UAE growth market for luxury kitchens

Involvement of a team from the company's Germany-based head office in presenting the brand at the ISH Kitchen and Bath Show at the World Trade Centre (14-16 May) demonstrates the importance Poggenpohl places on the region.

Poggenpohl representative, Sigrun Jonas says the company exports to more than 60 countries around the world and order volumes to the Middle East currently rank third behind the United States and Asia. Dubai-based Kitchens & beyond LLC, a member of the Ilyas & Mustafa Galadari Group, is the exclusive UAE distributor.

"Kitchens and beyond, has achieved considerable growth within recent years, with the elite Poggenpohl brand being specified in major developments including The Palms."

Poggenpohl has been a pioneer of kitchen design since it was first established in Germany over 114 years ago, winning international recognition for its innovations which include the world's first fitted kitchen in the 1960s.

Today, the company continues with award winning designs which are on display at ISH including +Segmento which won the Good Design Award from the Architecture and Design Museum "The Chicago Athenaeum" and +INTEGRATION, first launched in Milan which won five design awards including the "Interior Innovation Award Cologne 2005".

The most recent release is PLUSMODO, a modern and flexible design created in conjunction with renowned Spanish designer Jorge Pensi, that is characterised by its novel presentation of open and closed functional areas and has also won four awards including the iF Product Design Award 2006 (iF International Forum Design GmbH Hanover).

Miss Jonas said a high proportion of UAE orders were for traditional wood veneer kitchen fronts compared to many European markets where the focus has shifted to more modern, puristic high gloss lacquer, white or black fronts.

However, all Poggenpohl kitchens feature top quality raw materials, and the latest technology in hinges and closure systems through associations with leading third party suppliers like well known international hardware supplier, Blum.

Part of the Nobia Group of European kitchen companies which reported sales of more than AED6 billion in 2005, Poggenpohl benefits from a number of synergies, especially in the purchasing area.

Poggenpohl kitchens are subject to international quality control standards for materials and manufacturing and are exported fully assembled to precision measurements and specifications supplied by local distributors.

"We have a long tradition and experience and people connect the Poggenpohl brand name with proven design, functionality and quality. Product development is a permanent process," said Miss Jonas.

One example of this is the company's recently announced partnership with the Porsche Design Group to develop a new kitchen by 2007 that will stand out for its functional and purist design.

Managing director of Porsche Design Group, Dr Siegmund Rudigier said high standards, first-class quality and a clear language of form were what united the two brands.

Details of the proposed kitchen are being kept a closely guarded secret.