Cover Story GEFU
80 years of
GEFU
AS GEFU celebrates 80 years – GEFU’s owner Rudolf Schillheim tells us about the company’s illustrious history as industry innovators
Eslohe in Sauerland – this is where GEFU’s story began 80 years ago. Today, the company is recognised as one of the most successful and well-known manufacturers of high-quality kitchen tools in Germany. While the brand name may bring back memories of the Funke brothers who founded GEFU in 1943, a lot has changed over the past eight decades. The man largely responsible for this is Rudolf Schillheim – sole proprietor of the company. “He is a visionary, a doer, who needs to implement every idea, ideally right now, today and in a hurry,” say GEFU’s employees
about their boss. This has always been the case, remembers Schillheim. And it is why, after finishing school, he went down the solution-focused, manual path and at the age of 15 started an apprenticeship as a toolmaker in nearby firm GEFU Küchenboss GmbH & Co. KG. GEFU had specialised in grating, potato peelers and, of course, the classic Food Mill FLOTTE LOTTE®. But the young Rudolf Schillheim saw more opportunities and, importantly, a demand for innovative kitchen tools to make cooking easier. “Cooking is a passion, cooking
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shouldn’t be any trouble and, above all, it should be fun,” says Rudolf Schillheim, who
GEFU has established itself as a strong
“I am all the more delighted that, together with my family and my team, I have been able to transform GEFU into such a successful company” from 2004 was managing partner before becoming sole proprietor of the family-owned company in 2009.
To mark its 80th year, GEFU has committed to planting trees in exchange for anniversary products sold. “In this way, we’re contributing to rejuvenating forest ecosystems to counteract the climate crisis,” says company owner Rudolf Schillheim. 12 KITCHENWARE INTERNATIONAL
Celebrating innovation from generation to generation
brand with consistent expansion of ranges. The company boasts new concepts and strength of innovation, with its own trends with which it is able to serve all the needs and demands of modern kitchen tools with its enormous breadth and depth of range. Today, GEFU is well-known as a full-range supplier in the sector, offering 650 products in 14 indulgence categories, enthusing customers domestically and internationally. But it’s not just the