Ralf Marohn, Poggenpohl | THE KBBREVIEW INTERVIEW T
he fact that Poggenpohl’s
bankruptcy, and subsequent battle for ownership, gripped the kitchen industry during the height of a global pandemic tells you everything you need to know about the importance of this brand to the wider market. What probably also helped pique people’s interest in the future of the Poggenpohl brand was when what looked like a done deal for the Lux
Group suddenly turned into a two-way battle, after it was announced that Jomoo Germany – a subsidiary of Chinese giant the Jomoo Group – had made a late bid for the brand. After months of speculation, it was revealed that Jomoo had put in the successful bid and would be the new owner of Poggenpohl from September 1.
At the same time, it was announced that Jomoo had appointed RWK Kuhlmann Küchen MD, Ralf Marohn, as the new managing director of Poggenpohl.
Q & A
Q: It’s safe to say there was a lot of uncertainty over the future of Poggenpohl and its new owner- ship. But it’s time we heard the story from Jomoo’s perspective. How did the deal come about? A: To the public looking in, perhaps it was a big surprise that Jomoo Germany was the new investor in Poggenpohl, and that I would be the new MD of the brand but, from our perspective, it was always very clear. We [Jomoo Germany] expressed an interest in buying the brand as soon as it fi led for bankruptcy and even looked into the data around the purchase. However, in the end we were informed by the administrator [Manuel Sack] that the Lux Group, the parent company of Smallbone, had made a deal with the tech entrepreneur Wolf Family Offi ce to buy the brand. So, we drew a line under the deal at that moment. But, only a couple of weeks later, we were approached by the administrator and asked if we would open up negotiations again. To protect the brand, its customers and suppliers, the deal moved very quickly from that point. We acted totally above board. If we had failed on our negotiations then it’s fair to say that, perhaps Poggenpohl would not be here today.
Q: What effect do you think the uncertainty around the sale of the brand had on all aspects of the Poggenpohl business? A: Being forced to fi le for bankruptcy is never good. In Germany especially, it carries a lot of negativity, so of course the uncertainty wasn’t great – even for a brand as well revered globally as Poggenpohl. However, we have heard many stories from retailers who stuck by us despite the
December 2020 ·
And,
when
you
learn
that
he
studied
business
administration and Chinese at university; started his own consultancy fi rm helping Chinese companies grow into Europe; joined the Kuhlmann Küchen team in 2014 and helped turn it into a thriving business, it’s perhaps no surprise that Marohn was chosen to lead Poggenpohl – which claims to be the oldest kitchen brand in the world – forward. “My relationship with Poggenpohl goes back as far as 2016,” he explains. “Through my fi rm Far Eastern Consul- tancy, I was representing a Chinese company that was interested in purchasing it from the Nobia Group [the brand was eventually bought by German industrial fi rm, Adcuram]. So, I have a lot of knowledge of the brand. “I’m optimistic that, on top of my understanding of the brand itself, because of my career in the kitchen industry and the fact that I helped turn the Kulhmann Küchen brand around under very similar circumstances, I am well-placed to help manage the further development of Poggenpohl.”
uncertainty and helped to maintain sales and continued to keep con - sumers interested in the brand. That show of support and loyalty
Yes it has a Chinese owner, but Poggenpohl is still very much a German brand
from retailers and consumers is a real testament to the strength of the brand itself. For the 280 employ- ees here in Herford [Poggenpohl’s HQ and manufacturing site Germany],
in the sale
obviously meant a lot of uncertainty because
they didn’t know if the brand or their jobs were safe. I can confi rm we retained
all subsidiaries 280 weren’t
employ ees. part
of
The the
bankruptcy, so their future was not Who is Jomoo?
Established in 1990, Jomoo is 100% privately owned with head- quarters in Xiamen, Fujian Province on the south-east coast of China. The group has manufacturing facilities in strategic locations across China, a total workforce of 14,500 and annual sales of €1.7 billion (£1.5bn). It owns a national network of 5,000 distributors and close to 4,000 shops and showrooms in all regions and cities across China. Its international presence has also been growing signifi cantly with
increasing exports to North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and offi ces set up in different regions including Germany. It has an ambitious growth plan – globally and in its home market – fuelled by continuous product, brand, market and channel differentiation.
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as uncertain, however they obviously felt the initial strain the fi nancial problems put on the brand.
Q: What is it about Poggenpohl that made Jomoo want it so badly for its portfolio? A: The Jomoo Group is 30 years old and has become market leader for bathrooms in China. They are very successful in Asia, but not that well- known internationally. Also, what sets Jomoo apart from other Chinese companies is that they under stand the importance of brands. From
a strategic perspective,
Jomoo not only had aspirations to become known as an interiors specialist, it also wanted to build
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