Bulthaup (company)

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Bulthaup

logo
legal form GmbH & Co. KG
founding 1949
Seat Bodenkirchen , Germany
management Marc O. Eckert
Number of employees about 530 (2012)
sales around 120 million euros
Branch Kitchen furniture manufacturer, sales of kitchen items
Website www.bulthaup.de
As of June 12, 2013

bulthaup is a German kitchen furniture manufacturer based in Aich , a district of Bodenkirchen near Landshut . The company employs 530 people and has a turnover of around 120 million euros. About 80% of this is achieved in export.

Bulthaup kitchens are located in the upscale sector, with particular emphasis on design.

Company history

Founding years

Bulthaup Concept 12 (1974) - manufacturer photo
Bulthaup kitchen workbench (1988) and Bulthaup System 20 furniture - manufacturer photo

Martin Bulthaup, who comes from East Westphalia , founded the "Martin Bulthaup Furniture Factory" in Bodenkirchen near Landshut in 1949 . In 1951 he started producing kitchen furniture. The first product was a kitchen buffet with hand-sewn curtains. In 1963 he set up a plant in Bodenkirchen and expanded the production facilities in 1966 with another location in Neumarkt-Sankt Veit . Martin Bulthaup introduced assembly line production in his operations.

In 1969 Bulthaup presented the “Style 75” product line. With a turnover of around one hundred million DM , the company was one of the five largest German manufacturers of kitchen furniture in the late 1960s; exports to countries of the then EEC began in 1973 .

In 1974 Bulthaup presented the “Concept 12” (also: c12) kitchen model . This allowed flexible planning due to the grid size of 12 cm.

In 1978 the company was taken over by Gerd Bulthaup (1944–2019), the son of the company founder, and with the construction of a new production facility in Aich / Bodenkirchen, various corporate divisions were combined.

Cooperation with Otl Aicher

In 1980 Bulthaup began working with the designer Otl Aicher . In Aicher's opinion, kitchens should invite people to prepare meals together and kitchen tools should be kept ready to hand and visible. In 1982 he published the book "The Kitchen for Cooking" . In the same year the kitchen furniture program “System b”, which was inspired by Aicher's research, appeared. In 1988 the so-called “kitchen workbench ” (KWB) was created, a combination of stainless steel hob, sink and work surface. It took over design elements of the large kitchen and was awarded several design prizes.

1990s

The typical mix of materials in Bulthaup's kitchens in the 1990s
Bulthaup System 20 (1997) - manufacturer photo

In 1992 Bulthaup presented the "System 25". Its modular structure and a large number of different elements made flexible planning possible. The product name "System 25" is based on the three-dimensional grid of 25 × 25 × 25 mm. Different fronts and surfaces made it possible to design elements according to their purpose. Particularly stressed areas could be made of stainless steel and combined with surfaces made of glass, wood and laminate. The newly designed Bulthaup extractor , which is based on the professional kitchen in terms of form and function, has received multiple awards . In addition, the “Korpus” and “Duktus” seating systems were developed and offered. In 1997 the mobile “System 20” was presented, which included rollable containers and freely positionable elements. These could be combined independently and, depending on the availability of electricity and water, could also be placed anywhere in the room.

From 2000

In 2002 Gerd Bulthaup († 2019) retired from the operational management of the company. After external managing directors, Marc O. Eckert, another family member, took over the management of the company in 2010.

The materials and adhesives used in furniture production were examined by Öko-Test in 2004 for their harmlessness to health. The manufacturers Bulthaup and Poggenpohl received the test rating “satisfactory”.

Economic weakness in 2010

Due to the ongoing economic downturn, the company was forced in March 2010 to transfer 114 of its 550 employees to an employment and qualification company or to terminate them at short notice. After a year and a half of short-time work had already come to an end, the employees had to leave the company after a retraining and support period of nine months. Until then, they were still receiving 80 percent of their previous net wages.

Product lines

In 2015 Bulthaup is offering three product lines, b1, b2 and b3.

Bulthaup b1

The b1 is a puristically designed kitchen. Doors and separations are performed without handles. The lower entry price is primarily intended to appeal to a younger target group. Compared to the Bulthaup b3, the choice of surfaces, worktops and cupboards is reduced. The b1 is not manufactured at the headquarters in Aich / Bodenkirchen. For capacity reasons, the production takes place at a southern German furniture manufacturer.

Bulthaup b2

The b2 is the further development of Otl Aicher's "kitchen workshop" . It consists of two cupboards that hold dishes and integrate built-in appliances such as a refrigerator , dishwasher and oven . If the cabinet doors are opened, the entire contents are immediately accessible. The " water point " and the hob are in the "workbench". The interior fittings of the cabinets and the workbench are modular.

Bulthaup b3

A characteristic of the b3 is a functional wall placed in front of the actual wall as a supporting base for appliances and kitchen furniture. These can be freely attached there and thus adapted to the spatial conditions. The impression of a floating kitchen is created. The multifunctional wall not only supports kitchen furniture and appliances. Knife blocks, paper roll holders and shelves can be attached to the joints in the wall . In addition, foldable function boxes create storage space there. These allow immediate access to kitchen tools , spices and supplies. The Bulthaup b3 system is not limited to the kitchen and can be used as a universal furnishing system throughout the house.

Furniture and kitchen items

The Bulthaup brand range includes other items, including tables, benches, extractor hoods , taps , lighting elements and accessories for private kitchens.

Design features

Function and ergonomics determine the design of the Bulthaup brand. A design element of the company is a work table placed in the middle of the kitchen, which was initially made of wood. The Bulthaup kitchen workbench, which is made entirely of stainless steel , arose from the idea of ​​this independent preparatory element for cooking and communicating together, the Bulthaup butcher block . The Bulthaup tap is also characteristic of the brand . Thanks to its design, the amount of water, temperature and position can be regulated with just one hand. Another special feature of the brand is the Bulthaup b3 interior system. Here, the floor in the pull-outs of the b3 kitchen is wave-shaped. An adjustment of the individual compartments is possible at any time using freely movable dividers.

  • Bulthaup faucet (2014)

  • Bulthaup b3 with Interior System (2014)

Sales structure

Bulthaup showroom (2014)

Bulthaup kitchens are only available in our own stores and from authorized dealers. For a long time, presentation and sales have been carried out in single-brand showrooms .

There are around 500 trading partners worldwide who are run as independent partner companies. Bulthaup has subsidiaries in Great Britain , France , Italy , Spain , the Netherlands , Switzerland , Hong Kong and the USA .

Awards

  • 2014 Gerd Bulthaup is the Design Council awarded the German Design Award in the category Personality, the year of award winners for significant contributions to the field of design and design will be awarded.
  • 2014 Bulthaup receives the AIT Architects Partner Award in gold. The award is given to companies that cooperate with architects in an exemplary manner and have excellent sales skills.
  • 2013 The Bulthaup b3 interior system ("bulthaup b3 Interior System") is presented with the Good Design Award in the kitchen / kitchen appliances category by the Chicago Museum of Architecture and Design .
  • 2013 Bulthaup b3 interior fittings received the wallpaper design award “Best Storage”.
  • 2007 Bulthaup is the highest-placed furniture manufacturer in the German luxury brand ranking by Wirtschaftswoche
  • 1997 The European Commission awards Bulthaup the Lifetime Achievement Award and the European Design Prize

Web links

Commons : Bulthaup  - Collection of Images

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection: Federal Gazette. Consolidated financial statements for the business year from January 1 to December 31, 2012. In: https://www.bundesanzeiger.de . Search term: Bulthaup GmbH & Co KG (Aich, Gde. Bodenkirchen). Berlin: Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. (May 21, 2014)
  2. ↑ Finsterwalder, Frauke: The liberator of the sideboard. In: Welt am Sonntag. Style. Axel Springer SE. January 23, 2005.
  3. ↑ top v .: Martin Bulthaup - pioneer of the fitted kitchen industry. For the 60th birthday of the man who plays a key role in shaping our home decor. In: Vilsbiburger Zeitung. March 23, 1973
  4. ↑ a b c d Kupetz, Andrej: Gerd Bulthaup - Die Freiheit im Raum ( Memento from August 11, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) In: German Design Award 2014 - Personality. German Design Council | German Design Council. Frankfurt am Main. 2014. p. 1. (May 23, 2014)
  5. ↑ top v .: Bulthaup has ambitious kitchen plans. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. Economy. Edition 8. Munich: Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH. January 12, 1972
  6. ↑ a b c d Kietzmann, Norman: When the workbench conquered the kitchen . Berlin: Bau Netz Media GmbH. June 2, 2008. pp. 1-3. (May 21, 2014)
  7. ↑ Gerhard Matzig: Space artist and great philanthropist . In: sueddeutsche.de . August 2, 2019, ISSN  0174-4917 ( sueddeutsche.de [accessed August 8, 2019]).
  8. ↑ Otl Aicher: The kitchen for cooking . Callwey Verlag, Munich 1982, ISBN 3-936896-18-6
  9. ↑ Krichbaum, Jörg (Ed.): Bulthaup system 25. In: Deutsche Standards. Products and objects in Germany that are a prominent part of the whole. Names and terms, from Aspirin to Zeiss in pictures and words. 7th expanded edition. Cologne: Arcum Verlag. 1995, p. 134.
  10. ↑ Andritzky, Michael (ed.): Oikos - from the fireplace to the microwave. Household and living in transition. Book for the exhibition in the Museum für Gestaltung. Giessen: Anabas Verlag. 1992. p. 136 ff.
  11. ↑ Hagelüken, Alexander: An esthete breaks new ground in the kitchen. The furniture manufacturer has established itself in a noble niche with design models for affluent customers. In: Süddeutsche Zeitung. Economy. Dynasties, outsiders, newcomers: Gerd Bulthaup. Edition 190. Munich: Süddeutsche Zeitung GmbH. 1995, p. 22.
  12. ↑ Husch, Josten: “Forget design!”. In: Brand Eins. Knowledge is the first raw material that multiplies with use. Focus: thinking. Hamburg: brand eins Verlag GmbH & Co. oHG. 2011. pp. 156–159.
  13. ↑ Greenpeace Magazine: Where can I get a non-toxic kitchen? ( Memento from September 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  14. ↑ Bulthaup wants to delete 114 places Article on http://www.innsalzach24.de from March 29, 2010, accessed on September 11, 2014
  15. ↑ Geier, Freddie: The new complexity as an opportunity for sustainable thinking in brand management. In: Keuper, Frank / Kindervater, Jürgen / Dertinger, Jürgen / Heim, Andreas (eds.): The dictates of brand management: 11 theses on sustainable brand management and implementation. With a comprehensive case study from Loewe AG. 1st edition. Wiesbaden: GWV Fachverlage GmbH. 2009. p. 335 ff.
  16. ^ Süddeutsche Zeitung, January 10, 2008: Family business, Steib's new kitchen
  17. ↑ Kähler, Gert : Fridges, cooking islands and other cult objects. In: Spechtenhauser, Klaus (Hrsg.): The kitchen: living environment, use, perspectives. Basel: Birkhäuser - publishing house for architecture. 2006. p. 75 ff.
  18. ↑ bulthaup press.net: Product. In: bulthaup press.net. http://www.de.bulthaup-press.net/bulthaup/pressnet/5_9/de/home.nsf/contentview/EB1D858E65A79E28C12575060047469C . 2014. (May 21, 2014)
  19. ^ Godau, Marion: Product Design. An introduction with examples from practice. Basel (CH): Birkhäuser - Verlag für Architektur. 2003. p. 40 ff.
  20. ↑ bulthaup: bulthaup technic. Mixer tap. In: http://www.bulthaup.de/#/1AB09A7A286DB1E9C125778F00517650 . (June 2, 2014)
  21. ↑ a b Keh, Pei-ru: Best of the rest. Best storage. b3 drawer fitting system by bulthaup. Wallpaper Design Awards 2013. London. 2013. (June 25, 2014)
  22. ↑ Hansen, Nele: Crazy and Wilder. High-quality technical products such as watches and cars are the biggest winners in the fifth luxury brand ranking by WirtschaftsWoche. In: WirtschaftsWoche. Issue 03/2014. Düsseldorf: Handelsblatt GmbH. 2014. pp. 52–55
  23. ↑ o. V .: Germany's successful sales teams. Architects Partner Award 2013. In: http://www.ait-online.de/events/wettbewerbe/apa-2013/ . AIT online. 2014. p. 2. (June 30, 2014)
  24. ↑ Debellis, Lauren: Bulthaup Receives Good Design Award In: Interior Design. New York: Sandow Media LLC. 2013. p. 1. (June 26, 2014)
  25. ↑ EOOS Design GmbH. Awards. "Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany" in Gold for "b2", produced by Bulthaup. In: http://www.eoos.com/cms/?id=181 . (checked on: November 27, 2014)
  26. ↑ bulthaup. fire. awards. In: http://www.it.bulthaup.com/#/034BBF4E72A35AA6C1257291005259F8
  27. ↑ Kned, Tim: Current ranking of luxury brands. In: http://www.modelvita.com/vip-magazin/2007/aktuelles-ranking-der-luxusmarken/554
  28. ↑ Construction network. In: http://www.baunetz.de/mektiven/Mommunikations_Europaeischer_Designpreis_1997_fuer_bulthaup_Einbaukuechen_1289.html