Poggenpohl
| GmbH | |
| Industry | furniture manufacturer |
| Founded | 1892 |
| Headquarters | Herford, Germany |
Key people | Patrick Heinen (Managing Director) |
| Products | kitchen cabinets |
Number of employees | 500 (2012) |
| Parent | Nobia |
| Website | www.poggenpohl.com |
Poggenpohl is the German branch of the Swedish corporation Nobia specializing in kitchen cabinets. In Germany the facilities are located in Herford, Germany. Poggenpohl Möbelwerke claims to be the oldest kitchen brand in the world and one of the leading international brand names in kitchen design, known in more than 70 countries worldwide. 1993's Foundations of Corporate Success describes it along with the luxurious manufacturer Bulthaup as dominant in "the high quality mass-production [kitchen furniture] sector."[1]
History
In 1892, the brand Poggenpohl was established as a white lacquer furniture company founded by Freidemir Poggenpohl. Poggenpohl was successful with introducing ergonomic work-top heights, and storage innovations aimed at improving the kitchen.[2]
In 1923, Poggenpohl introduced a free-standing commodious cupboard called The Ideal which was also adopted by American cabinet manufacturer Kitchen Maid. The Poggenpohl cupboard was the forerunner of The Fitted Kitchen in the "Era of the Commodious Cupboard".[3] The company continued to create new products and techniques; in 1928, it introduced the reform kitchen, a significant innovation in the industry, and in 1930, it created the 'ten-layer polished lacquer technique'.[2]
In 1950, Poggenpohl was again an industry forerunner, as it launched the first unit kitchen, which has become the kitchen industry standard. These kitchens, created in response to what Poggenpohl saw as a desire for the modern in its customer base, offered a continuous counter-top workspace and wall units that matched.[4] As the product line evolved, they replaced the traditional wooden knob handles of the cabinetry with inset "strip" laminate handles.[4]
In 1970, Poggenpohl authorizes its first dealer in the United States, in Barrington, NJ. AV Kitchens (or AV Poggenpohl Studio) directly imports kitchens from Poggenpohl AG for more than two decades under the auspices of dealer president Stephen Rabinowitz, in cooperation with Poggenpohl AG Chief Executive Herr Ludwig. In 1986, Poggenpohl USA is formed in Allandale, NJ as an arm of the manufacturer in the United States, intended to facilitate communications and logistics of U.S.-based orders into German manufacturing facilities.
In 2004, Poggenpohl introduced the first technology kitchen with entertainment and smart home technology, and in 2007, Poggenpohl introduced the first product brand kitchen with Porsche Design implementing the P'7340 - Porsche Design Kitchen.[2]
Achievements
In 2009 Poggenpohl ranked first among German kitchen manufacturers - According to a survey undertaken by the Munich brand agency "Brand Rating" on behalf of the journal "Wirtschaftswoche". Detailed in this survey are the Top 30 German manufacturers of luxury goods - Poggenpohl is an illustrious company, on par with Germany's most prestigious name brands, like A. Lange & Söhne, Maybach, Glashütte and Porsche.
After being placed at the top of German luxury kitchen brands, premium kitchen manufacturer Poggenpohl from Herford, Westphalia, is the only German kitchen brand to be included in the standard work's ‘Brands of the Century’ by Publisher Dr. Florian Langenscheidt.
http://www.marken-des-jahrhunderts.de
References
- ↑ Kay, John Anderson (1993). Foundations of Corporate Success: How Business Strategies Add Value. Oxford University Press. p. 134. ISBN 0-19-828781-X.
- 1 2 3 Poggenpohl Kitchens Home Accessed 2009-02-24
- ↑ Freeman, Judith (2003). The Fitted Kitchen: A Piece of Twentieth-century English Cultural History. Berg Publishers. p. 42. ISBN 1-85973-699-8.
- 1 2 Freeman, 46.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Poggenpohl. |
- Poggenpohl Kitchens Home
- Brand Rating by Wirtschaftswoche
- German Brands of the Century by Publisher Dr. Florian Langenscheidt