History, vision and mission of Häfele

Over the past century, Häfele has become a symbol of innovation, quality and creativity in the furniture industry. Join  Häfelehome to learn about Häfele’s 100-year historical  journey   , thereby understanding the company’s core values, vision, mission and working culture through the article below. 

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Häfele and its 100-year journey of global development

Initial stage (1923 – 1944)

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From 1923 to 1944, Häfele was founded in Nagold, Germany, specializing in the production of furniture and wood fittings. Focusing on quality and meeting consumer needs, the company quickly gained a reputation in the industry, building the foundation for its future development strategy. 

Birth and initial establishment

In 1923, when inflation in Germany was escalating, two young entrepreneurs, Adolf Häfele and Hermann Funk, decided to establish a shop specializing in the production of woodworking tools and iron products in Aulendorf, Württemberg. After 4 years, the company became a private enterprise owned by Adolf Häfele.  

In 1927, the company moved to Nagold, a center of furniture production at the time. In this city, Adolf Häfele visited carpentry and furniture factories, recording the names and requests of customers. This gave him a clearer view of the market, and from there he established the first regional sales network. 

First successes

From the early 1930s until many years later, Häfele gradually made its mark with significant initial successes: 

  • Build your first wholesale warehouse and successfully attract a large number of new customers. 
  • First honored with a gold medal at the exhibition in Strasbourg with the booth “Interior accessories for bedrooms and kitchens” in 1933. 
  • First catalogue of interior accessories published in 1939 with 20,000 copies. 
  • Expand production and start exporting products to neighboring countries such as France, Switzerland, etc.

Thanks to these efforts, Häfele has laid the foundation for future global growth. 

Construction and development period (1945 – 1999)

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New Beginnings

In the post-World War II period, Häfele focused primarily on the German domestic market – a strategic decision to capitalise on the country’s strong post-war economic recovery. The company experienced a period of impressive growth, expanding its distribution network and producing its own high-quality furniture fittings and brass grilles for the domestic market. 

From here, Häfele has gained recognition and trust from customers and business partners, creating strong relationships and expanding opportunities in the domestic market. 

After Adolf Häfele passed away in 1949, Walther Thierer took over leadership and built the foundation stone for the Häfele Group headquarters in Nagold – a new building with offices and warehouses covering a total area of ​​2,500 square metres. 

Effective marketing strategy

Häfele has built a solid journey from its efforts, commitment to continuous innovation and creativity in product features. During this period, Häfele has made remarkable new strides: 

  • Established Export Department and cooperated with Häfele France & Co., Ltd. to expand the market in France. 
  • Organize mobile exhibitions abroad by bus to connect and introduce products to a large number of customers in a convenient and flexible way. 
  • In 1971, the book “Der Große Häfele” was published, becoming the world’s largest reference book on interior fittings, providing more than 25,000 products and detailed assembly instructions. 
  • Making a 12,000-mile journey through America’s furniture heartland by exhibition bus, marking the founding of Häfele America Co. in Archdale, North Carolina in 1973. 
  • By 1979, Häfele had built a delivery center in Nagold, creating a logistics service platform that provided efficient and reliable solutions for the interior construction industry.

Expanding operations 

Häfele has expanded its representative offices in many countries around the world, from the UK and spreading to Australia, Canada, France, Italy, New Zealand, Japan, etc. In each continent, Häfele has at least one representative office or sales facility. 

In 1985, the company focused on building domestic sales offices in Germany and expanding its 5,000 m2 headquarters in Nagold, which also became Häfele’s hub with showrooms, workshops, computer centers and test workshops, playing an important role in the company’s strategic development and global inventory.

Turn of the millennium (2002 – present) 

Towards modernization and creativity

In 2003, Sibylle Thierer, daughter of Walther Thierer, took over the company and shaped the modernization strategy, promoting innovation in every Häfele product. 

Since 2006, Häfele’s 360° construction service has been the foundation for business success, providing comprehensive solutions for architecture and construction, including accessories, products, manuals and international cooperation, helping to optimize construction and interior decoration projects professionally and efficiently. 

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A year later, the company launched the “Functional Innovator” campaign to help carpentry professionals create optimal product solutions such as smart interior accessories, hinge systems, slide rails, etc. In addition, the company also organized the first “Functional World” exhibition in Nagold and launched the “Häfele Home” magazine with many creative ideas for interiors, inspiring designers and carpenters. 

Dynamic and innovative

Häfele has expanded its business by building distribution centers, offering digital services and expanding into lighting, sound and smart appliances. 

In addition, Häfele also expanded its footprint in Africa and acquired companies such as Nimbus (to strategically take over the leader in the audio and LED lighting sector) and Moebelplus (to expand its business in the home appliances and online retail sectors), marking the company’s growth and commitment to the future of the smart home furniture industry. 

Today,  Häfele  has more than 8,000 employees and continues to shape the industry with the slogan “Towards the Future”.

Häfele’s core values 

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The spirit of creativity and innovation has always been the main driving force for the company to constantly develop, creating modern and unique solutions for the furniture industry. From there, the company brings surprises, improvements and creative solutions to bring the best and most special experiences to all consumers. 

In addition, since the company’s inception, Adolf Häfele – the founder of Häfele Group has always cared about and regularly visited partners and customers as an important part of the business philosophy. After 100 years, Häfele still believes that by listening to the feedback, wishes and challenges that customers are facing, Häfele can gain a deeper understanding of consumer needs, grasp conditions more accurately and find opportunities for better product improvement. 

Häfele vision and mission

Because of that mission, Häfele always works closely with architects, designers, and real estate developers to provide smart solutions, interior equipment and utility products (such as door locks, kitchen cabinet accessories, smart storage systems, lighting, etc.) that are most suitable for each living and working space, bringing convenience, modernity and aesthetics to users. 

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Currently, Häfele provides comprehensive living space solutions for doors, furniture, kitchens, bathrooms, lighting and project solutions. Häfele products have been certified for quality by prestigious organizations such as the Quality Measurement and Standards Technical Center 3 (QUATEST 3), SGS, TUV RHEINLAND and have been tested by LGA (Landesgewerbeanstalt), committed to class and fully meeting the intended use of consumers. 

Häfele’s working culture 

With the motto of “Thinking ahead”, the company’s working culture always aims for a pioneering spirit and far-sighted thinking. 

Häfele not only addresses current challenges, but also focuses on anticipating and responding to future trends. The company regularly researches and implements new technologies, constantly looking for innovative approaches to meet the complexity and diversity of markets and customer needs. 

In addition, Häfele always creates a professional and friendly working environment, where each individual can maximize their potential, bring opportunities for challenges, respect for achievements, and career development for those who are working here. The company encourages its talented staff to continuously learn, experiment and participate in proposing and implementing innovative projects for Häfele products. 

Häfele products and solutions 

Häfele has built large-scale facilities to meet diverse customer and market needs flexibly and efficiently.

Häfele’s products and solutions include furniture fittings, hardware accessories, electronic access control systems, sanitary ware, home appliances, lighting and smart home systems, and project solutions, to optimize storage space and make living space more comfortable for users.  

Thanks to the advantages and benefits of  Häfele’s products and solutions,  Häfele has become different from its competitors in the market and won the hearts of consumers. 

Häfele ‘s history, vision and mission   not only demonstrate its longevity but also clearly demonstrate its steady development over the past century. Hopefully, through this article, readers will have a deeper insight into Häfele ‘s dedicated journey   in building a prestigious brand worldwide.