BAUDROY’s origins trace back to pre-MagSafe times (2006) when magnetic phone attachments were cumbersome, clumsy and unreliable. From an experiment with better mounting magnet layout, to a hobby making card holders our family and friends would love to use, BAUDROY has evolved and improved our designs to what you see today.

BAUDROY is a one-person operation established in Seattle, WA. We intend to remain small and keep assembly in-house. Why?

• CUSTOMER PRIORITY. By intently limiting the number of our customers, we make sure every order takes priority and we address issues promptly as they arise.

• INNOVATION. Small batch production allows us to reserve time for experimentation: from new layouts, designs, models and materials to better tooling, assembly or finishing techniques.

• QUALITY. Our proprietary assembly process is complex: very efficient but largely manual. For example, our Flex quick card access layer is 100% saddle-stiched, a technique that machines have failed to automate so far. Same goes for beveling and edge finishing. At this point, without expensive training and quality controls in place, increasing scale or outsourcing would simply mean higher variations in quality and consistency, and possibly giving up on techniques that make our product unique and top quality.

• PRICES. Although it appears contradictory, low inventory and overhead, and small production levels help us make our products and affordable luxury, even with US-based manufacturing.

• SELECTION. Outsourcing core manufacturing is expensive and lends itself to large runs of standard product sitting, unsold, in inventory for a long time. This usually means very few models, colors and designs. In contrast, our assembly model enables us to acquire top quality, original and interesting materials; we can introduce new models, colors, limited editions in a matter of days, not weeks or months.

• BESPOKE. Insourcing allows us to blend custom-made orders alongside standard issues in the blink of an eye, without delaying your order or neglecting quality. 

Among the principles that drive our work, a few come from Japanese lean manufacturing

1. Kaizen

Continuous improvement: small, ongoing positive changes can be significant. Drive excellence through small changes. Let go of assumptions and perfectionism. Take an iterative, progressive approach to change.

2. Mottainai

Respect the resources we have, not wasting them, and using them with a sense of gratitude. At Baudroy, our wallets exclusively use sustainable cowhide leather; custom orders may never include exotic leathers. 

Finally, it took us a while to figure it out, but our products, packaging and shipping materials are 100% plastic-free, and will always be.

3. The 3 Ms of low quality production. Reduce and eliminate them over time.

Muri: over-exhaustion.

Mura: uneven processes.

Muda: wasteful activity.

4. Poka-Yoke

In our case, Poka-Yoke translates to intuitive function and ease of use. Compared to “other” very popular magnetic mounting methods, no adjustment is necessary in our magnetic surfaces. 

5. Kata

Better quality through good form and the proper order of doing things.

6. Genchi Gembutsu

Go and see for yourself. What seems like a good idea from afar may never work in practice. Experiment and allow yourself to fail, as it is necessary in order to find the right answer.