For 13 years, Prof. Dr. Günther W. Amann-Jennson had a private psychology practice in Feldkirch, a little village in western Austria. He believed that sleep was an indicator of the patient’s well-being and his experience confirmed that patients with psychological problems generally did not sleep well. However, it was difficult to distinguish cause from effect. Thus, Dr. Amann-Jennson decided to improve the sleep of his patients for therapeutic purposes. To do this, he developed an integrated “sleep-healthy-concept” to improve sleep quality then developed the first sleep system prototype. Confident he had a viable solution, he tried to market the prototype to well-known mattress companies winning praise but no partnerships. After multiple rejections from established companies and manufacturers, Dr. Amann-Jennson decided to do it himself.  In 1988, he founded SAMINA.

From there, everything went quickly. Improving and optimizing the prototype, selection of natural materials, refining the production process, registering European and international patents and SAMINA as an international trademark. It was revolutionary that the mattress was no longer the most important part of the bed; the SAMINA slats for back support became the emphasis. The layered design was based on the human body and the company’s first slogan was “No more back pain.”

As a new business, there were plenty of obstacles and Dr. Amann-Jennson said, “Everything is difficult until it becomes easy.” This phrase is familiar even to those who know him today. Funding was a big obstacle as many dreamers and entrepreneurs know well. The solution came from his wife, Elisabeth, who gave up her retirement savings and career as a primary school teacher to join him as the first production manager, a vocation to which she has devoted her life continuing to ensure each and every hand-crafted piece is made with love.

Today, two grown children have joined their parents in the family business. Philipp as the head of sales and Theresa as the head of marketing and daily operations. Dr. Amann-Jennson continues to serve as the CEO managing strategic alliances, international expansion, hotels, and clinical alliances. Amongst the many lifelong roles, he cherishes serving as mentor to Claus Pummer in the United States.