5 minute read
COMPANY PROFILE Blum
PUTTING INSTALLERS FIRST
The company’s UK headquarters in Milton Keynes
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Founded in 1952 by Julius Blum in the Austrian municipality of Hoechst in Vorarlberg, Blum established itself as one of the market leaders of the fittings branch. Everyone from furniture manufacturers, authorised dealers, furniture sellers, fitters and end users experience enhanced convenience thanks to Blum’s innovative fittings solutions.
Employees – the basis of success
Blum is a family-owned company that operates worldwide, specialising in the manufacture and distribution of furniture fittings. Its main product groups are lift, hinge and pull-out systems for furniture, predominantly in kitchens. Worldwide clients include furniture manufacturers and authorised dealers. Blum has roughly 6,900 employees all over the world today, with 5,300 in Vorarlberg alone. The fittings manufacturer operates seven plants in Vorarlberg which all have stateof-the art workplaces and high-tech production facilities, with sites in Poland, Brazil and the USA and 28 subsidiaries and representative offices. The company supplies more than 120 markets around the world. On 1 September 2016, 80 new apprentices started their technical training at Blum Austria. This means that from September 2016, the Blum Group will employ 306 apprentices, 13 of whom are based in the US.
Quality of motion throughout the home
Blum strives to achieve perfect motion with all its fittings solutions. Blum products make opening and closing of furniture a mesmerising experience and increase the quality of motion and user convenience throughout the home – in particular in kitchens. Consistent developments and innovative force are required to achieve this goal. Blum has been able to assert and maintain its position both as a reliable supplier to furniture manufacturers and an innovative market leader for many years thanks to consistent investment in R&D. This also includes continuous efforts to identify customer needs along the entire value added chain – from manufacturers, sellers and fitters to end users (i.e. kitchen buyers).
Our origins
When Julius Blum founded his own company in 1952 the one-man business focused on the manufacture of special horseshoe studs that prevented horses from slipping on ice or bad soil conditions. Business was good in the early 1950s. In 1953 Julius Blum hired his first employee followed by many others over the years. However, the decline of the horseshoe business became foreseeable when tractors found their way into Vorarlberg’s farming industry. Luckily, it came to Julius Blum’s notice that novel window, door and cabinet fittings were being manufactured in neighbouring Switzerland. His company had the suitable machinery but lacked the necessary manufacturing licences. So the young entrepreneur travelled to Zurich to meet the patent owner in person. As
Refined fittings solutions by Blum bring enhanced convenience throughout the home
The start of manufacture of the Anuba hinge in 1958 marked Blum’s entry into the fittings branch
a result, he was commissioned with the manufacture of the Anuba hinges. Much later, Julius Blum described this step as “a milestone in the company’s history”.
Convincing products
Innovative fittings solutions by Blum bring enhanced convenience to furniture throughout the home – in particular to kitchens – and that a furniture lifetime. The storage space available is put to optimal use, large wall cabinets glide open at a single touch and heavily laden drawers and pull-outs (with a load bearing capacity of up to 65 kg) can simply be nudged open with your knee or toe (should your hands be full). This
Blum’s main product groups are hinge, pull-out and lift systems
opening ease is delivered by Servo-Drive, the electric motion support system by Blum. Furniture closes again softly and effortlessly with soft-close Blumotion. The latest motion technology in Blum’s range is Tip-On Blumotion. The fitting combines mechanical one-touch opening with soft and effortless closing thanks to Blumotion. Blum’s innovative fittings solutions and practical ideas make kitchens the wellbeing hub of the home. But that’s not all. All product developments boast quick, easy and safe assembly and installation. No matter whether furniture manufacturers, authorised dealers, fitters or end users – everyone benefits from Blum’s high-tech furniture fittings.
Consistent developments safeguard Blum’s position
The family-owned company has seven plants in Vorarlberg, Austria which all have state-of-the art workplaces and high-tech production facilities. Blum has been able to assert and maintain its position as a reliable supplier to furniture manufacturers for many years thanks to consistent investment in R&D amounting to 4% of the company’s annual turnover. “We apply for patents to protect all our latest developments which are designed to meet our customers’ existing and future needs. We’ve been ranked amongst Austria’s best patent applicants for many years. This also bears testimony to our innovative force,” says Jürgen Wilke (in charge of industrial property rights at Blum) about how the company utilises its innovative force and takes consistent measures to protect it.
Blum UK’s brand new Experience Centre – with a dedicated room for Installers
Blum UK has just launched a brand new immersive facility at its UK offices and warehouse in Milton Keynes. The Experience Centre is 11,500 sq ft of interactive experience: “A place where ideas and relationships are brought to life,” explains David Sanders, Blum UK Sales and Marketing Director. “It’s a stateof-the-art facility, where our partners can experience not only Blum’s products but also its services, its people, its heritage and culture.”
www.blum.com
The Technical Room at Blum UK in Milton Keynes
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