Our family history - Schmidt Groupe

1934

Starting a family, growing a business

Hubert and Antonia Schmidt

Hubert Schmidt is twenty-seven years old. Fatherless at the age of four and one of seven siblings, he learnt bricklaying with the conviction that a job well done forges a destiny. In 1934, he married Antonia and, at the age of 27, set up his own bricklaying business in Türkismühle, a small town in the Saarland. Antonia managed the administrative side of the business. Hubert built and sold. Soon, one project followed another: detached houses, apartment blocks and administrative buildings. The company was a family business from day one, and would remain so.

Two consecutive fires destroyed the workshop and warehouse a few years after the company was founded. Others would have given up. Hubert Schmidt set off again, true to the words of Kipling that he had made his own: “If you can see your life’s work destroyed, and without a word start to rebuild…”.

The Saarland of 1934 was a territory in limbo. Under mandate from the League of Nations since 1920, it was awaiting a referendum that would decide its future: whether to remain under international administration, rejoin France or return to Germany. In this political in-between, the desire for a home and a detached house crystallised the desires of an entire generation. It is in this context that the meaning of Hubert Schmidt’s book finds its social resonance.

1946

Pivoting: from home to furniture

The war swept everything away. After returning from the Kriegsmarine and captivity with the British, Hubert Schmidt had to start again from scratch in a Germany that had to be rebuilt. A customer suggested that he should start making kitchen furniture: his carpenters were excellent, and the market was huge. He hesitated, then devoted himself entirely to the business.

In 1946, the first production hall was built in Türkismühle. A second was built in 1950. In 1948, the first models – including the legendary Heidi sideboard – were presented at the St Wendel trade fair. Schmidt Küchen was born. Production accelerated rapidly, conquering nearby eastern France.

Post-war Europe is undergoing total reconstruction. German households had lost everything: furniture, crockery and cutlery. The priority was to re-equip massively, quickly, for everyone.

The kitchen sideboard embodied this desire for a new-found normality: a solid, functional, visible piece of furniture that symbolised the first step up the social ladder. Industrial standardisation, which had come over from the United States, was the model for reconstruction. Mass-producing what had previously been handmade was the challenge facing a whole generation of European entrepreneurs. Hubert Schmidt embraced it with pragmatism and a keen sense of the market.

1959

Crossing the border

On 13 January 1957, the people of the Saarland voted in a referendum to join Germany once and for all. For Schmidt Küchen, whose markets were now largely French, the decision was made: it had to set up a factory in France to avoid customs duties. Hubert Schmidt bought a former family spinning mill in Lièpvre, Alsace.

On 6 July 1959, around twenty workers from the Saarland arrived at the dilapidated site and within three months had it up and running again. The “Schmidt Kitchens” brand was officially born, with 4 sales representatives, 57 employees and sales of €300,000. What was supposed to be a simple logistical move became the foundation of a French industrial adventure.

In the France of the Thirty Glorious, the French were discovering the affluent society, leaving the countryside for the city and its council housing estates. The policy of building large housing estates provided households with modern homes equipped with separate kitchens that needed to be furnished. Household appliances were introduced, including fridges and washing machines. The emerging middle class proudly invested in their homes.

1967

Driving transformation

Karl Leitzgen

On 28 January 1967, Karl Leitzgen married Antonia Schmidt, daughter of the company’s founder (and therefore named after her mother). He was a petroleum engineer at Standard Oil. He gave up America to join Lièpvre. He took over the technical management of the plant and immediately set about transforming it: enlarging it (from 6,000 to 32,000 m² in 1976), recruiting managers and engineers, and modernising the machinery.

He quickly realised that the buffet was doomed, and prepared the ground for the transition to the manufacture of the first made-to-measure kitchen units, totally revolutionising the market’s traditional offering. Local exports exploded thanks to this new and attractive form of customisation.

In 1967, France was on the brink of change. May 68 brought profound changes in the way people related to work, authority and consumption. In the home, the functional kitchen was at the heart of these changes: household appliances were on the increase, and working women wanted a practical, pleasant kitchen. Interior architecture was evolving, and now included fitted kitchens in its plans. Karl Leitzgen perceived this structural change before most of his competitors did.

1975

Reinventing the kitchen as a living space

The second generation took full control. Hubert Schmidt handed the company over to his daughters in 1975. Karl Leitzgen, who had already been at the helm since 1967, took a major strategic decision: to leave mass distribution and create a network of exclusive Cuisines Schmidt shops. He launched the first full-colour catalogue, featuring three ranges (standard, prestige, classic) and introduced the first made-to-order fronts – a first in Europe.

The kitchen is no longer just a functional space, it’s the heart of the home. The company employs 150 people and generates sales of over €5 million.

The end of the Thirty Glorious Years marked a turning point in French housing. Household electrical appliances reached their peak and, despite the onset of the oil crisis, investment in the home remained a priority for the French. The kitchen began to open up into the living room: from an isolated technical space, it gradually became a convivial place where the family could get together.

Consumers are becoming more demanding and better informed. It’s time for specialised networks, advisory services and strong brands.

1983

Expanding our shop network

On 13 July 1983, the last Prestige 150 buffet left the Lièpvre factory. An era was drawing to a close. Cuisines Schmidt had completed its transformation: it had left mass distribution for a network of exclusive shops, abandoned the generic product to build its own brand, and replaced stock with countermarks. That same year, the company officially became SALM (Société Alsacienne de Meubles) and opened its first subsidiary in the UK.

SALM has 270 employees and generates sales of 19 million francs. The fifth-largest French manufacturer in its market, it began to exist as a brand and prepare for major expansion.

France in 1983 was emerging from the illusions of infinite growth. Unemployment exceeded 2 million and the austerity measures had begun. Yet the French continued to invest in their homes. Specialist stores were springing up on the outskirts of towns. The idea of the “kitchen project” – a well-thought-out, personalised room – began to take hold. The image of the Formica kitchen is giving way to a new aspiration: the kitchen as the expression of a lifestyle. A market in the process of reinventing itself.

1986

Writing your corporate philosophy

“We want to be the best, respect each other and succeed together”.

In January 1986, SALM’s thirty-five managers met for a seminar in the Black Forest. These two days of collective work gave rise to the company’s philosophy, drafted under the guidance of Karl Leitzgen: “We want to be the best, to respect each other, to succeed together”. These few words becamethe permanent compass for every managerial decision.

That same year, SALM embarked on an ambitious brand policy and invested 50 million francs in national communications. The company employs 350 people and generates sales of 44 million euros. Construction of theU1 plant in Sélestat begins.

The 1980s saw the discovery of “corporate culture”. In France, major companies were drawing up their values and corporate projects. Employees no longer just wanted a salary, they wanted to belong to something. Karl Leitzgen, a convinced humanist, sensed before many others that sustainable performance depends on human commitment. A conviction that Schmidt Groupe still holds intact forty years on.

1989

Becoming a national brand

On 23 January 1989, at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, Cuisines Schmidt launched its brand with great fanfare, in the presence of impersonator Yves Lecoq. With national TV spots, a poster campaign and a network of 200 advice centres, the company took on a new dimension. In September, the 30,000 m², semi-automated, digitally-controlled U1 factory in Sélestat was inaugurated in front of 5,000 people.

The same year saw a historic turnaround, with the French subsidiary buying out the ailing German parent company Schmidt Küchen. SALM has 600 employees and generates sales of €65 million.

1989 was a world year. The fall of the Berlin Wall ushered in a new era. Television established itself definitively as the leading mass medium: broadcasting a national TV ad meant entering French homes. Consumers began to demand structured brands, guarantees and an end-to-end commercial relationship. The era of the anonymous kitchen designer was coming to an end.

1992

Democratising made-to-measure

In 1992, SALM launched Cuisinella, a new, more accessible Italian-sounding brand targeting young couples and the entry-level mid-range market. The first shop opened in Sélestat in June. At the same time, SALM became the first French kitchen manufacturer to obtain ISO 9001 quality certification – a first in the industry.

The death of Hubert Schmidt marks the end of a founding era. The company has 700 employees and generates sales of €83 million. It is now France’s second-largest manufacturer.

In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was signed. Access to consumer credit became more widespread: fitted kitchens were no longer the preserve of well-off households.

French society was entering a phase of accelerated individualisation.

Every household was claiming its own identity. The kitchen is taking its place as a living space in its own right – a place where tastes, lifestyles and personalities are expressed. Household equipment budgets are rising steadily, even in a difficult economic climate.

1995

Passing on, industrialising, perpetuating

Antonia Leitzgen

On 18 October 1995, Karl Leitzgen died suddenly at the age of 59. “The whole village of Lièpvre came to pay their last respects. Even the workers from the Türkismühle factory attended the funeral,” says Antonia Leitzgen. His wife took over the chairmanship of SALM, supported by Jean-Marie Schwab. Her vision was to industrialise made-to-measure. Customers now choose their own colours, styles and combinations. Made-to-measure was no longer a luxury; it had to become standard. The company has 800 employees and generates sales of 94 million euros.

France in the 1990s is going through a profound crisis of social identity. Mass unemployment, rising inequality: uniformity is no longer reassuring, it’s oppressive. Each individual is asserting the singularity of his or her choices – and of his or her interior. Personalisation is becoming the central argument in all sectors. Schmidt Groupe is translating this into an industrial process and making it its definitive competitive advantage.

2006

Anne Leitzgen: inheriting and reinventing

In December 2006, Anne Leitzgen, 33, granddaughter of the founder, took over as Chairman of the family group. With a background in advertising, she joined the company in marketing, network development in Switzerland and human resources. Her vision: to make SALM Europe’s leading bespoke home furnishings group.

She strengthened the network of exclusive shops, stepped up exports and launched the international conquest. SALM has 1,300 employees and generates sales of €295 million. It is already France’s leading kitchen manufacturer and Europe’s fifth largest.

Apple launched the iPhone in 2007: the relationship between brands and their customers was about to undergo a profound transformation. The connected consumer arrived: informed, demanding, and the bearer of his own aesthetic ideas. The first design blogs were beginning to transform the codes for fitted kitchens. Customisation is no longer an option – it’s expected. Schmidt Groupe is structurally ready for this new reality.

2010

Conquering Europe

In 2010, the Group is present in more than 20 countries. Since 2008, more shops have opened outside France than in France. The U2 factory in Sélestat – fully automated and described as an “industrial cathedral” by its own employees – is fully operational. It manufactures 100% customised kitchens in six weeks, from order to delivery.

The company is France’s leading exporter of kitchens and the country’s leading manufacturer. It has 1,444 employees, 6,000 staff in its global network and generates sales of €332 million. It obtains its new eco-certification label for its sustainable practices.

The crisis of 2008 revealed a fundamental trend: a retreat into the home. The home is once again becoming a meaningful investment. At the same time, environmental certifications are becoming purchasing criteria. Consumers want to know where their furniture comes from. Across Europe, the desire for quality in the home is growing – and the Schmidt Groupe is one step ahead.

2014

Seducing the world

In 2014, Schmidt Groupe crossed a new frontier: Asia. A joint venture with SSK – 1,200 furniture shops in China – gave rise to a 65,000 m² factory in Ningxi, near Guangzhou, commissioned in June 2015. The 2014Euroforum, organised on a cruise liner between Marseille and Genoa, brought together 3,000 people from all over the world around the vision of “Armada conquering consumers”.

The Group has 1,400 employees in France and 6,000 worldwide, and generates sales of close to 400 million euros. Initially, five hundred shops will be opened in China.

In 2014, China is the world’s second largest economy. Its 300 million-strong Chinese middle class aspires to a new way of life: quality, personalisation and Western references. The French art of living is massively popular in the major cities. The fitted kitchen, still marginal, is on the threshold of a market explosion. The Schmidt Groupe is on the cusp with a range that has no local equivalent.

2016

Reaffirming our roots: Schmidt Groupe, a name, a source of pride

In 2016, SALM dropped its administrative acronym and took the name of its founder: Schmidt Groupe. A powerful symbolic act – asserting the family heritage in a globalised world. The Group launches the “Schmidt Excellence Guarantee” contract and lays the foundation stone for U3, a new factory dedicated to storage units, the most automated in its sector.

1,500 employees, 7,500 staff worldwide, turnover of 460 million euros, 15% of which is generated outside France. Anne and Caroline Leitzgen are awarded the Grand Prix de l’Entreprise Patrimoniale et Familiale. Anne Leitzgen is named “Woman of the Year 2016” by IREF.

2016 is a year of paradoxes. Brexit, the election of Trump, crises in liberal democracies: globalisation is being challenged, while local identities are reasserting themselves forcefully. Against this backdrop, the attachment to “made in France”, to local know-how, to human roots is regaining new strength.

Consumers want brands that take responsibility for their history, their place of manufacture and their commitment. Authenticity has become the primary criterion for trust. Schmidt Groupe bears the name of its founder and is proud of its family values.

2020

Accelerating through the storm

Covid-19 halted activity at the Alsace plants for several weeks. Schmidt Groupe organised the recovery rigorously, preserving jobs and accelerating two projects already underway: the launch of e-commerce sites and the ramp-up of U2B. The crisis acted as an eye-opener – the industrial solidity, local network and human culture of the extended enterprise became decisive assets. The Group is emerging from this period more agile and more digital.

The French are facing up to their homes like never before. Stuck between four walls, they measure every poorly thought-out square metre, every badly laid-out kitchen. As a result, the interior design market is exploding: households are investing massively in their homes. Home” is becoming the top consumer priority. What the Schmidt Groupe had been saying since 1934 – Better living in the world – became a collective given.

2023

Committing to the company of tomorrow

In November 2023, Schmidt Groupe will join the worldwide community of B Corp companies. This demanding international certification translates Anne Leitzgen’s conviction into action: “Tomorrow’s company will either be CSR or it won’t be. Decarbonisation of industrial processes, eco-design of products, PEFC-certified wood for years: environmental commitment is not a recent development, it’s a long-standing path.

The Group is also launching ID PRO, a new brand dedicated to interior design professionals.

In 2023, the question will no longer be whether companies should make a commitment – but how to prove that they really are doing so. In the face of consumer mistrust and the urgency of climate change, B Corp certification will be the standard of credibility.

Consumers are no longer just asking for a beautiful kitchen – they want to know how it was made, with what materials, and what footprint it leaves. Interior design is becoming an act of choice as much as an act of style.

2026

Customise even further

Schmidt Groupe integratesartificial intelligence at every stage of the customer experience: assisted in-store design, optimisation of industrial processes, quality control. AI does not replace people – it enhances them. Tailor-made solutions, already at the heart of the Group’s DNA for several decades, can now cross new frontiers.

The consumer of 2026 no longer wants to choose from options – he wants his kitchen to be designed for him, with him, in real time. Artificial intelligence is redefining the relationship between personalisation in all sectors. In the home, it is transforming the act of buying into an act of co-creation. Schmidt Groupe, which has been manufacturing made-to-measure products for fifty years, continues to make advances based on this revolution.