Sloth-Themed Teak Wood Bookmark from Costa Rica - Chill Sloth

Artisan Organization: Chaverri Brothers

Country: Costa Rica

"In 1973, our father, Jose Joaquin Chaverri, made the decision to leave the family business founded by his grandfather. He started our own family workshop. At that time, we were just kids. As time went by, the venture met with great success. We made furniture, handicrafts, and anything else we could.

"In the early '90s, we pursued the idea of selling directly to the shopper, which has given us very good results. In 1992, our father passed away and this forced us to take over all aspects of this project. At that time, we decided that Alexander and Silvia would take over the administration and we would focus only on utilitarian wood products. We began to earn renown through fairs and exhibits, which gave us the opportunity to reach new shoppers in Mexico and the United States. That allowed us to make exclusive designs for Calvin Klein, Water Works, and other prestigious clients in New York. Today, we sell a lot to Costa Rica's national market and we export less since, after the recession, some clients sought other alternatives.

"With time and experience, we have created new and innovative designs, and we offer a great variety of works. With new technology, we try to improve some of our techniques. We use sustainable wood and wood scraps, transforming them into new products of great elegance.

"Our workshop has received the PYME certification of innovation, granted by the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Commerce (MEIC) of Costa Rica. Recently, we were certified by TourCert Check, granted by a German cooperative. This certification ensures that we use good sustainable practices that are humane and environmentally friendly, and that we fulfill all the requirements that the Costa Rican state requires in order to be leaders in the creation of wood handicrafts.""