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With an expanded brand policy, aggressive PR and new corporate structures, ceramics manufacturer Wilhelm Söndgen has its sights set on market leadership in Germany
Wilhelm Söndgen GmbH of Wachtberg-Adendorf has set out to design and manufacture high-quality ceramic products at a reason-able price. In addition to a classic core range of plant-pot holders up to half a metre in diameter, vases, bowls and tubs of high-grade ceramics, the company also creates seasonal products and two new in-house collections of ceramics a year. According to its own figures, the company already enjoys a market share of at least 40 per cent in Germany.
The new “Berlin” and “Floreal” (left) product lines were presented at Gafa.
210 employees are engaged in product development, production, quality control and commissioning, and daily production runs on average at 100 000 items. Other staff in the administration, sales and service departments handle contacts with the customer.
Sales by the company are transacted almost exclusively at business-to-business level, the current clientele being composed primarily of supermarkets and DIY stores along with garden centres and floristry whole-salers. “Individual product design, an extensive core range including 1000 products for immediate delivery and delivery times of five days on average demonstrate the strength of our small business”, managing director Joachim von Trützschler explains.
Joachim von Trützschler, managing director of Wilhelm Söndgen GmbH.
An in-house development department, backed up by designers from outside, picks up on current trends and develops new shapes and patterns, also keeping an eye on contemporary colours. The restructuring which has been going on since mid-1997 and is now largely complete has been critical to the evolution of the company. von Trützschler comments, “We have met the requirements of major customers and also taken on responsibility for direct delivery.” The company is pursuing ambitious goals: one is attaining cost leadership in Europe, but von Trützschler also has market leadership in Germany in his sights. Another aim in the medium term is to increase the ex-port quota, currently hover-ing around 20 per cent, to at least 30 per cent.
The new “Berlin” and “Floreal” (left) product lines were presented at Gafa.
210 employees are engaged in product development, production, quality control and commissioning, and daily production runs on average at 100 000 items. Other staff in the administration, sales and service departments handle contacts with the customer.
Sales by the company are transacted almost exclusively at business-to-business level, the current clientele being composed primarily of supermarkets and DIY stores along with garden centres and floristry whole-salers. “Individual product design, an extensive core range including 1000 products for immediate delivery and delivery times of five days on average demonstrate the strength of our small business”, managing director Joachim von Trützschler explains.
Joachim von Trützschler, managing director of Wilhelm Söndgen GmbH.
An in-house development department, backed up by designers from outside, picks up on current trends and develops new shapes and patterns, also keeping an eye on contemporary colours. The restructuring which has been going on since mid-1997 and is now largely complete has been critical to the evolution of the company. von Trützschler comments, “We have met the requirements of major customers and also taken on responsibility for direct delivery.” The company is pursuing ambitious goals: one is attaining cost leadership in Europe, but von Trützschler also has market leadership in Germany in his sights. Another aim in the medium term is to increase the ex-port quota, currently hover-ing around 20 per cent, to at least 30 per cent.
