Grundig

Grundig (brand)
Industry Home Appliances & Consumer Electronics
Founded 1930
Founder Max Grundig
Area served
 65 countries
Products Domestic appliances, consumer electronics, personal care
Owner Arçelik A.Ş
Website www.grundig.com

Grundig (German pronunciation: [ˈɡʁʊndɪç], English /ˈɡrʌndɪɡ/ or /ˈɡrʊndɪɡ/) is a German manufacturer of high-end consumer electronics, domestic appliances and personal care products. Established in 1945 by Max Grundig in Nuremberg. Since 2007, the Grundig brand has become part of Arçelik A.S., the third largest company in white goods industry in Europe and belongs to the listed Koç Holding, a global conglomerate with more than 80,000 employees. [1]

About

Grundig became one of the leading manufacturers in Europe offering the widest product range in home electronics after launching its white goods product range in 2013. Arcelik A.Ş. is the owner of Grundig and has 27,000 employees worldwide. Grundig manufacturing plants are located in several European cities delivering Grundig products to more than 65 countries around the world.[2]

Since 2011, Grundig has been the first official technology partner of the German Soccer League and in 2013 the brand acquired the naming right for the Nuremberg Stadium.

Grundig and Arcelik

Grundig is a subsidiary of Arçelik A.Ş. established in 1955, located in Istanbul, Turkey. Having operations in durable consumer goods industry with production, marketing and after-sales services, Arçelik A.Ş. offers products and services around the world with its 27,000 employees, 14 different production facilities in six countries (Turkey, Romania, Russia, China, South Africa and Thailand), its sales and marketing companies all over the world and its 10 brands (Arçelik, Beko, Grundig, Blomberg, elektrabregenz, Arctic, Leisure, Flavel, Defy and Altus) serving products and services in more than 130 countries.[3]

Arçelik A.Ş is market leader in white goods in Turkey. The consolidated net sales turnover is TRY 12,5 Billion. It holds the position of strong leadership in Turkey and maintained its undisputed market leadership with Arctic brand in Romania and Defy brand in South Africa.

Early history

The company began in 1930 with the establishment of a store named Fürth, Grundig & Wurzer (RVF), which sold radios. After the Second World War, Max Grundig recognized the need for radios in Germany, and in 1947 produced a kit, while a factory and administration centre were built at Fürth. In 1951, the first television sets were manufactured at the new facility. At the time Grundig was the largest radio manufacturer in Europe. Divisions in Nuremberg, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe were established.

Grundig in Belfast

A plant was opened in 1960 to manufacture tape recorders in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the first production by Grundig outside Germany. The managing director of the plant Thomas Niedermayer, was kidnapped and later killed by the Provisional IRA in December 1973.[4] The factory was closed with the loss of around 1000 jobs in 1980.[5]

Philips stake

In 1972, Grundig GmbH became Grundig AG. After this Philips began to gradually accumulate shares in the company over the years, and assumed complete economic control in 1993. Grundig pulled out of this partnership in 1998 owing to unsatisfactory performance and a decline in Philips consumer electronics presence around the world.

Later history

At the end of June 2000 the company relocated its headquarters in Fürth to Nuremberg-Langwasser. Grundig had a turnover of €1.281 billion the following year. In autumn 2002, Grundig's banks did not extend the company's lines of credit, leaving the company with an April 2003 deadline to announce insolvency. Grundig AG declared bankruptcy in 2003. In 2004 Britain's Alba plc and the Turkish Koç's Beko jointly took over Grundig Home InterMedia System, Grundig's consumer electronics division. In 2007 Alba sold its half of the business to Koç for US$50.3 million,[6] although it retained the license to use the Grundig brand in the UK until 2010, and in Australasia until 2012.[7]

In the United States, products marketed under the Grundig brand are manufactured by the Eton Corporation (formerly Lextronix), based in Palo Alto, California. Spain's Grupo Vitelcom is licensed to manufacture mobile telephones using the Grundig Mobile brand, and auto parts company Delphi manufactures car radios branded Grundig.

In 2007 Grundig Mobile announced the U900 Linux-based mobile phone.[8]

At the end of 2007 Turkey's Koç Holding, took full ownership of Grundig Multimedia, the parent company of Grundig Intermedia GmbH in Nuremberg. Since then Grundig manufactures television sets at its own plant in Turkey. Although the high-end appliances are produced in Turkey now, they are still developed and overseen by engineers from Nuremberg, Germany.

At its headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany Grundig Intermedia employs about 140 people working in Marketing, Sales, Product and Quality Management, Design and Service. Worldwide, the Grundig company employs an additional 1,600 people in production, R&D and Sales. The company is organised into three product groups – consumer electronics, small domestic appliances and large household appliances.

Grundig social responsibilities

Grundig has been the first, official technology partner of the German Bundesliga since 2011. In addition to that the Nuremberg football Stadium is called Grundig Stadium until the end of 2015.[9]

Grundig continued its German "Bundesliga Official Technology Partnership" in 2014. The Grundig logo has been a permanent display item during all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 broadcasts since 2012/13 until 2014/15.[10]

Grundig is also the name sponsor of Norwegian Women's and Men's Handball Leagues.[11]

Furthermore, Grundig continued its sponsorship with Fenerbahce Women's and Men's Volleyball Teams and sponsored many international golf tournaments in 2014.

Products

Grundig offers a full range of household appliances and electronic goods.

TV: Grundig offers a wide television range from LED televisions.[12]

Audio: Grundig audiovisual product range offers HIFI Systems, Soundbars and Bluetooth speakers, radio as well as portable radio devices.

Home Appliances: Grundig's home appliances are energy efficient and offer a variety of technologies. Home Appliances manufactured by Grundig are freezers and fridges, ovens, stoves, hobs, hoods, microwaves and warming drawers, coffee machines, toaster, coffee makers, tea makers, kettles, mixer, blenders and more kitchen helpers, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, steam irons and vacuum cleaners.

Personal Care Products: Grundig extended its product range and offers hair dryers, hair stylers, shavers, body scales, foot massagers, manicure and pedicure sets, toothbrushes, facial saunas and ultrasonic cleaners.[13]

In 2015 the Grundig heat pump dryer received a top rating from German consumer product testing organization Stiftung Warentest.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Grundig: http://www.grundig.de/en/company/
  2. ↑ About the company: http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/02/27/arcelik-grundig-idUSLR83554620090227
  3. ↑ Corporate Overview http://www.arcelikas.com/page/72/Corporate_Overview
  4. ↑ http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1230/1224261407154.html
  5. ↑ http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/othelem/chron/ch80.htm
  6. ↑ British Retailer Alba Sells Stake in Grundig, Appliance Magazine, Los Angeles, CA, 12-19-2007.Accessed:11-10-2008.
  7. ↑ CORRECTION Alba sells Grundig Multimedia interest to JV partner Beko, Thomson Financial for Yahoo, 12-18-2007.Accessed:11-10-2008.
  8. ↑ Grundig U900 Single Core Linux-Based Cellphone Looks Like It Belongs in 2002, Gizmodo gadget blog, 02-27-2007.Accessed:11-10-2008.
  9. ↑ Grundig zeigt Flagge in der Fussball-Bundeliga http://www.horizont.net/marketing/nachrichten/-Sponsoring-Grundig-zeigt-Flagge-in-der-Fussball-Bundesliga-101194
  10. ↑ FC Nuremberg sponsorship http://www.sportbusiness.com/sponsorship-insider/grundig-expands-fc-nurnberg-sponsorship
  11. ↑ http://www.na-weekly.com/sports/from-postenligaen-to-grundigligaen/
  12. ↑ http://www.grundig.de/en/
  13. ↑ http://www.grundig.de/en/press/picture-service/products/
  14. ↑ Maximum drying performance with less energy consumption http://www.grundig.de/ifa/pdf/en/PI_Grundig_Stiftung_Warentest_GTA_38261.pdf
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