What Makes Groovy Yurts Special?
Why Authentic Mongolian Yurts?
- They’re made of natural & organic materials.
- They’re comfortable; the yurt naturally breathes.
- They’re packaged, portable & uncomplicated to install.
- Their wool felts are perfect for insulating the compact structure; you’ll experience warmth in the winter & a natural cooling effect in the summer.
- They’re energy efficient.
- They’re works of art; each one is hand-painted.
- Each one has a spirit! Don’t believe us? We invite you to step inside of one (right foot first of course)!
Why Groovy Yurts?
- We love what we do! Can you tell?
- We’ve been exporting yurts from Mongolia to North America & Europe since 2003!
- We’ve sold 1000+ yurts to date, which have been used in all North American climates!
- By building strong relationships with our customers, we continuously improve our product, while respecting ancient Mongolian traditions.
- We are producing the best Mongolian yurts available, using our suppliers “millenary” experience!
- We source our yurts directly from Mongolian families & teams based on the principle of fair trade.
- A few times per year, we embark on a North American tour with the Groovy Truck, offering direct door to door service and delivery, anywhere.
Testimonials
It’s absolutely fantastic…thank you so much for all your help, advice and fun, Groovy Yurts! You are stars! 🙂
I LOVE LIVING IN MY YURT! It’s a great size, it’s beautiful, and sturdy. It is so serene and rejuvenating.
GROOVYYURTS was total pleasure to work with–prompt, responsible and sensitive to the needs of the Water Protectors.
Who We Are
In 2003, Yves Ballenegger, a philanthropist at heart and a true lover of trucking, began the evolution of Groovy Yurts by taking his passions of people and trucking on the road. It was in that year that he delivered his first load of school supplies to Mongolia for Globetrucker, a completely volunteer, not-for-profit organization dedicated to deliveries of this nature.
Once his truck was empty, he then needed to find a return load and purchased a few Mongolian yurts which he took back to his home country, Switzerland. They sold fast and helped to finance the next school supply run to Mongolia. As the yurt sales increased the businesses were separated, but still today, Groovy Yurts continues to support the efforts of Globetrucker.
Yves and the Groovy Yurt team, believe strongly in sustainable living and make every effort to source our materials and labour from the Mongolian country side. Initiatives by Groovy Yurts support local Mongolian felt production and a tree nursery designed to plant 25 trees for every yurt sold. The trees are grown locally before finally taking them out to the countryside and replanting them to maturity. The Groovy Yurt story is a fascinating one and continues today with our new central office open for groovy business in the beautiful town of Alexandria, Ontario.
This page is a true dedication to all the wonderful people who make up every Groovy Yurt day and bring the culture of what really matters to life.
Bataa And His Family
Bataa is our main yurt manufacturer in Mongolia. Bataa and his 13 brothers and sisters, along with their families, touch every aspect of production from your initial order submission to packing it on the ship. Groovy Yurts wouldn’t be the same without the heart, soul and energy that Bataa and his family put into every single groovy yurt. From the first phase of production in the countryside to the final stages in the city of Ulaanbaatar, each and every family member plays an intricate role in ensuring the fine detail and quality construction of our authentic mongolian yurts. The best part of our Groovy Yurt bi-annual trip to Mongolia is our time spent with Bataa and his family. They have all become like family to us. We treasure every moment of time shared and all that they have taught us!
Tuya & Her Team
Tuya was born on the Gobi and was raised in a ger. She began her career as a translator and frequently worked alongside European travellers. She quickly discovered that these tourists were very interested in gers, so much so that they would often want to bring on home. This sparked an interest of her own and she was able to assemble a team for yurt production. With her contemporary style, quality woodwork and universalized manufacturing process, we know our customers will love her yurts just as much as we do.
Yves
Yves Ballenegger is the founder of Groovy Yurts. From its conception as Globetrucker 14 years ago to the Groovy Yurts’ brand today, Yves has never lost sight of his desire to bring the Authentic Mongolian Yurt experience to his customers around the world. Yves’ support to minimize the footprint on our soil, advance education in sustainable living and promote the use of renewable resources are all reflected in his Groovy Yurt world.
His passion for the Mongolian culture is captured in every single hand made yurt that is delivered. Two to three times a year Yves sets out on the Groovy Delivery Tour where he and his team personally deliver and set-up his customer’s yurts. He is a wealth of knowledge in every aspect of Mongolian yurt living and follows the production of your authentic Mongolian yurt from it’s beginning in Mongolia, to the three month journey across the world, and finally delivered to your door.
Yves is Groovy Yurts! His passion for life and people can be felt in everything he does and says. He believes strongly in the Mongolian culture, the respect to minimize, the need to protect the earth, and a focus for what is truly important in life!
Julia
We are absolutely thrilled to have Julia on our Groovy team. Julia is our very first Operations Manager. She grew up in Alexandria, our hometown, and is passionate about food, sustainable living and supporting local. Julia is bringing experience and a lot of enthusiasm to our growing team!
Julia coordinates the Overnight Yurt Stay at our Groovy Farm in Alexandria. If you are looking to experience a night in a hand-made authentic Mongolian yurt, please contact Julia@groovyyurts.com for tentative bookings.
Sharon
After a 30 year career in community, leadership Sharon has joined the Groovy Yurts team in a business development capacity, focusing on sales, service (internal and external), as well as business growth and development.
Given that Sharon has written all the bio’s on this page, she finds it a wee awkward to write her own. What I can tell you is that I have worked over the years in all levels of community from not-for-profit to private industry to government and although I loved every level of community and every position I was in, nothing quite compares to the community spirit that engulfs Groovy Yurts and the people they serve.
This company perpetuates a community that is all about making a difference, caring about each other, and dedicating one’s self to what really matters in life. I couldn’t be more happy to wake up everyday to the people I work with, and those who we assist to move forward with their dream!
Richard
Richard looks after our Groovy Farm. As if that is not enough! Richard comes from an extensive background in construction and is also our Warehouse controller here in Canada. A talented wood worker, and all round handyman. Richard builds, bends, paints, and creates just about anything our customers can request.
Enee
Enee is our indispensable extended arm in Mongolia. She takes care of everything, from day-to-day business to quality control.
She’s a life-saver because although we speak a good, albeit a little broken Mongolian, her ability to speak four different languages makes communication amongst the Canadian and Mongolian teams much more effective.
She is a very dedicated Groovy Yurt team member and we are grateful every day for her hard work and leadership with the Mongolian production controls.
Sandra
Sandra is a Jack of all trades, wood worker, and artist. She plays an integral role on our Groovy warehouse production team, assisting with platforms, toonos, and any other construction project she can get her hands on.
As an advocate of holistic and organic living, Sandra finds time in her busy schedule to grow her own food, play soccer, and meditate. This dedicated Groovy Yurter is a joy to work with, with an abundance of enthusiasm and very positive attitude. Thanks Sandra!
Peter
Peter has an abundance of both practical and administrative skills. He currently wears many groovy hats with a strong focus on logistics, technical, and delivery. This consummate hard worker can be found most days somewhere between delivering a yurt, fixing a yurt, organizing who is delivering the yurt, or taking your yurt technical questions. I think you get the point. A man of many talents.
Christine
A positively dynamic force on the Groovy Yurts team. Partner to Yves, our fearless leader. Together, they create opportunities to travel the world, delivering yurts, setting up yurts, doing research, and building very groovy life-long relationships. Much of their groovy energy is used to the support local communities, both here in Alexandria and in Mongolia. Outside of the yurt world she can be found working as a mortgage broker, skiing, horseback riding and loving the outdoors.
Mikayla
Having just graduated university in Ottawa, ON, Mikayla recently joined the Groovy Yurts team as our social media coordinator and lover of all things digital marketing! She is the link between us and all of our groovy followers across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. Mikayla’s favourite thing about working at the company is the sheer amount of passion that exists for Mongolian culture, not just on the team, but within the entire Groovy Yurts community. It’s quite rare to find a brand that’s so authentic, and very refreshing.
Mikayla just recently moved to Fernie, BC, and while she’s not working remotely, she enjoys spending her time hiking, skiing, and drinking lots of coffee. In the future, she hopes to visit Mongolia, but for now, is increasingly content working alongside Mongolian Gers and the vibrant Groovy Yurts team!
Selina
Selina is a recent graduate of Algonquin College and has joined the groovy team to assist with administration, parts, inventory controls, and a host of other tasks given her very diverse talent! When you call our 1-888 number it is Selina who will direct your call. In Selina’s spare time she is a certificated yoga instructor, who also enjoys meditation, reading, and gaming alongside her partner. In Selina’s words, ” I am thrilled to be a Groovy Admin” and in our words, ” We are just as excited to have her on board”. Welcome Selina! Dedicated partners in making our customer’s experience a groovy one!
Christian
A warm Groovy welcome to our newest member! Chris is a recent graduate from Carleton University in Ottawa. He graduated with a Dual Honours Degree in Global and International Studies and Global Media and Communications. He will begin working towards his Masters in Sustainable Development this fall. Chris is an avid outdoor enthusiast who loves hiking and cycling.
He is passionate and hardworking, and just super fun to be around! He is very excited to hit the road this spring on the Groovy Bus to deliver and help set-up yurts. Ask him about the time he fell asleep waiting for the sunrise in Jeri, Brazil 😉
Chelsey
Meet Chelsey! She is our Industrial Seamstress and Warehouse Assistant. Chelsey is a local gal, living just a few concessions away from the Groovy farm here in Alexandria. A graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, with a First-Class Honours Degree in Celtic Studies. Chelsey is also on staff with Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia as a Database Assistant on their Gaelic song project entitled Language in Lyrics. An avid nature lover, Chelsey takes delight in simple living and all things equine. She also spent three years working in fashion design, and once said she wanted to design mystical riding wear! We are truly blessed to have this gem join our Groovy team.
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Get In Touch
Groovy Yurts Inc.
20845 McCormick rd
Alexandria, ON
Canada K0C 1A0
General Inquiries
1 888 GROOVYY (476 6899)
Hours of Operation
8:30am - 5:00pm EST Monday to Friday
