Twice as strong together - Bene and Wittmann
Bene and Wittmann have joined forces in a congenial partnership: two family enterprises of long-standing tradition whose success is due to consistent reorientation. Two perfectly matching partners as far as notions of quality and design are concerned, featuring modern classics and innovative products.A genuine Wittmann
Dozens of minor, carefully worked details combine to ensure the quality of a genuine Wittmann:
Each individual piece of furniture is made by hand. Born from the joint effort of locksmiths, upholsterers and seamstresses. The care and preciseness they employ in their craft, coupled with stringent quality control, ultimately make a Wittmann into what it effectively is: a perfect piece of furniture that is carefully thought out down to the tiniest detail and characterised by precise workmanship. The armchairs, settees and chairs, well thought out from the initial idea down to the last seam, are created by designers of great international standing.
The Wittmann furniture workshops have practiced their traditional craft for more than a hundred years. Yet when establishing his saddlery in the tranquil winemakers' village of Etsdorf am Kamp in Lower Austria back in 1896, Rudolf Wittmann wouldn't have dared dream of the company's later achievements. Following World War II, the family business specialised in making solid upholstered furniture and rose to international renown as furniture makers in the fifties.
Design classics
It was as early as the sixties that Wittmann started to work with renowned designers, such as Joe Colombo, Luigi Blau or Hans Hollein. As early as in 1969 the company acquired the exclusive rights to make furniture based on original designs of Josef Hoffmann (1870-1956), the famous Jugendstil architect and co-founder of the legendary Wiener Werkstätte. Hoffmann's furniture designs are considered classics: They are a well appreciated event today thanks to their clear-cut form and timeless simplicity.
Superb design for personal living
The list of architects and designers who work for Wittmann is international and long indeed: Paolo Piva, Toshiyuki Kita, Matteo Thun, Burkhard Vogtherr, Hannes Wettstein and many others. Two designers who have made a name for themselves by working for Bene are Kai Stania and Christian Horner. When asked about the reasons for the company's success, Wittman's general manager Heinz Hofer is convinced it is due to the company's philosophy: "The consumer today is on the lookout for solid products. For five decades we have responded to these demands by making furniture that lasts, that has supreme craftsmanship and excellent, timeless design". The Wittmann collection offers a broad range of different styles from classic traditional elegance to classic avant-garde.
Wittmann also makes sure its furniture lasts by providing the right services: If an armchair's cover has lost its beauty over the years, for example, Wittmann takes care of its reupholstery. All Wittmann furniture models are guaranteed to be available in stock for many years.
A company with tradition
In spite of a weak economy the Wittmann furniture workshops underlined its business continuity by posting roughly € 25 million in sales last year. This is all the more remarkable since Wittmann had increased sales by an impressive 5 to 12 percent in the years before and had reached its best result ever in 2001.
Wittmann employs 170 staff in its workshops in Etsdorf. Exports account for a remarkable 75 percent of sales. It has a total of 40 export markets; its major markets include Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, USA and Japan.
When a genuine Wittmann leaves the workshop it is carefully tested before getting the "Wittmann – Made in Austria" label. The upholsterer certifies its quality by attaching his signature to the bottom side of each piece he has made. This signature is both a seal of approval and a guarantee certifying genuine Austrian craftsmanship – of a genuine Wittmann.
In its partnership with Wittmann, Bene focuses on a selected core segment such as armchairs and high-grade wooden chairs, especially when it comes to the complete set of products for the new AL_Group Management Programme, and the MK_Group in particular. Bene's modern office environment enhanced by the tradition and craftsmanship of a genuine Wittmann – exciting indeed!
