The article in GZ "A fantastic connection"
Transcrição
The article in GZ "A fantastic connection"
This article was published on 05.11 in GZ Goldschmiedezeitung by Caroline Schiedt. It has been translated for you by J. Köhle GmbH & Co. KG. Always close to the action: Margit Kühnel, Karina Ratzlaff, Waltraud Köhle, Norbert Ratzlaff and Joachim Köhle (from left to right) A FANTASTIC CONNECTION Human kindness and trust are the driving forces behind all interactions at clasp manufacturer J. Köhle in Pforzheim. This family truly lives both, its personal and business life, as a close-knit unit. Series FAMILIES IN THE JEWELLERY BUSINESS Part 16: The Köhle Family “I obviously thought that precious stones and pearls were a lot more beautiful and interesting than bricks,” reminisces Waltraud Köhle with a hearty laugh as she recalls getting reconnected with her now-husband, Joachim Köhle (80) back in the 1950s in Lausanne (Switzerland). “Our families had been acquaintances in Pforzheim for a long time. I hail from a building supply wholesale background while Joachim grew up in a family that had a jewellery business.” So when Waltraud Köhle embarked on a one-year scholastic stint in Lausanne, she rented a room in a small guesthouse. It was an act of pure serendipity that Joachim had previously lived there for some time. When he stopped by to have lunch at his former landlady’s place on day, he ran into Waltraud. It was an encounter that would have consequences: the couple got married in July 1958. “When others contemplated us with pity, I simply thought: we will show you one day soon.” Waltraud Köhle Putting her foreign language skills, which she had acquired during her studies at schools in England and France, to work, Waltraud Köhle, began to support her husband’s endeavours and very soon discovered her favourite product: pearls. In addition to being a dedicated mother, she spent time developing the range. She raised three daughters who have all matured into successful business women. “There were quite a few families in Pforzheim who pitied my husband and I because all of our children were daughters. However, I always said ‘We will show you one day soon.’ And my daughters have proven themselves to everyone. All three of them are great mothers today and just as successful in their chosen occupations,” Waltraud Köhle recounts with pride and her husband nods emphatically. While their oldest daughter Karina and her husband Norbert Ratzlaff as well as second born daughter Margit Kühnel now share the responsibilities at the helm of the company, the youngest Köhle daughter eventually relocated to Münster. However, she has remained loyal to the industry she grew up in. She is working as a management assistant at a major jewellery retailer. The scopes of responsibility within the management team are clearly defined. Karina (51) and her sister Margit both knew at an early age that they wanted to work for “their daddy.” Karina studied business administration and is now in charge of the enterprise’s purchasing. She views her position as that of an interface between production and sales. To better understand this function, it is important to know that her sister Margit Kühnel, who is a master goldsmith, is the production manager while Norbert Ratzlaff works as the sales director. When asked whether it is important to have someone who acts as a go-between for sister and husband, Karina Ratzlaff laughs: “We are all very actively involved and a very lively bunch of people.” Norbert Ratzlaff is in charge of global sales. He is very enthusiastic about his work. Laughing, he shares a few anecdotes from his early days with J. Köhle with us. He originally hails from Berlin, but grew up in Wildberg, a small town in the Black Forest. “When I met my future wife while studying business administration all I knew about Pforzheim was that it was located alongside interstate A8,” he remembers with a grin. As soon as Karina had turned in her thesis, the two got married. “I got to know and learned to love the Köhle Family slowly but in an intense manner during some holidays spent together. I also grew quite fond of the company in the same way,” the 54-year-old recalls. That was, of course, a prerequisite for even setting foot into the business. “To be able lead such a company you have to do it with immense passion,” his wife explains. In his first few months with the enterprise, Norbert Ratzlaff had to travel to the U.S. frequently. “It was quite frightening for me to walk the streets of New York carrying such a valuable collection with me.” “Even today, I sometimes still walk through the company just to breathe in the air that is so unique for our business.” Joachim Köhle Laughing, he recounts how he stowed the collection into two Samsonite suitcases when he got ready to take a trip and how he fit them with an alarm system, including loudspeakers and remote control units. “The idea was that if someone was to grab the suitcases and make a run for it, I would let them get ahead 50 meters or so and press the alarm button.” Fortunately, he never had to use this system because the self-made alarm did not actually work. Joachim Köhle, the senior executive, still grins when he hears such stories. It would not have been difficult for him, the highly talented craftsman and toolmaker. “It was my father, Josef, who acquired the company, which was established in 1872, in 1919 and renamed it J. Köhle.” In the spring of 1955, his father handed over the rudders to son Joachim for health reasons. The latter evolved into a literal “self-made man.” Joachim acquired all of his knowledge through self-study and attended school four times a week at night while running the business to obtain further valuable knowledge in all „The apprenticeship sometimes proved to be quite a challenge. The artisans did not have a high opinion of the industry.“ Margit Kühnel business disciplines. His wife, her linguistic talents and business administrative education turn out to be a lot of help as well. Together, they establish their clasps and their slogan “Your amazing link to the world of jewellery” around the globe. Senior owner Joachim Köhle comments on his affinity for the company and the special smell of a jewellery manufacturing site: “Even today, I sometimes still walk through the company just to breathe in the air that is so unique for our business – if I don’t I just don’t feel healthy!” Just like her father, daughter Margit remained true to the craft. As the daughter of an “industrialist” she ventured boldly into a traditional goldsmith’s studio to learn her craft. “It wasn’t always easy as the craftsmen did not have a high opinion of the industry,” recounts the now 48-year-old. But Margit persisted and eventually registered with the GIA (Gemmological Institute of America) in Santa Monica to further her education. Eventually she made the pioneering move to install the first CAD work stations in the industry at the company’s facilities in Pforzheim. The Köhle daughters had previously already acquired basic programming knowledge at Pforzheim’s business centred high school and Margit obtained additional information at related tradeshows. “For me as a woman that was an easy feat back then. Men thought that women were underdeveloped in terms of computers and were happy to talk about the benefits of their machines and the downsides of those of their competitors. After I’d attended several tradeshows I had more information than some of the technical staff of the companies selling the product,” she recalls, laughing. The trio at the helm of Köhle is definitely ready for the future. It also appears to be a safe bet to say that the next generation will likely come on board in the future. Caroline Schiedt