At Häfele, change always means continuity: much has happened since 1923, with just four management changes. At the beginning of 2023, Sibylle Thierer (2003-2023) placed the responsibility for the company in the hands of Gregor Riekena. His appointment as the fifth company director in the 100-year history of the company is tied in with the best experiences from the past. The first managing director not to be from the Häfele and Thierer families, Hans Nock (1982-2003), had paved the way for the company to become a global player with foresight. Gregor Riekena is now the second non-family Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Häfele Group.

The milestones in the company's history remain important – and so do their “inventors”: Häfele Managing Director Walther Thierer (1949-1982) launched Häfele Logistics, which is still highly praised in the industry today, and invented “The Complete Häfele” catalogue, which is now available worldwide in more than 20 languages. However, the name of his daughter Sibylle Thierer stands for what is probably the biggest change in the history of hardware and fitting systems. She brought furniture fittings, the metal components which were treated as purely technical accessories for a considerable period of time, out of obscurity. Sibylle Thierer turned the realisation that hardware and fitting systems are the real key to emotionalising and individualising furniture and furnishings into her creed. “Without fittings, furniture is nothing more than a pile of boards,” this saying, which she created back in 2007, was amusing, memorable and immediately understandable in equal measure. It made furniture fittings the main focus of interest of planners, designers and employees in furniture manufacturing.

The Häfele Group is now also regarded as a driving force for the hotel industry and commercial living. It has particularly made a name for itself in digitalisation and the development of comprehensive networking solutions in furniture and space. New CEO Gregor Riekena, who held responsible positions at Häfele for several years before his appointment as Chairman of the Executive Board, was also instrumental in driving this forward. Häfele is not only a supplier of accessories, but also a reliable partner for planners in the areas of interior design and architecture – for which Häfele coined the term “360° comprehensive project solutions”. From design to implementation, the company provides support with the right products and with a comprehensive range of accompanying services. The Häfele product range includes electronic access systems, customisable lighting solutions and smart control systems with a high degree of operating convenience.

Among other things, the company’s outstanding expertise is based upon the strategic acquisition of start-ups, whose know-how is prudently integrated and further developed. One example is the acquisition of the ThingOS start-up, which was preceded by several years of cooperation. The technical knowledge and fresh impetus of the visionary founding spirit was incorporated into the company’s own corporate culture with this step: With ThingOS, Häfele is now fully capable of designing unique light and room experiences from a single source, together with the Nimbus (light & acoustics) and Sphinx (electronic access control systems) business areas. The company’s special expertise in smart networking of furniture and room light and also other functions in the interior is a unique selling point within the industry, and makes Häfele a pioneer."Maximising the value of space. Together.” is also the new motto with which Häfele is starting its second century as a company. It encompasses nothing less than the aim of creating livable, consistent spatial worlds together with partners, in which everything has been thought through. Because no matter how we will want to live and work tomorrow, smart concepts will be in high demand. Häfele is convinced that the value of a space is not measured in square metres, but in what you do with it. That is why the goal is to achieve the greatest possible benefit together – for residents, guests and investors.

Häfele is now recognised well outside its own industry: “Entrepreneurial excellence” is what publicist and entrepreneur Dr. Florian Langenscheidt attested to the Häfele Group of Companies in his recently published illustrated book “From the Best Family”, in which Häfele is portrayed as one of 100 family businesses. In troubled times, it is more important than ever to draw attention to the achievements of German family-run businesses. They represent continuity, sustainability, economic success and social responsibility, as you can read in the press release of the ZEIT publishing group. It would be hard to formulate more succinctly that which constitutes Häfele's corporate culture, and will also continue to characterise it for the next 100 years.

Gregor Riekena sees it like this: “On the occasion of the 100th anniversary, we want to express two things: pride in the successful path the company has taken to date – and the optimism that we can continue this success story, also by having the courage to continuously evolve.”

The company has proven time and again that words are followed by deeds, and has many things in the pipeline for the anniversary year: After the opening of the fourth high-rise warehouse at the logistics centre in Nagold, construction of the new Dynamics Centre, which has been designed by Schmidt Architekten from Kenzingen, is going to start this year. The BAU trade fair in Munich from 17th -22nd April was also marked by a première: Häfele appeared for the first time in Hall C2 “Light and Smart” and impressively showcased the interplay of room and furniture light, access management and networked control on the trade fair booth developed together with Stuttgart-based creative agency “jangled nerves”. Various 100th anniversary activities are planned during the course of the year. The celebrations will kick off in Cologne in May at interzum, the world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design. This will be followed in the summer by the “Blackbox Night” in the Stuttgart showroom on 21st June and four weeks later by the big anniversary weekend at the headquarters: an appropriate celebration will be taking place in Nagold from 21st to 23rd July. 

Nagold, may 2023
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Maximising the value of space. Together.

Häfele is committed to developing liveable, sustainable room concepts for the living and working environments of tomorrow. Together with its partners, Häfele creates resource-saving, multifunctional solutions with maximum comfort.

Founded in 1923, the globally active specialist for intelligent hardware technology, electronic locking systems, lighting and networking offers its customers from over 150 countries unique 360° expertise. With a comprehensive product range, numerous services and a great deal of innovative spirit, the family-owned company is a reliable partner to its partners in the trade, furniture industry, retail and architecture - from brainstorming and planning to the implementation of their projects.

Over 8,000 employees, 38 subsidiaries and numerous other agencies around the world make up the team of the global player headquartered in Nagold in the Black Forest. The Group has been managed by Gregor Riekena since January 2023. Sibylle Thierer represents the interests of the shareholder families as Chairwoman of the Board of Directors. In the 2023 financial year, the Häfele Group achieved a turnover of 1.71 billion euros with an export share of 82%.

Further information can be found at www.haefele.de