Daniel Jeschonowski, took over the Kahla/Thüringen Porzellan GmbH. Previous to this, the porcelain manufacturer from Kahla had experienced a liquidity squeeze due to an failed large order, which led to it having to file for insolvency under own administration on March 10, 2020.

The new owner of Kahla: Daniel Jeschonowski.

Jeschonowski, who purchased Senator in December 2018 after a successful restructuration and thus turned it back into a pure family business again, has according to own accounts the same intentions by taking over Kahla: Securing the continued operations at the company’s traditional location. The two companies are to continue operating autonomously from each other in their respective industry and fields of business. “Nothing is more sustainable, future-looking and meaningful for a German entrepreneur than producing and individualising high-class products in the home country,” stated Jeschonowski on the theme of Germany as a production location. “A consistent ‘made in Germany’ strategy is the right path for both Senator and Kahla, to maintain and create USPs on the global market. I am full of drive and am looking optimistically ahead to the future of a first-class lifestyle brand with strong trading partners in the four business areas household, the hotel and restaurant sector, advertising media and order production. I will take care of Kahla with the greatest respect and gratitude.”

Kahla looks back on a long company history: In 2019, the company celebrated its 175^th anniversary. In 1993, the Raithel family joined the traditional company. Günther Raithel acquired 51% and thus a majority stake in the company and later together with his wife Rositta and his son Holger 100%. “Those who remember the catastrophic condition the porcelain factory in the Saaletal was in when I acquired it in the year 1993, will understand that I proudly look back at the past years,” stated Günther Raithel. “To-date 35 mil. Euros have been invested in the modernisation of Kahla, a majority of which in machinery, robotics and in resource and environment protection. However, the 250 dedicated employees have played the biggest role in the company’s success, some of whom have been devotedly and diligently working for Kahla for over 40 years.”

For his services Günther Raithel was among others distinguished with the international “Lifetime Achievement Award” for his life’s work. Kahla has received over 100 international design prizes to-date for innovative product design and for its intelligent and ecological concepts. The patented, velvet porcelain touch! that can be personalised for orders of just one piece is among the prize-winning products. Holger Raithel, managing partner of Kahla since 2005: “With the aid of our designers, notably Professor Barbara Schmidt and later also Lisa Keller, Kahla re-defined the enjoyment culture. Young, multifunctional, exciting haptics, personalised, mobile and now also digitally controlled: On certain occasions we were initially mocked and then ultimately rewarded. We successively increased the turnover every year from the original 12 mil. Euros and in 2014 it actually even totalled 30 mil. Euros.”

The location of Kahla in the town of the same name in Thuringia.

In the years 2017 and 2018, a large international project collapsed in which Kahla had invested several million Euros. The ensuing financial difficulties resulted in insolvency under own administration, which ultimately led to the sale of the company to Senator. During the phase of own administration, according to own accounts Kahla achieved over-budgeted turnovers and positive results in spite of the closures brought about by Corona. Strong online sales and a virtual porcelain market compensated for turnover losses from the international trade.

www.kahlaporzellan.com
www.senator.com

 

Published on: September 18th, 2020