Santiago Entrepreneur Scales Textile Workshop Into Regional Export Business

In a converted warehouse tucked between the colonial facades and bohemian cafés of Lastarria, Mauricio Soto oversees an operation that defies the stereotype of Santiago's craft sector as a quaint, small-scale affair. What began in 2019 as a two-person weaving studio has evolved into a 35-person enterprise that ships sustainable textiles across Latin America and increasingly to European buyers.

Soto's business, Telar+Diseño, specializes in handloomed fabrics using traditional Chilean wool and alpaca fibres, but with a modern commercial twist. The company now generates approximately 8 million pesos in monthly turnover, with 60 percent of revenue coming from wholesale contracts rather than direct-to-consumer sales—a shift that required rethinking production entirely.

"The tourist market was always volatile," Soto explained during a recent visit to his facility in the Barrio Yungay precinct, where the operation has occupied a 2,000-square-metre space since 2022. "We realized early that sustainability meant building relationships with hospitality groups, interior designers, and manufacturers who needed consistent supply."

The breakthrough came in 2024 when a major hotel chain operating across the region standardized Telar+Diseño's fabrics across its properties—a single contract that doubled the company's payroll within months. Today, the workshop operates three shifts and has partnered with rural producers in the O'Higgins Region to source raw materials, effectively creating a supply chain that extends well beyond Santiago's limits.

Soto's success reflects a broader shift in how Santiago's entrepreneurs are thinking about scale. Unlike the tech-focused startups that have dominated local business headlines, Telar+Diseño represents what economists call "deep manufacturing"—value-added production rooted in local resources and craftsmanship but oriented toward institutional buyers rather than individual consumers.

The company's growth has also caught the attention of regional development agencies. In March, Soto participated in a networking event hosted by Fundación Chile focused on sustainable export businesses, positioning Santiago's artisanal sector as a genuine economic driver rather than a supplementary income source.

As Santiago competes with other regional hubs for investment and talent, enterprises like Telar+Diseño illustrate an often-overlooked path to resilience: marrying cultural heritage with professional supply chain management. The workshop's expansion into a modern manufacturing facility, while maintaining its creative roots, offers a model increasingly relevant in an economy navigating global disruption.

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