Jamie Schneider | THE KBBREVIEW INTERVIEW
German kitchen manufacturer Häcker should need no introduction, and neither should Jamie Schneider who was promoted in February from his role as sales director to MD of the brand in the UK. Rebecca Nottingham went to meet him at the brand’s showroom and HQ in central London to find out his strategy for the brand
H
aving been in the kitchen industry for over 30 years and having worked in almost every specialist area – from sink, tap and appliance distribution, manufacturing and even retailing – it’s fair to say that Jamie Schneider, the newly appointed MD, is well-placed to manage the Häcker business in the UK. He’s no stranger to the brand or its retailer network either. “I joined Häcker in 2019 as sales director as the senior management team felt the brand needed someone with knowledge and experience of the UK market on board,” he explains. “I’m obviously extremely proud in my new role as managing director of a brand as big and successful as Häcker is here.”
Family-owned Häcker is one of the big seven kitchen manufacturers in Germany. It’s the second biggest kitchen supplier in Germany and the sixth biggest in the world. In 2020, as part of its 10-year growth strategy, it ploughed €220 million (£182.89m) into a new factory in Venne to help keep up with demand. And, at a time when more and more brands appear to be considering direct selling, Häcker’s unbranded approach – one that emphasises the importance and strength of the retailer as the consumer-facing brand – must be reassuring for independents.
Q & A
Q: We’ve had the most challenging few years with the backdrop of Brexit and then the pandemic. How did you – as both sales director and, most recently managing director – manage the Häcker UK business through that time? A: Providing a good service and prioritising retailers are core elements of the Häcker ethos, so in terms of Brexit we took a very proactive approach. We didn’t want our dealers
to grow our business in the UK’ of opportunities to ‘There are a lot May 2022 · 37
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