History

José Martinez Medina (JMM) is an author’s brand specialized in the production of furniture designed to share living and working spaces. JMM creates offices that are homes and homes that are offices, thanks to versatile furniture that eliminates barriers to sitting at work as well as at home.

This focus on co-living spaces is best exemplified by the Black Tone brand, the line that complements JMM in its most contract version, including collections created in collaboration with leading designers. Functional and ergonomic furniture, refined in terms of colour and with a predominance of black, which creates environments open to dialogue without disturbing the calm that shared spaces require.

With 125 years of experience, JMM is an example of the constant creative concern of a brand that continues to bet on good design in some surfaces as comfortable as they are elegant. With the quality of always and its code of materials, JMM provides flexible and versatile solutions that integrate technology looking for agility and comfort in the connection with the computer media. The most innovative design is at the service of teamwork to create spaces that invite you to share projects and illusions in the office or at home.

1896

J. Martínez Medina establishes the company in 1896 in Valencia, Spain where a strong movement towards industrial art furniture is born and whose major efforts are displayed at the Reginal Exhibition un 1909. Following the outbreak of World War I, the international market is paralyzed and internal demand for furniture within Spain grows. This is recognized as a strong growth period for J. Martínez Medina as they begin to produce a larger quantity of valiously styled furniture.

1930

During the 1930’s, the City of Valencia experiences a cultural and artistic boom wich Martínez-Medina uses to evolve and redirect its production towards a modern furniture, conscious of the tendencies and the spirit of the 20th century.

1940

The Martínez Medina brothers take over the management of the company, wisely modernizing the whole production process and at the same time starting collaborations with the architect Gustav Pulitzer in the production of furniture for ships.

1960

The opening of two new factories, one carpentry, and the other for upholstery, strengthen the collaboration with various well known architects such as Carvajal and Colomina, as well as artists such as… Alfaro, Michavila, Valdés, Soria, Yturralde, Anzo among others.

1960

New showroom of 700 m² is opened in Valencia. Industrial collaboration begins with Italian companies such as Arflex and Tecno, manufacturing nearly their entire collections for Spain under license.

1965

New showroom of 1500 m² is opened in Madrid. Martínez Medina is already a national benchmark in furniture for offices and home. The production is still centralized in Valencia with a considerable use of high technology.

1965-1980

Martínez Medina products become a model for big projects carried out in all over Spain as well as in some other countries.

1980

José Martínez-Medina decides to break away from his brothers to run the business with his children, thus introducing the third generation. A new factory together with the showroom in Madrid and Valencia make the JMM Group. Tecno and Arflex are replaced by JMM designs and more collaborations with architects and designers are brought in. JMM starts to produce and distribute some models of following brands under license: Cappellini International, Montina, Rolf Benz.

1991

The collection and designs of JMM start acquiring their own identity, therefore the production of foreign brands is stopped. JMM receives the award, “VALENCIA INNOVACIÓN AL DISEÑO INDUSTRIAL”, and also some special mentions for the following designs: marcus, area 25, ideal room.

1991

2001

JMM names his son José Martínez-Medina manager (third generation). The collection focuses entirely on office furniture, both executive director area and meeting tables. The agency FANTONI ESPAÑA is created to deal with national distribution, and makes important contributions.

2001

2006

The agency FANTONI ESPAÑA is closed down so as to focus on JMM wich specializes entirely in the executive area and becomes leader in this section at the national level. The internationalization begins this year.

2006

2014

The local Government of Valencia and the Polytechnical University of Valencia pay tribute to José Martínez-Medina “Diseñando una vida” / “Designing a lifetime” at the Carmen museum.

2015

The whole Martínez-Medina family, including members of the fourth generation who have recently joined the company.