The hotplate is a concept in Germany

- Rommelsbacher is well-known in Germany for its quality products, says Alf Einar Nygård at Beha Target, who represents the brand in Norway.

When we meet him in September at the IFA fair in Berlin, it is with Sigrid Klenk and her company.

- We have a very good position in Germany, as we have been producing for almost 100 years, and we are well-known in all types of shops and sales channels. We have a wide range of small household appliances, and these are always better than the other ones you get on the market, Klenk tells the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

She is the managing director and owner of Rommelsbacher, which was founded in 1928 by her grandfather in Dinkelsbühl in Bavaria. He had moved here because the city was not damaged after the First World War, and thus had available premises, and he started with speakers.

Production in Dinkelsbühl

- Then he started with all kinds of electrical appliances, such as irons and waffle irons, and the first product he developed himself was freestanding and portable hotplates. We still produce these in Dinkelsbühl, says Klenk.

She emphasises that Rommelsbacher is still run as a family business.

- End users can contact us directly. It is special because many companies have call centres, but we like the contact with customers. We learn from their questions and bring ideas for improvements and new products, she says.

Klenk is herself close to the daily operations.

- My office is in the middle of everything, the doors are open, and we make decisions quickly. We sit together, talk and decide, says Klenk to the trade magazine Elektronikkbransjen.

Repairing the appliances

She admits that competition is tough, but believes that Rommelsbacher stands out.

- People like that there are faces behind the company, and that customers are not just a number. We always think about how we can make the appliances better and more functional, says Klenk.

We ask her to compare the company with the car industry.

- We are not Porsche, but maybe something between Volkswagen and Mercedes. The price is not the lowest, but the quality is high and the design is good, says Klenk.

Production takes place partly in Germany, but the cost level means that only about 20 percent of the turnover comes from German production. The domestic market is the largest, but exports are growing, especially to Switzerland, Benelux, Scandinavia and Asian countries like South Korea and Singapore.

- We offer repair services because we believe it is important to take care of the environment. Many brands throw away appliances, but we repair them. It is important for the future, says Klenk.

Baltzersen in for Berg

- We have worked with Rommelsbacher for almost ten years, and the quality is fantastically good, says Alf Einar Nygård at Beha Target.

When we meet him in Berlin, he is accompanied by Kenneth Baltzersen.

- Kenneth is taking on the role of daily manager, as Roger Berg has unfortunately had to withdraw from daily operations due to illness, says Nygård.

He and Roger Berg have run the company together for 29 years and are a well-known duo in the industry.

Kenneth Baltzersen was the chain manager at Euronics Norway until 2018, and since then has been connected to the industry, including at Mercante and Enklere liv through the investment company Jotunfjell Partners, which is also the main owner of Beha Target.

- I am taking on the role of daily manager and working together with Alf Einar to try to revitalise and make us even more relevant and exciting, says Baltzersen.