The kbbreview Interview // Anne Leitzgen


President, Schmidt


Interview: Matt Baker


Schmidt is part of the growing popularity of franchises in the UK and, with its mix of French style and German quality, is proving a hit with its retail partners.


T


oday, Schmidt is a multinational franchise with over a billion pound turnover, but the business has come a long way since 1934 when Hubert Schmidt founded a small masonry firm in Saarland, Germany. Back then, the company developed and found success manufacturing dressers and


kitchen cabinets. This led to a move to Lièpvre in the Alsace region of France in 1959, a small town close to the German border and not too far from its Saarland roots. This is pertinent to Schmidt as a brand in 2025 because, despite its considerable size globally,


the company is still headquartered in Lièpvre and family run – current president Anne Leitzgen is the granddaughter of Hubert Schmidt. And just like the genetic make up of the small Alsace commune from which the brand developed, Schmidt’s mix of French and German heritage can be seen in its employees and products. The rise of kitchen franchises in the UK has seemingly caused both an opportunity and an


obstacle for the brand – the market is buoyant enough to know it’s a proven concept, but also highly competitive in an overcrowded space. So, then, how exactly does Schmidt’s president see the brand developing in the UK market?


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Anne Leitzgen the kbbreview interview


March 2025


kbbreview


23


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