Our family history - Schmidt Groupe

1934

Starting a family and growing a business

Hubert and Antonia Schmidt

Hubert Schmidt was 27 years old. Fatherless at the age of four and one of seven siblings, he learnt bricklaying with the firm belief 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 region. Antonia managed the administrative side of the business, while Hubert was busy building and selling. The business quickly grew as new projects began pouring in, starting with individual houses before encompassing apartment blocks and administrative buildings. The company was a family-run business from day one, and that defining feature would never change.

Two consecutive fires razed the workshop and warehouse to the ground just a few years after the company had been founded. Whereas others would have given up, Hubert Schmidt picked up the pieces and started afresh. Such steely determination could be epitomised by one of the lines in Kipling’s poem entitled “If”: “If you can watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stop and build ’em up…”

The Saarland of 1934 was a region in limbo. Governed under a League of Nations mandate since 1920, it was awaiting a referendum that would decide its future, namely whether to remain under international administration, re-join France or be incorporated back into Germany. During this political tussle, the desire for a home, especially an individual house, symbolised the hopes and aspirations of an entire generation. That explains why Hubert Schmidt’s business struck such a strong chord with society.

1946

Pivoting from homes to furniture

The war turned everything upside-down. Hubert Schmidt had to start from scratch again in a Germany that needed rebuilding. A customer suggested that he ought to start making kitchen units, especially since his joiners were highly skilled, and the market harboured tremendous potential. After hesitating, he threw himself headlong into the business.

In 1946, the first production shop was built in Türkismühle, followed by a second 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-WW2 Europe was undergoing total reconstruction. German households had lost everything, including their furniture, kitchenware and cutlery, so the top priority was getting everyone re-equipped as quickly as possible.

This desire for new-found normality was embodied no better than by the kitchen sideboard, a solid, functional and visible unit that symbolised the first step up the social ladder. Standardised manufacturing processes came over from the United States and were adopted as the model for Europe’s reconstruction efforts. Mass-producing what had previously been crafted by hand was the challenge facing a whole generation of European entrepreneurs. True to his pragmatic nature and keen sense of the market, Hubert Schmidt embraced the change.

1959

Crossing the border

On 13 January 1957, the Saarland’s inhabitants voted in a referendum to join Germany once and for all. Schmidt Küchen’s markets were now largely based in France, so the decision was taken to set up a factory in France to avoid customs duties. Hubert Schmidt bought a former family-run spinning mill in Lièpvre, Alsace.

On 6 July 1959, around 20 workers from the Saarland arrived at the dilapidated site, and within three months, they had it up and running. The “Cuisines Schmidt” brand was officially created, with 4 sales representatives, 57 employees, and revenue of €300,000. What was initially intended to be a simple logistical move became the foundation of a French industrial legacy.

During the 30-year period of strong economic growth that shaped France after World War 2, the French discovered the affluent society and began abandoning the countryside for the city and its housing estates. The country’s public housing policy provided families with modern homes equipped with separate ready-to-furnish kitchens. Household appliances began appearing on the market, 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, the founder’s daughter (who had taken her mother’s first name). He was a petroleum engineer at Standard Oil. He left America and moved to Lièpvre. He took over the plant’s technical operations and immediately set about transforming the plant, such as enlarging the floor space (from 6,000 to 32,000 m² in 1976), hiring managers and engineers, and upgrading the machinery.

He quickly realised that the future for sideboards was doomed, so he began preparing the production plants to switch over to manufacturing the first bespoke kitchen units, which had the effect of totally revolutionising the market’s traditional range of products. Local exports exploded in response to this new and appealing form of personalised units.

In 1967, France was on the threshold of a seismic change. May 1968 ushered in profound changes to people’s relationships with work and the authorities, as well as their consumer practices. In the home, kitchens were directly in the firing line of these changes. Household appliances were on the increase, and working women wanted a practical, pleasant and fully functional kitchen. Interior designers were adapting their practices and including fitted kitchens in their plans. Karl Leitzgen perceived this structural change before most of his competitors.

1975

Reinventing the kitchen as a living space

The second generation took over the company’s reins. Hubert Schmidt handed the company over to his daughters in 1975. Karl Leitzgen, who had already been at the helm since 1967, took the major strategic decision of pivoting away from the mass retail market and creating a network of exclusive Cuisines Schmidt showrooms. He launched the first full-colour catalogue, featuring three ranges (standard, prestige and classic) and introduced the first process for producing unit fronts to order, representing a first in Europe.

Kitchens were no longer dismissed as merely functional spaces. They were the very heart of the home. At this time, the company employed 150 people and generated revenue in excess of €5 million.

The end of the post-war economic boom marked a watershed moment for the French housing sector. Household appliances reached their peak and, despite the onset of the 1970s energy crisis, investments in the home continued to feature high on the French people’s priority list. Kitchens began opening onto the living room. In doing so, they shed their image as a purely functional space and gradually became a warm and welcoming area where the entire family could get together.

Consumers became more demanding and better informed. The time had come for specialised networks, support and guidance, and strong brands.

1983

Expanding our network of showrooms

On 13 July 1983, the last Prestige 150 sideboard rolled off the production line at the Lièpvre plant, signalling the end of an era. Cuisines Schmidt had completed its metamorphosis from a mass-market retailer to a network of exclusive showrooms, abandoning generic products in favour of building its very own brand, and swapping the make-to-stock mindset for a make-to-order strategy. That same year, the company officially became SALM (Société Alsacienne de Meubles) and opened its first subsidiary in the UK.

SALM had 270 employees and generated revenue of 19 million francs. Already ranked as the fifth-largest French manufacturer in its market, it began existing as a brand in its own right while forging ahead with its major expansion plans.

In 1983, France was waking up from the delusion of infinite growth. Unemployment surged past the two million bar, and the government started introducing austerity measures. Even so, the French continued investing in their homes. Specialist stores began cropping up on city outskirts. The idea of developing “kitchen projects” with properly thought-out and personalised designs began to gain traction. The image of an all-Formica kitchen faded away as consumers aspired to own a kitchen that expressed their lifestyle choices. The very face of the market was changing.

1986

Writing our corporate philosophy

“We want to be the best, respect one another and succeed together”.

In January 1986, SALM’s 35 managers met up for a seminar in the Black Forest. Their two-day collective workshop gave rise to the company’s philosophy, drafted under Karl Leitzgen’s guidance: “We want to be the best, respect one another and succeed together.” These few words became the continual guiding light for every managerial decision.

That same year, SALM embarked on an ambitious brand policy and ploughed 50 million francs into a national communication campaign. The company employed 350 people and generated revenue of €44 million. Work began on building the U1 plant in Sélestat.

The 1980s were witness to the advent of the “corporate culture”. In France, major organisations were defining their values and business plans. Employees wanted more than a salary. They wanted to feel as though they belonged to something. Karl Leitzgen, a firm believer in people, was far ahead of others when it came to realising that a people-first culture is key to achieving sustainable performance. Even 40 years later, this conviction still holds true at Schmidt Groupe.

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 well-known impersonator Yves Lecoq. With national TV advertisements, a poster campaign and a network of 200 showrooms, the company took on a whole new dimension. In September, the 30,000 m² semi-automated and digitally-controlled U1 plant in Sélestat was inaugurated in front of 5,000 people.

That same year saw a historic turnaround as the French subsidiary bought out the struggling German parent company, Schmidt Küchen. SALM had 600 employees and generated revenue of €65 million.

1989 was a pivotal year. The fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for a new era. Television forged its reputation as the leading mass medium. Broadcasting a national TV ad could take companies straight inside French people’s homes. Consumers began to demand structured brands, warranties and an end-to-end commercial relationship. The era of the anonymous kitchen manufacturer was coming to an end.

1992

Bespoke solutions for a wider audience

In 1992, SALM launched Cuisinellà, a new, more affordable Italian-sounding brand aimed at young couples and the entry-level to mid-range market. The first showroom opened in Sélestat in June. At the same time, SALM became the first French kitchen manufacturer to obtain ISO 9001 quality certification, representing a first in the industry.

The death of Hubert Schmidt marked the end of the founding era. The company had 700 employees and generated revenue of €83 million. It was now France’s second-largest manufacturer.

In 1992, the Maastricht Treaty was signed. Access to consumer credit became more widespread, meaning that fitted kitchens were no longer confined to affluent households.

The trend for increasingly personalised home interiors started gaining pace in French society.

Every household wanted to assert its own identity. Kitchens were considered to be a living space in their own right, a place where people could express their tastes, lifestyles and personalities. The amount of spending on homeware was rising steadily, despite the difficulties that continued to plague the economic climate.

1995

Passing the baton, industrialising and perpetuating

Antonia Leitzgen

On 18 October 1995, Karl Leitzgen died suddenly at the age of 59. “The whole village of Lièpvre came out to pay their last respects. Even the workers from the Türkismühle plant attended the funeral,” said Antonia Leitzgen. His wife took over as SALM’s CEO, with a helping hand from Jean-Marie Schwab. She led the company down the game-changing path of industrialising bespoke home living solutions. Customers could choose their own colours, styles and combinations. Bespoke home interiors were no longer a luxury and were set to become the standard. The company had 800 employees and generated revenue of €94 million.

During the 1990s, France was locked in the throes of a profound social identity crisis. Amidst mass unemployment and rising inequality, people no longer felt any sense of reassurance in being like everyone else. Instead, it was felt to be oppressive. Every individual wanted to make choices reflecting their own identity, which included their home interiors. Personalisation was fast becoming the main USP in every sector. Schmidt Groupe translated this concept into an industrial process and the company’s defining competitive advantage.

2006

Anne Leitzgen: inheriting and reinventing

In December 2006, the founder’s granddaughter Anne Leitzgen, 33, took over as the family-run group’s CEO. With a background in advertising, she joined the company in marketing, network development in Switzerland, and human resources. Her vision was to transform SALM into Europe’s leading group for bespoke home living solutions.

She strengthened the network of exclusive showrooms, scaled up exports, and set about conquering the international market. SALM had 1,300 employees and generated revenue of €295 million. It was already the number one kitchen manufacturer in France and the number five in Europe.

When Apple launched the iPhone in 2007, the relationship between brands and customers was about to undergo a radical change. The age of the connected consumer had arrived. Customers were not only informed and more demanding, but keen to pursue their own aesthetic ideals. The first design blogs were starting to tear up the rulebook on fitted kitchen designs. Customisation was no longer an optional extra, but expected as standard. Schmidt Groupe was structurally ready to engage with this new trend.

2010

Conquering Europe

In 2010, the Group was active in more than 20 countries. Since 2008, more showrooms had been opened abroad than in France. The fully automated U2 plant in Sélestat (nicknamed the “industrial cathedral” by its own employees) was operational, with the ability to manufacture entirely personalised kitchens in just six weeks, from order to delivery.

The company was France’s leading exporter of kitchens and the country’s number one manufacturer. It had 1,444 employees, 6,000 people across its global network, and generated revenue of €332 million. It was also awarded a new eco-certification label for its sustainable practices.

The 2008 financial crisis sparked an underlying trend as people began refocusing their attention on their homes, which were once again seen as a meaningful investment. At the same time, environmental certifications were becoming an increasingly important purchasing criterion as consumers wanted to know where their furniture came from. Across Europe, the desire for quality home interiors was rising, and Schmidt Groupe was already one step ahead when it came to addressing that need.

2014

Enticing the world

In 2014, Schmidt Groupe crossed another border by making inroads into the Asian market. A joint venture with Suofeiya (1,200 furniture shops in China) led to a 65,000 m² plant in Ningxi, near Guangzhou, which was commissioned in June 2015. The Euroforum event organised on a cruise liner between Marseille and Genoa in 2014 brought together 3,000 people from all over the world, based on the concept of an “Armada for conquering consumers”.

The Group had 1,400 employees in France and 6,000 people worldwide, and generated revenue of close to €400 million. Initially, 500 showrooms were opened in China.

In 2014, China was the world’s second-largest economy. Its 300 million-strong middle class aspired to new lifestyle choices based on quality, personalisation and Western references. The French way of life gained a huge following in the country’s major cities. Fitted kitchens may still have been marginal, but they were on the verge of a market explosion, and Schmidt Groupe was ready and waiting to pounce with a range unmatched by any local company.

2016

Reaffirming our roots: Schmidt Groupe - a name and a source of pride

In 2016, SALM become Schmidt Groupe. This powerful and symbolic act served to reassert the company’s family legacy in an increasingly globalised marketplace. The Group launched the “Schmidt Guaranteed Excellence” contract and laid the foundation stone for its new U3 plant for producing interior solutions, in the process laying claim to the most automated plant in its sector.

1,500 employees, 7,500 people worldwide, and revenue of €460 million, with 15% generated outside France. Anne and Caroline Leitzgen were awarded the Grand Prix de l’Entreprise Patrimoniale et Familiale in recognition of the Group’s legacy as a family-run company. Anne Leitzgen was named “Woman of the Year 2016” by IREF.

Consumers wanted brands that took ownership of their history, the location of their production plants, and their commitment. Authenticity became the top criterion for fostering trust. Schmidt Groupe adopted its founder’s name and proudly displayed its family values.

2020

Accelerating through the storm

Covid-19 caused production at the Alsace plants to grind to a standstill for several weeks. Schmidt Groupe took robust measures to bounce back from the epidemic, while preserving jobs and accelerating two projects that were already underway, namely launching its e-commerce sites and ramping up construction of the U2B site. If anything, the crisis revealed the extent to which the solid manufacturing practices, the local network and the people-centric culture of the extended enterprise were such decisive assets. The Group weathered the storm and emerged even more agile and digitally enabled.

The lockdown prompted the French to take a critical look at their homes like never before. Stuck indoors, they examined every wasted square metre and every poorly designed kitchen. As a result, the interior design market went through the roof as households began spending massively on their homes. “Home life” rose to the top of the consumer’s priority list. The very meaning of what Schmidt Groupe had been saying since 1934, i.e. making the world a better place to live in, soon struck a chord with the collective conscience.

2023

Becoming a certified B Corp

In November 2023, Schmidt Groupe joined the global community of B Corp companies. Achieving this demanding international certification had the effect of putting Anne Leitzgen’s convictions into action: “CSR is critical to a company’s long-term future.” The Group’s determination to protect the environment is not a recent decision, but a long-standing commitment, as evidenced by the years that it has spent decarbonising its manufacturing processes, incorporating eco-design principles into its products, and sourcing its wood from sustainably managed forests.

The Group also launched the new ID PRO brand specifically for interior design professionals.

In 2023, companies were no longer debating whether they should commit to creating a positive impact. Instead, they were wondering how they could prove that they were really doing so. In the face of consumers’ distrust in brands and the urgent need to tackle climate change, B Corp certification set the gold standard for proving their credibility.

Consumers want more than a beautiful kitchen – they want to know how it was made, which materials were used, and how many carbon emissions were generated. The home design process became just as much an act of choice as an act of style.

2026

Taking personalisation to the next level

Schmidt Groupe has embedded artificial intelligence into every stage of the customer experience, whether assisting with the in-showroom design process, enhancing manufacturing practices, or supporting quality control. AI does not replace people, but it can make them even more effective. Bespoke solutions have been an integral part of the Group’s DNA for several decades, and AI can now help the Group push the boundaries on personalised interiors even further.

Consumers in 2026 no longer want to choose from a list of options. They want a kitchen that has been designed specifically for them in real time based on their input. Whatever the sector, artificial intelligence is redefining people’s relationship with the very idea of personalisation. In the home, AI is transforming the act of buying into a collaborative design process. Schmidt Groupe, which has been manufacturing bespoke products for 50 years, is drawing on this revolution to continuing breaking new ground.