Interview Stölzle Lausitz
Fino
Cocoon
Building
business
As a company, Stölzle Lausitz has been making glass in the Lusatia territory of Germany for 135 years. Glassmaking is part of the region’s DNA – it is bred into the people. Stölzle Lausitz was established in 1889, and by 1900, they faced competition from 67 glassworks in Lusatia alone. Today, it is the last one standing. Leopold Grupp, CEO of Stölzle Lausitz, talks to HoReCa about the brand’s approach to the professional sector, where they see potential for growth and how they strike a balance between serving the hospitality sector and supporting retail… Stölzle Lausitz is not a young company, in fact, it is 135 years old. But something about it feels fresh, new, dynamic. It feels connected to its clients. (A visit to the company’s stands at any global trade fair will tell you that.) Stölzle Lausitz has busied itself making glassware for more than 100 years, and it makes it very well. Embracing a mix of mouthblown and machine-made collections, the company supplies glassware for both retail and HoReCa, with new lines including the aroma-developing Cocoon,
joining prestige collections such as Fino and Starlight. A global distribution reach sees the company’s products at home in venues such as the Michelinstarred Cookies & Cream in Berlin, the Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur and Miami’s Soho House, to name a few. Led by Leopold Grupp, Stölzle Lausitz is primed for growth. But as far as the CEO is concerned, Stölzle Lausitz is more than just a glassware brand, “it’s a symbol of passion and craftsmanship that has been cherished for over
Did you know? Stölzle Lausitz produces more than 45 million glasses each year. 34 TABLEWARE INTERNATIONAL: HoReCa
135 years,” he tells HoReCa. As the tabletop industry focuses its attentions more and more on hospitality, Stölzle
relationships with our key customers. As part of this initiative, we are expanding our presence on a global scale. This expansion
“As long as people continue to crave social connections… hospitality will remain an integral part of human life and well-being” Lausitz has always had a strong bond with its professional partners and customers, Leopold says, but the brand is now doubling down on this. “We are currently intensifying our efforts within the hospitality industry to deepen our
includes not only strengthening our marketing efforts but also increasing our physical presence through the addition of new team members. One example is APAC. With 70 per cent of all restaurant and hotel openings occurring in Asia, we’ve increased