How Mattador used Zünd technology to revolutionize the doormat business

Founded in 2016 by brothers Gooswijn and Jan Steven Visscher, Mattador specializes in the production and online distribution of custom doormats. Located in Genemuiden (Netherlands), an hour’s drive northeast of Amsterdam, Mattador produces dirt-trapping and water-absorbing mats for indoor and outdoor use. These are available for purchase in various sizes and designs from a web store that is proving to be very popular with the company’s growing customer base.

While doormats are usually provided off the shelf in prefabricated rolls, Mattador goes the extra mile by offering its discerning customers mats that are cut to size. On their website, they ask “Shouldn’t a product that’s used in the home on a daily basis come with top-of-the-line quality and service?”

Initially, the mats were cut by hand, which was laborious and time-consuming. And as the number of orders grew rapidly, manual cutting soon reached its limits, making it a challenge to meet delivery deadlines.

As Mattador expanded, it began to look for solutions that could optimize both the efficiency and accuracy of its cutting operations. This is where Zünd came in. In 2023 the complete package consisting of a G3 cutter, Zünd PreCut Center - ZPC software, and the Visualizing Option provided Mattador with the solution it needed to meet their growing production requirements. “We chose Zünd because their solution met our needs exactly,” says Jan Steven Visscher.

Once installed, Zünd PreCut Center - ZPC radically changed the company's production workflow. Instead of manually checking each order against drawings, the process has become fully automated. Customers enter the dimensions of their doormats in the web store when placing their orders, and ZPC converts the data directly into rectangular shapes. The Visualizing Option ensures they are projected directly onto the cutter during the cutting process. As a result, employees are able to visually identify each order immediately. The time-consuming process of sifting through order forms is now a thing of the past. This has meant a huge increase in efficiency that has drastically reduced the processing time for each order.

Mattador further optimized the cutting workflow by integrating a label printer. All relevant information can be compiled on a label and attached to each cut doormat. This makes it easy to assign mats to their corresponding orders and eliminates errors. “The doormat can be cut a minute after the order is received. The automation that has been achieved with ZPC has not only doubled production capacity; it has also significantly reduced lead times – a key advantage in a fast-growing, international business.”

Another major benefit of ZPC is the efficient management of remnants. Precise control during the cutting process enables the best possible use of leftover material. This has made it possible to lower production costs and also means the software is going a long way toward making the use of resources more sustainable. This represents a clear competitive advantage for Mattador, especially in a market that is attaching ever greater importance to environmental responsibility.

For Mattador, choosing Zünd was the crucial step in scaling its business and achieving the ambitions for growing it internationally. The ease with which the software can be integrated and the proven added value in terms of production efficiency and accuracy make Zünd the ideal partner. Mattador is now perfectly equipped to meet any future challenges and remains confident in its decision: “I would definitely recommend PreCut Center - ZPC with Visualizer to any Zünd user, including those are aren’t yet using a Zünd cutter,” says Gooswjin Visscher with a twinkle in his eye.