Hafele India Pvt. Ltd.

Paving Way for the Future

An exceptional workplace is a combination of various factors that create a positive and productive work environment. It fosters open communication and collaboration between employees and management, creating a sense of transparency and trust. It also provides opportunities for professional growth and development, allowing
employees to acquire new skills and knowledge.

Additionally, a great workplace promotes worklife balance, recognizing the importance of employee well-being and supporting flexible working arrangements. Taking the above-mentioned factors into consideration, we bring to your attention an organization that is known for cultivating a culture of respect, inclusivity, and diversity, ensuring that all employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to its overall success.

Häfele India nurtures a workplace where employees feel respected, supported, and engaged, enabling them to put out their best work and strive to achieve their full potential. With Mr Frank Schloeder, Managing Director – Hafele South Asia, now at the helm of affairs, the company is expected to confidently underline its launch into a promising future.

In a freewheeling conversation with Business Connect’s team, he spoke about various aspects of his work journey. He took over the company’s management on the 1st Feb 2023 and this article chronicles his approach, competencies and plans that will enable him to shape a formidable future for the organization. Here are some excerpts of our conversation with him

A brief description of Häfele India

Häfele India is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Häfele Global network and has been operating in India since 2003. The ability of the company to understand the diverse Indian market has made it an authority in the field of architectural hardware, furniture and kitchen fittings and accessories. The company also has a strong presence in synergized product categories namely Home Appliances, Interior Lighting, Sanitary and Surfaces catering to the focused demand from these industries.

The subsidiary has a strong nationwide presence with offices in Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata and Cochin. It has full-scale operations in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh with Regional offices and Design Showrooms in both countries; and has also spread its operations to other regions of South Asia including Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives. Häfele’s design showrooms are hubs of international home interior trends and cutting-edge designs presented in a world-class environment, where customers can see home solutions in their inherent applications.

These showrooms function as a one-stop shop for all home interior improvement needs – from providing in-depth technical advice to kitchen and wardrobe designing services through a team of experts stationed at the showroom. Häfele India services its customers with a base of 1500 employees, a well-networked Franchise base of over 180 shops along with over 500 direct dealers and 90+ distributors who in turn cater to over 10000 satellite dealers. The subsidiary has a sophisticated Logistics centre in Mumbai along with distribution centres in Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Colombo respectively.

Meet the man at the helm

Having more than 25 years of experience with the BMW Group, Mr Frank Schloeder, holds a truly international career spanning different countries like Germany, France and India. He carries a dual degree in International Studies in Business Administration from the University of Munster, Germany and Montpellier Business School, France. He has had the good fortune of gaining experience in different fields including Marketing and Sales, Product Management, Business Planning, Strategy and Operations giving him a comprehensive business understanding.

He has been instrumental in unlocking market potential, developing strong business strategies, exploring new revenue channels and building strategic brand presence and sales in emerging markets for the automobile giant. During his 4-year stint in India (through his earlier organization), first as Director-Marketing and later as President, Mr Schloeder was able to understand the unique nuances of the Indian culture, devise be-fitting strategies for this market and build an impactful brand positioning in India. Having an expansive yet diverse career trajectory has given him an immense exposure to various cultures and value sets.

The future roadmap

Prior to Mr Schloeder, Mr Jurgen Wolf was the Managing Director of Hafele India. Having a core interest in setting up new markets, Mr Wolf took the Indian Subsidiary from a mere liaison office to the multi-regional Interiors Specialist giant that it is today. Over the last 21+ years, he has been instrumental in setting up new markets for Hafele in different parts of South Asia through a well-established trade network and an exclusive Hafele Franchise set-up.

During the entire handover process, Mr Wolf demonstrated deep confidence in his successor, Frank, and felt that he was the right person to lead the company forward. Mr Schloeder in turn expressed his gratitude to Jurgen for all the guidance and support he received from him.

With a rich and diverse experience in his arsenal, Frank aims to harness his competencies to unlock market potential, customer experience, brand management and digitalization, so as to establish future capabilities of building a robust value chain and developing a strong connection with end consumers. According to him, a customer-centric approach is crucial for any organization’s sustainable success, and he intends to pivot the entire business process around the customer.

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Hafele India Pvt. Ltd.