The Neff Brand and the BSH Site in Bretten: Difference between revisions

By the mid-sixties, some 3,000 employees were working at four plant locations of Carl Neff GmbH, which – as the largest German manufacturer of electric, coal and oil burning cookers – was exporting to just short of 50 countries.

[[File:1982 Neff Logo und Slogan 1982 wohl noch vor BSH.jpg|thumb|Neff logo and claim: "Neff - at home in the best kitchens" (Source: BSH Corporate Archives)]]

The company began to experience difficulties for the first time in 1965 when it took over the insolvent competitor Juncker & Ruh in Karlsruhe. Lack of investment and ultimately the end of the economic miracle with dramatically declining growth rates led to the closure of the site in 1968.<ref>BSH Corporate Archives, F-Neff-007, Peter Bahn: "Weiße Ware" – Bretten und seine Herdindustrie, from page 29.</ref>

AEG declared bankruptcy in 1982. As a result, the Board of Management of AEG announced the liquidation of Carl Neff GmbH on August 12, 1982.<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14347087.html "Das Geschäft bricht weg", in: Der Spiegel 27/1982], page 69.</ref> Following negotiations with various interested parties, a framework agreement was inked with BSH on October 1, 1982. On November 15, 1982, BSH acquired the Neff trademark, a portion of the fixed and current assets as well as the sales companies and subsidiaries and founded what is today Neff GmbH. Production in the parent plant in Bretten recommenced in December 1982, while sales, marketing and design were moved to BSH headquarters in Munich.

Within BSH, Neff specializes in cookers and extractor hoods.<ref>BSH Corporate Archives, F-Neff-007, Peter Bahn: "Weiße Ware" – Bretten und seine Herdindustrie, page 31.</ref> The brand is synonymous with inspiration, pleasure and sensuous cooking experiences. The SLIDE&HIDE door system with rotatable door handle and retractable oven door as well as the removable TwistPad control knob for induction cooktops were introduced in 2002.<ref>BSH Bretten Site Information Flyer, from page 6.</ref> The concepts were devised by a team of around one hundred developers, who were to drive the innovative strength of the Bretten-based, tradition-steeped company. In 2008, the Neff plant in Bretten had picked up the state of Baden-Württemberg's "Environmental Prize for Businesses" in recognition of its increased energy efficiency. The digital era had reached the kitchen:  a built-in oven with Home Connect function was produced in 2014.