Häfele Story

Adolf Häfele takes his company safely and largely unscathed through the Second World War. After the end of the war, the plight in the country is great. However, the reconstruction results in an active demand for fittings and joinery needs. Things are quickly moving forward again. In February 1946, Walther Thierer, Häfele's nephew, enters the company.

In October 1948, Häfele celebrates its 25th anniversary. At this time, the company is well positioned: with a total of 29 employees and revenue rising to nearly two million DM.

Company founder Adolf Häfele dies in 1949, just four years after the end of the Second World War. Right in the middle of the reconstruction efforts in Germany, his 26 year old nephew Walther Thierer takes over the management of the company with the support of the Häfele and Thierer family shareholders.

1950 starts with a catastrophe, which takes a turn for the better: a fire destroys the company building on New Year's eve. But Walther Thierer acts quickly: first, a road sale bridges the emergency and the transactions are resumed in makeshift barracks. At the same time, the foundation for today's headquarters in Nagold is laid. The result is a new building with offices and a warehouse space totalling 2,500 square metres.

In April 1954, Häfele started his own production of special fittings for furniture ornaments and brass grills. The demand for the products grows to such an extent within a short time that the production area has to be extended several times.

In the economic miracle years following World War II, Häfele first primarily serves the domestic market.

But it's only a matter of time before returning to the activities abroad. In 1964, Häfele takes advantage of the spirit of optimism of the 1960s and establishes the first foreign subsidiary in Switzerland.

The export department is developed in Nagold and a company-owned sales organisation for France, "Häfele France GmbH & Co." is established.

The travelling activities of the sales pioneers in Nagold become even more important and the first mobile Häfele exhibition departs on tour. In the following years, the bus also serves as an exhibition stand abroad.

"The Complete Häfele" appears for the first time, the world's biggest reference tool for furniture fittings.

The "Complete Häfele" not only provides more than 25,000 items for purchase, but also helps with detailed drawings and installation instructions – it is not just a reference tool but also a teaching tool.

A large exhibition bus makes a 12,000-mile trip through the furniture centres of the USA. This marks the beginning of the Häfele success story in the United States: Häfele America Co. is founded in 1973 .

These mobile exhibits have been deployed successfully in other countries and are often the first step in opening a market. At the beginning of the 1970's, Häfele therefore achieves an export proportion of 40 percent and is one of the pioneers and founders of export nation Germany.

"Der Große Häfele" appears in the global languages of English, French and Spanish under the title of "The Complete Häfele", "Le Grand Häfele" and "El Gran Häfele" respectively.

Today this comprehensive reference tool for hardware technology is available in more than 20 languages, along with many special editions aimed at specific target groups and countries.

Häfele sets up its own in-house development department. Within a short time, the company builds up a reputation with innovative fittings, and has a long-term influence on furniture manufacturing with its powerful solutions.

The same year, the distribution centre in Nagold is ready to begin operations, laying the foundation for Häfele's logistics services. With a high-rise storage facility in which track guided vehicles pick products off the shelves, Häfele was a quick and reliable logistics partner, even at that time.

Häfele establishes its third foreign subsidiary in Great Britain. Things then happen quickly: subsidiaries follow in Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Ireland, The Netherlands, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Japan… a real establishment boom occurs.

Today Häfele is represented by its own subsidiary or a sales office on every continent.

In 1982 Hans Nock, export manager in Nagold since the 1960s, takes over management of the company and becomes the "Engine" of Häfele’s foreign business. Growth succeeds on reputation and from the power of the family-run company. The proportion of exports increases to 70 per cent.

Häfele's precise knowledge of its customers' needs makes it a problem solver in many cases. One such example is Häfele's development of the Minifix connector system with the centric ball principle, which continues to be successful around the world, even today. The small Minifix revolutionizes the industry and accelerates the growth of the newly created RTA furniture sector.

Häfele's own production plant Häfele Berlin now produces 500 million Minifix in 30 versions.

Häfele puts its faith in proximity to the customer from the very start. Visits to partners on site and individual approaches are an integral part of the corporate culture. From 1985, investments are made in setting up sales offices in Germany. It's now all about shorter distances to the customer, smaller sales units and personal contact. Integrated showrooms make a visit to the sales offices particularly interesting and are very popular with customers.

At interzum 1995, Häfele launches the electronic information and ordering channel "Teleservice 24" and is thus open 24 hours a day. In April 1998, the range of services is expanded and Häfele's first homepage goes online at . Both the company and the product segments are presented digitally. The "Easy Link" online shop celebrated its premiere at interzum 2001. From now on, the entire product range is available online and German customers have access to over 50,000 items which can be ordered quickly and easily by mouse click.

The head office in Nagold is also being expanded. Häfele constructs a new building on an adjacent, 5,000 square metre lot at Adolf-Häfele-Straße 1.

Today, a large and modern showroom, conference rooms, offices, data centre and a test workshop are located in the award-winning building. The company strategies are developed in Nagold, and the product ranges are selected and documented. Central IT is located here, and from here, the global sales organizations are controlled.

The founding wave covers the entire American continent. It is started in 1997 with a subsidiary in Mexico. Brazil follows in 1998, and Argentina in 1999.

Whilst the last "Häfele-free zones" on the map of western Europe are being acquired at the end of the 1990's and the beginning of the new millennium, the company is sending out feelers to eastern Europe and China. In 2002, Häfele establishes the first eastern European subsidiary in Poland. Turkey and China follow in 2005; Russia in 2006; Ukraine and Romania in 2009; and Kazakhstan, Serbia and the Czech Republic in 2010.

Sibylle Thierer, daughter of Walther Thierer, takes over at the beginning of the new millennium in the third generation.

She paves the way to modernity, putting the focus on the use of innovative ideas and products in all decision-making.

Häfele's 360° comprehensive project solutions has been the basis of ongoing, successful business with architects, investors and builders since 2006. It encompasses manufacturer-independent procurement of architectural hardware and project fittings, the "StarTec" product range, the Dialock electronic access control system, countless planning manuals, and international project coordination by Häfele project managers.

Häfele takes a new approach with the "The innovator of Functionality" marketing strategy. "Functionality" becomes the seal of quality with which cabinet maker and joiner solutions can distinguish themselves with optimum functionality. In the same year, the first "Functionality World" exhibition opens in Nagold. Two years later, the first edition of the "Häfele Home" magazine appears with innovative furniture and living ideas. The magazine inspires designers and architects as well as cabinet makers and joiners.

In line with the 360° comprehensive project expertise in construction, Häfele is bundling sales to the furniture industry in the newly founded international sales organisation Häfele Engineering GmbH & Co KG. It focuses exclusively on the requirements of the furniture industry – along the entire value chain.

In September 1972, Häfele started construction on the first stage of its distribution centre, a high-bay warehouse with five aisles and a bar warehouse with offices and common rooms. On 1 January 1974, 6,200 square metres of built-upon area were then put into operation. Today, 50 years later, the seven hectares purchased at that time are almost completely built-upon (53,000 sqm). In the future, Häfele will expand on the other side of Robert-Bosch-Strasse, where several years ago it commissioned a state-of-the-art production facility for packing hardware and fitting systems.

Since this year, numerous planning and configuration tools have been efficiently controlled online and used in everyday operations. The joiner continues to work in his usual environment, but plans his furniture from A-Z digitally with CAD, CAM and configuration tools. Häfele provides digital services supporting planning and construction, for every situation. This makes it easy to digitally process sophisticated hardware and fitting systems – from planning to production.

The Flap Competence Center (FCC) in the Hungarian capital of Budapest celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The development and production facility for innovative flap fittings symbolizes Häfele's innovative strength and forms part of a total of five production plants whose products are available through the 37 Häfele sales offices in 150 countries around the world.

Customers all over the world like to have the latest technology combined with the standing of a company that has been successful on the market for decades – Häfele is constantly consolidating this status.

Internet, catalogue or rather personal consultation with a specialist adviser? Häfele customers have the freedom to choose where and how they find out about the product range or place their order. The new catalogue helps with planning, selection and research, and is always a welcome companion in the workshop and office when a quick overview or familiarisation with a new topic is required.

The new Internet site is online. The Häfele brand world is now available in a new digital dimension: highly effective, extremely simple, self-explanatory and with many advantages. In the modern online shop, ordering is safer, faster and more convenient than ever. This Häfele service package gives you more independence and time.

Häfele opens a second distribution centre in Germany in Lehrte near Hanover. With an eye on the planned expansion of the Group in the coming years, Häfele is taking the next step and plotting a course for faster service. The existing distribution centre on the Wolfsberg in Nagold and the new warehouse in Lehrte, which will go into operation in the early summer of next year , are central elements of a new comprehensive European strategy in the logistics sector of the global company. The Häfele Group operated a total of 52 logistics locations worldwide in 2018.

With the acquisition of Nimbus, Häfele announced to the professional world the strategic takeover of the Stuttgart-based LED luminaire and acoustic specialist. The company from Stuttgart has become the new global competence centre and the unit for the high-potential future areas of light, acoustics and smart within the Häfele Group from 1st September 2019 under the management of Jörg Schmid, the former managing director of the Häfele industrial division. Dietrich Brennenstuhl, the previous owner of the Nimbus Group, is now Managing Director Design & Innovation. He is therefore responsible for the Nimbus brand, the design language, innovation and communication.

With the establishment of the Häfele Adriatic subsidiary last July, Häfele has created another foothold in the Mediterranean: Häfele Adriatic is the 38th foreign sales company of the Group and serves the markets in Slovenia and Croatia. Things are also moving forward in Africa: Häfele has been servicing the East African countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and the Seychelles from its own office in Tanzania since February 2019. This second base on the African continent is part of Häfele’s preparations for growing its presence in the emerging market of East Africa. Overall the Group generated 80% of its revenue outside of Germany.

The parent company of the world's leading Häfele Group for furniture fittings and architectural hardware, electronic acces control systems, and LED lighting, Häfele GmbH and Co KG, changed its corporate form on 1st December 2020. Häfele Germany now operates under the name Häfele SE & Co. KG. “With the legal form of a “Societas Europaea” (SE), we are thinking ahead and making Häfele at the Nagold location, a globally acting family owned and operated business, fit for the future,” says Managing Director Sibylle Thierer. At Häfele, this is a very concrete way of laying the foundation for the assumption of responsibility by the 4th generation. At the same time, this makes a commitment to future independence as a family business.

At the beginning of 2021, Häfele acquired the company moebelplus Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG. Moebelplus, a successful up-and-coming online retailer of electrical household appliances, will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary of Häfele under the operational management of the two current managing directors, Mathias Grummt and Rico Kellner. According to moebelplus, the company found the right partner in Häfele for its next development phase, because moebelplus significantly increases its reach among business customers thanks to the Häfele customer base, and becomes Häfele's new supplier of e-devices and other suitable products.