A kitchen is no longer perceived as just some place where you simply cook and move out. Like other spaces of their house, people want the kitchen also to be a reflection of their personality blended with right kind of fittings and accessories. Hence, they have actively started taking interest in figuring out questions like how its layout should be, what colors and fittings should go inside the kitchen, etc.
With more people becoming globe trotters and good disposable income in their kitty, the awareness about the importance of using good furniture fittings inside their kitchen has significantly increased and this trend is here to stay.
Hettich has all the range of accessories used in the modern Kitchen and we expect the market of fittings for kitchen to grow manifold in the future.
Would you please tell us about the functioning and important milestones of Hettich India since its inception?
We started out as a company with four employees, way back in 2000 and within a span of just five years, Hettich managed to become the number 1 player in the furniture fitting market with a wide margin and sustained profitable growth year-on-year. This journey of last 15 years has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Hettich has a pan India presence with a customer base of over 1500, which consist of large and small Dealers, Furniture and Kitchen manufacturers. It has Application Centers in all metros across the country, viz., Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Ahemdabad, Lucknow Hyderabad and an Innovation Centre in Bengaluru.
Treading on the path of growth and expansion, Hettich set up a factory for CargoTech wire baskets in 2013 and has plans to open few more in the future to strengthen up its export arm.
Hettich is the only brand worldwide, which has a complete range of fittings and hardware to cater to all the three segments of furniture manufacturing i.e. Office, Residential and Kitchen & Bath with over 10,000 products spanning a wide range of hinges, drawer runner systems, folding and sliding door mechanisms, connecting fittings, and complete hardware systems.
Our products set the benchmark for function, quality and comfort. For example, Our Hinges are the heart of good doors. Hettich offers Innovative, reliable, untiring performers and unbeatable solutions for any range of furniture. These hinges are of Top quality and come with smart mounting and adjustment techniques. People looking for added convenience can opt for Sensys, the hinge with integrated soft-closing feature for cushioned closure.
What is Hettich Intelligent kitchens concept? Why one should go for this?
Today, the emphasis is on creating a work space that balances practicality with personality. Major considerations while planning a kitchen must include: Keeping distances short, getting the ergonomics right and taking advantage of today's brilliant internal fittings, for a user-friendly and efficient kitchen.
Life in the kitchen can be made easier and more enjoyable if interiors are well-organized. The Intelligent Kitchen Concept by Hettich divides the Kitchen into five functional areas/Zones: Crockery & Cutlery, Cleaning agents and waste, Pots & Pans, Food Preparation, and Food Storage.
This "zoned" approach will enable designers and consumers to achieve the optimum layout and use of accessories to ensure their resultant kitchen is efficient, practical and in complete harmony with the natural workflow of storing, preparing, and cooking food.
Architects and specifiers play a big role in selecting fittings as many options is available in the market. What are the promotional and educational programs Hettich is running on regular basis to educate them about quality, functionality, and most importantly cost-effectiveness in the long-run?
Architects and specifiers play a big role in helping their customers to decide about the most suitable hardware for the furniture. Hettich has been quite sensitive towards this ever-present trend and carry out various activities to educate this section of the industry.
We have a dedicated team of employees who meet architects and interior designers to educate about our existing and new products on a regular basis. We even arrange trips for them to our state of the art production facility in Germany in order to give them a touch and feel experience of how our fittings are manufactured.
Collaborating with associations like IIID to carry out product education programs for Architects is also something that we do.
Last year, Hettich has unveiled its first Innovation Centre in Bengaluru. What was the intension behind such an initiative? How do you see the result of this initiative on your business? Are you looking to open more Innovation Centres in different parts of the country?
Hettich pioneered the concept of Application Centres in the country way back in the year 2001 to give a "Touch and feel" experience to the prospective buyer/ consumer as well as an option to select the right product matching his budget and needs.
With an objective to provide exceptional experience to our visitors and give them unparalled access to class, design and quality under one roof, Hettich unveiled a 'State-of-the-Art Innovative Centre' at Cubbon Road, Bengaluru on 8th Dec 2014. Launched by Dr Andreas Hettich, Chairman & Global CEO of Hettich and Mr. Anil Goel, Managing Director, Hettich India Pvt Ltd, this innovation centre is the first of its kind in the world and is meant to showcase the most premium products from the Hettich portfolio.
This milestonial step promises to make the visitor witness real luxury in befitting ambience.
After investing 100 crore in Vadodara plant in Gujarat, Hettich is looking for further expansion. Would you please elaborate on your expansion plan in terms of product portfolio, R&D, training and dealership network?
After successful commencement of our 1st plant in Gujarat, Hettich is gearing up to launch its second plant in the 1st week of September. We are of the opinion that this new plant is going to be a game changer in the Hardware Industry. You will have to wait for the new plant to commence its operation to get more details.
