About
Malpaca® Pillows
In the fall of 2019, Malpaca® was purchased by MidWest Nonwovens LLC.
Mary Anderle is the original founder of Malpaca®. (read Mary’s full story below) She decided to retire and enjoy life with her grandchildren, but made sure to turn the business over to a trusted American manufacturer, MidWest Nonwovens LLC. It has always been important to Mary to make her products in the U.S.A. She did not take that lightly when making the decision to retire, but she knew MidWest Nonwovens is the right manufacturer for the job.
“Being made in America is important to Malpaca® because it helps American manufacturers, like our parent company, MidWest Nonwovens keep American workers employed and helps support the local communities.”
All the pillows are handcrafted at the manufacturing facility in Indianapolis, IN.
Our Mission:
Malpaca's® mission is to make a positive impact on the environment by providing high-quality, all-natural, eco-friendly products that save the planet one pillow at a time.
Founder Mary Anderle
Having been a registered licensed Interior Designer for 25 years, and an owner of my own business for 15, I have designed 100% all-natural pillows using organic fabric, thread, and even labels. No expense has been spared in quality to create and make a product that is ecofriendly, naturally hypo-allergenic, anti-bacterial, naturally fire and dust mite resistant and, most of all, a product that contains no harmful toxins.
After years of working with furniture and researching the effects of insecticides and fire retardants contained in bedding and other household furniture and fabrics, I created the Malpaca pillow as a safe alternative. It is hard to find a 100% natural alpaca fleece product, and Malpaca pillows are now available in three sizes with three comfort fill levels through our website and other retailers.
Mary Anderle, Founder of Malpaca Products, Retired 2019
My Organic
Enlightenment
In Spring of 2009, while attending a green-building design seminar for architects, designers, and builders, a surprise attendee, a local fireman, stood up unexpectedly during the seminar to address everyone. He definitely caught my attention then, and now has caused me to catch yours.
The fireman passionately told us in no uncertain terms, that "the synthetic and toxic off-gassing products we were selling to our clients for their homes was basically killing them." He then went on to say that if we really wanted to help with the environment, we should start with the materials we are presently selling, and educate people about natural-organic fabrics, furniture, and any materials for household use.
Natural fibers do not off-gas constantly like the synthetic material used in most products, and if ever caught on fire, do not emit toxic fumes that kill people faster than the flames. He then made a reference to what we sleep on for an example, and where we spend 1/3 of our lives.
What I Did
About it
Being overwhelmed with this new information and the toxins we encounter daily within our homes, I immediately began researching bedding, and centered on beginning with a non-toxic sleep pillow.
Thoroughly searching for any natural/organic products available, lead me to fibers which included down fill, wool, and cotton. My search then started anew for these natural fibers, as I was now looking for labeled organic products, because it didn't matter how natural they were if they were grown with pesticides and processed with chemicals. That narrowed down the search, however, I had difficulty finding any safe bedding that was made in the size and style I thought would work for all ages.
I really liked the idea of keeping the popular "foam-formed" support pillow style I had been sleeping with, but now wanted it non-toxic. My efforts continued, and when I discovered and read about alpaca fiber, then completely tested it, I was immediately hooked. It literally is the only fiber that has every quality we look for (or should be) when purchasing fabric made items.
For the next several months I developed a pillow design to represent, both the traditional style pillow personality, and the popular firmer contemporary pillow design.
Why My Family Sleeps on Malpaca® Pillows
As a grandmother, with my own aging parents, I have 4 generations to worry about! In addition to the chemicals in bedding from insecticides used on cotton and other fabric crops, the 2007 deadline for all mattresses nationwide to be flame-retardant added even more cancer-causing chemicals to what we sleep on. Upon my findings, I immediately created the Malpaca pillow, which alpaca is by nature, fire resistant. The pillow is also naturally anti-bacterial, resistant to mold/mildew, insulative, and dust mite resistant, therefore making it the perfect hypo-allergenic pillow. It is free of any chemicals and something I feel good about my family sleeping on at night. The organic & natural materials truly make for a very soft, yet supportive and luxurious pillow.
Of course, the health of loved ones is priceless, but it is, unfortunately, much more expensive to buy organic material and products. This pillow was created for all to feel safe while sleeping, and I refuse to add any other type of filler (sheep's wool) to lower costs. I want the best product to sleep on at night and want to share it with you so you can feel good about what your family sleeps with.
