Balloon Chat

Quote from: "Graham Lee"I expect that the majority of people are saying Oswald who :lol:
Well I'll give you a little background information on the man himself.
He comes from Columbia & runs a very important company that is definitely very relevant for us twisters concerning latex;
he runs the factory that makes the Sempertex balloons.

http://www.sempertex.com/ (http://www.sempertex.com/)

Well when I say runs, that is not quite right he actually owns the factory that makes all the Sempertex products, he is in fact as I like to call him Mr Sempertex and is a very nice bloke indeed. Why not ask him about our meal out in Phoenix with Steve Jones, Colin Myles, Ken Stillman, Guido Verhoef myself & sister Mary. I've never had such a funny night, it will be in the memory banks forever.
So if you have any questions for Oswald please post away & he will hopefully be able to answer them during the week of 9/15th June with work permitting of course as he travels the world promoting the Sempertex brand.
Just so we keep the forum on a level footing I will be asking someone from qualatex on in the near future.

Graham Lee

Quote from: "Stevie_Babe"Hi Oswald,

welcome to the Forum. Can I ask, do you make balloons for Bettalic over in the states, I've read that they are the same, is that correct? If so like someone else has said, are/when are we going to get the more unusual shapes like bettalatex do :D  :lol:  :lol:
A/ Soon, very soon !

Graham Lee

Quote from: "Professor T Wist"Hi Oswald, thanks for doing this interview.

As Graham said someone should I will, can you tell us about your night out with those madcap twisters in Phoenix ?

Quote from: "Roger"Hi Oswald
Some gentle ones to start with.
A/ Thank you for this warm up Roger !

Do you ever twist balloons yourself?
A/ Yes,  of course. But I have to confess that I enjoy more watching others doing the wonderful pieces you built.

Have you any plans for any unusual shapes? You know like those geo things someone else makes ;)
A/ Yes, we plan to discontinue some of the actual items and introduce new shapes that we consider more friendly fo distorsions etc. The geos ore donuts are not of our menu.

Out of all the things you must have seen made out of balloons, what has brought out the biggest WOW!!

A/ I am person that loves to discover new things everyday and enjoy to be impressed, so my capacity to react and say WOW is permanent, natural and systematic, I see opportunities everywhere all the time. When I see the peace and love between humand beings, maybe more than a a WOW it tells me the main reason to be alive between others !

Regards
Roger

Quote from: "Graham Lee"Oswald,

1, Where have you been travelling to so far this year and what for? (shows, exhibitions)

A/ This year I have been travelling through Europe and all America doing some shows and exhibitions.

2, Where are you planning on going to for the rest of the year?

A/ Well, continue visiting some other countries in America and in Asia.

3, Are you a hands on type of person or are you good at delegating?

A/ Depends. In corporate terms I definitely delegate and like the team work but I also enjoy participating some times as a single individual and in that cases I put my figer print.

4, How many hours a week do you put into running Sempertex?

A/ Between 55 to 60.  I wake up at 04:45 every day and return to be around 11:00 pm. Take out 90 minutes for the three meals, 1 hour in the gym and you have the numbers.

5, What gives you the most satisfaction about running the buisness?

A/ I have to say that I am some kind of perfectionist and love things well done. When I see that the full system is operating as expected and my team is taking their own initiatives and right decisions, then I enjoy watching instead "doing" if I can say this expression.


Graham Lee

Quote from: "Miles More Magic"Hello Oswald and thank you for doing this interview.

Do you feel there is a balance between creating new shapes to help people to create new or better designs, against making it too easy to make some models?

A/ Well, this depends and it is a very subjective situation. When you come to the creativity arena, everything counts. I think that we as a manufacturer must watch and observe where the artist are trying to go and also have a good reading about your wishes. We are now working to figure out what new shapes can we put on the market to bring you more possibilities but always the ideas should come from your fantasy.

Are some of the designs meant for public, rather than Twisters?

A/ We are more focus to the Twisters today. Shapes are a very small part of the business.

I can see that ready made models, that just need to be blown up, such as a caterpillar or snake, are brilliant for somebody to buy from a shop, but would hope that somebody wouldn't charge to make a balloon model, then just blow one of these shapes up.
This isn't a criticism of shapes, I just wondered about the thought processes involved.

A/ Shapes we deliver are not printed so it does not have a real meaning to anyone until you built something. As said before the shapes are not really sold on shops for the end consumer.

A different question now, if I may.
Of course !
How are the choices of colours made? Are any changed due to feedback you have? Do you feel that you are at or near the limit, of colours?
A/ Color trends is something that runs all the time with fashion and aspirational situations of the human being. We are all the time following the path of the fashion trends and use all the possible feedback we can track in the fashion orld trends.
With 83 colors we estimate we are close to have a evry complete response to the color needs but there is always room for suprises. We have now a new Fashion Mango or a Satin Pearl Fuschia just to mention two of several new colors.  Colors and taste run very close.

The colours I have bought so far I have been very pleased with. They are definitely more solid and brighter than from "the other" place.

A/ Thank you for your kind comments and questions, I hope my anwers will please you.
Many thanks for your time.

Quote from: "Thelma Levett"Hello Oswald.  I have a question for you but I suppose its a bit political.  I believe that many people who sell certain balloons of another brand will not sell your brand of balloons because they have been told they will no longer be able to deal with the other company if they do.  I believe this is not ethical.  Is it true that the other company has tried to squeeze you out and if it is what is your opinion about it?  If this is awkward to answer I understand.  Personally I use both brands.  They both have their merits. One of the things I like about Sempertex is the extra length.  Dont you dare Graham!!!!

Quote from: "Roger"Oswald

Just wondered as there seems to be a problem in obtaining some of your products in some areas would you look at ether making the products that are not available in say the UK available via mail order direct from you (if someone from an area that had a local supplier tried to buy direct from you, could point them in the right direction). Or provide an online database that would show what suppliers hold what products and thus where we can purchase these items.

Regards
Roger

Quote from: "Professor T Wist"Hi Oswald, thanks for doing this interview.

As Graham said someone should I will, can you tell us about your night out with those madcap twisters in Phoenix ?

Quote from: "Graham Lee"Last chance to ask Oswald some questions, So let's get him working :)

Oswald,

1, Would it be possible to arrange for Ken Stillman to come over in Jan next year to lecture at
"The David Grist Memorial Lecture" I'm sure he would go down a storm.

A/ Everything is possible, lets check it.

2, Who will take over the company from you?

A/ Someone very lucky.

3, When are you looking to retire & put your feet up?

A/ I am just 50. At this time I am playing a 10 golf handicap, the urologist confirmed me that my prostate corresponds to the one of a 23 years old man, I still run 45 minutes and write a column for the 3rd most important newspaper more or less frequently. Let's say I am now on a very high high point but see I can still climb, so even I love the plan the long term, I think I have some more time to bother around. Of course I am now watching to identify that person who will take my place. I am 100% convinced that the organization have strong roots and a a good capacity to poject itself to future. Maybe it can also happen that some one buys the company in the next future and this question becomes different for me.
4, Any plans on coming over to the UK soon?
A/ I am planning to come within the next 10 months.

5,What do you feel has been your greatest achievement with the Sempertex company?
A/ To be in the world's best artists hands...and something that is on the way to come.

Graham Lee

Quote from: "Bonnie"Good morning Oswald!  
Before I get started on questions, I just want to say how much I love and use your brand of balloons.  I really appreciate your continued effort to improve their quality when improvements were needed (like the nozzle end of the 360s) and also your diligence in fixing problems that crop up occasionally in your production line.  Thank you!

A/ Hello Bonnie. It is very nice to read your generous comments. You are right, from every feedback we receive we find always a good opportunity to improve. In balloons it is very important to have this interaction with the real and constant users.Q: When will the new Satin Pearl Fuchsia be available? (in the USA) :D

A/ Soon, very soon.

Q: Why do you not offer some of those specialty shapes in white?  I mean the doll body is just the perfect shape for bowling pins and the swan is perfect for making John Christianson's seal pup, but both need to be in white in order to get the best effects.  I would even use the caterpillar balloons in white if I could get them for making butterflies.  The white body would make the color of the wing balloons look even prettier than they are now.

A/ Very good point. We will check this with Betallatex for the US market and include the white for the international market. Thank you iit is very helpful your feedback.

Q: When some of your line isn't available at Tmyers (for instance) is that because of them or you?  I've been trying to get my hands on some Metallic Yellow 160s for almost 2 years now and I would dearly love to be able to purchase Metallic Orange 260s in single color bags (the only way I can get the orange now is to purchase the assortment).

A/ We will find a solution to this particular point for sure.

Q: Most of your metallic line are just beautiful and a firmly established staple in my balloon apron. Most, but not all. Your Silver, Turquoise, and Terra Cotta miss the mark especially when compared to the others you offer.  They are just to transparent for my tastes (but still pretty colors).   Any chance of them improving?

A/ Your comment is correct. Some times in some of the pearl or metallic colors lose their solidness to deliver more flexibility due the hardness that generates the use of these pigments. I will pass to our tecnical dept. Thank you

Thank you for your time and especially thank you for your balloons!!!

A/ You are very welcome Bonnie, we are more than pleased to hear good things but also to receive your requests and wishes.
Bonnie, The Balloon Lady

Quote from: "Daniel M"Hello Oswald,
Thanks for SEMPERTEX balloons.  They are great & I find that they are the most popular of all the balloons I use.
People ask for them a lot as they like the vibrant & attractive colours.
  They are thick, strong balloons & I like the colour range.
The one colour that I think SEMPETEX still needs is a ''lighter brown'' as the chocolate is often too dark for the sculpture.  
Light brown is important for making - various animals,people,hair,clothing,tree's,wooden instruments,tools,furniture etc.
Thanks for your time ;)
Daniel M[attachment=0:1w9ml9r5][/attachment]Lighter-brown.jpg[/attachment:1w9ml9r5]

Quote from: "Stevie_Babe"Hi Oswald,

welcome to the Forum. Can I ask, do you make balloons for Bettalic over in the states, I've read that they are the same, is that correct? If so like someone else has said, are/when are we going to get the more unusual shapes like bettalatex do :?:

Thanks for Oswald for taking the time out of your busy schedule. :)