around the brand would be successful because it shows people how to play with it.
“Everyone walking around the street is a potential customer of Jesmonite and here we go beyond buying and selling a product, creating a buzz as people look through the windows.
“It is a shop selling Jesmonite to buy, but it is also a workshop allowing people to play and learn and it is also a place to display and promote work of artists from across the world and sell their products made of Jesmonite too.”
Along with Jordi Arànega, the store manager, the pair sit on stools made of Jesmonite and bring the material to the masses right in front of their faces. When tourists return, they will have the opportunity to cast a tile, the type you find on the floor across Barcelona, and take it home as a magnet. Or you can go and cast your own hand in Jesmonite. Or you could even try and make one of their own Jesmonite stools. Whilst the store has been delayed and has suffered from restrictions of COVID, it is going well.
“My favourite customers are ones who have worked with polyester resins before,” Marti added.
“They know it is dirty, smells, is flammable and you need solvents to work with it.
Then they use Jesmonite, which is water based and dries fast – I love to see their faces.
“They can appreciate the value of Jesmonite.
“It is easy to learn, you can play with unique colours and can achieve all the textures you want.
“We also want to introduce people to moulding, our lessons in these challenges your mind and open up a whole new world of creativity.
“Jesmonite is bigger than ever, and we’re pleased to have been a small part of that for almost 12 years now. “
For more information about Resineco visit their website or follow @resineco on Instagram.
For more information about the first Jesmonite store in the world visit the store website or follow on Instagram.