Julius Blum GmbH (commonly referred to as Blum) is an international company that produces hinge-, lift- and runner-systems and the appropriate assembly tools for the

cabinet making A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (solid ...

and

furniture industry Furniture refers to objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., stools, chairs, and sofas), eating ( tables), storing items, working, and sleeping (e.g., beds and hammocks). Furniture is also used to hold objects ...

Description

Blum is an international manufacturer of furniture hardware. It is a family-owned company based in Höchst, a municipality in the

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

n province of

Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( ; ; , , or ) is the westernmost States of Austria, state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the second-highest popu ...

. Production facilities are mainly located in Austria, but the company also has production plants in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, in

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

and in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. Blum supplies furniture manufacturers and hardware distributors in more than 120 countries worldwide. 97% of its products are exported, and its annual turnover was 1,887.85 million euros in 2018/2019. The company had 7,983 employees, as of June 30, 2019. In Vorarlberg, the company is one of the largest employers, with eight factories with more than 6.600 employees.

History

The company was founded in 1952 by blacksmith Julius Blum in Höchst. The first product was a

horseshoe stud A caulkin is a blunt projection on a horseshoe or oxshoe that is often forged, welded or brazed onto the shoe. The term may also refer to traction devices screwed into the bottom of a horseshoe, also commonly called shoe studs or screw-in c ...

, which prevents horses from slipping. Then in 1958, the first furniture hinge was produced. The construction of concealed hinges started in 1964, and this essentially led to the entry into the furniture fittings industry. Today, Blum products are exported to more than 120 countries. Julius Blum died in 2006, and the family business continued to be run by his sons, Gerhard Blum and Herbert Blum. Today, the company structure is as follows: Gerhard E. Blum (26%), Herbert Blum (26%), and Blum Private Trust (48%). Since 30 June 2019 the third generation has taken the helm of the family-owned company, and Gerhard E. Blum will now focus on the Blum Group Holding. Blum 1964 First Hinge.jpg, First concealed hinge

Production facilities and subsidiaries

The company has seven factories in Vorarlberg, and additional production sites are situated in Poland, Brazil and the United States. In the 2017/18 financial year, 48% of the company’s turnover was generated in the EU, 15% in the United States and 37% in other markets than Austria. Julius-Blum-Werk-2.jpg, One of seven factories in Vorarlberg, Austria Blum_USA.jpg, Factory in North Carolina, USA Blum_Brazil.jpg, Factory in São Paulo, Brazil Blum_Poland.jpg, Factory in Jasin nearby

Swarzędz Swarzędz (German language, German: ''Schwersenz'') is a town in west-central Poland with 29,766 inhabitants. It is the seat of a mixed urban-rural commune called Gmina Swarzędz with 40,166 inhabitants. The town is situated in the Poznań metropo ...

, Poland The company has 31 subsidiaries worldwide. Blum subsidiaries (ranked according to the founding year):

Products

Blum is specialized in the production of fittings and systems for furniture, in particular for kitchens. The main business segments are lift, hinge and pull-out systems. Blum products are displayed at showrooms, home design shows and fairs for the furniture industry, such as Interzum in Cologne and Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS).

Research

Blum invests 4% of its annual revenue in research and development. In 2014, the company held around 67 patents and 2.100 trademark rights in total. Blum Austria occupies second place in the invention rankings and ranks amongst Austria’s top ten patent candidates. The company has set up training rooms, laboratory kitchens and test-drive areas to identify requirements of kitchen fitters, manufacturers, sellers and kitchen buyers. Research insights have resulted in new and improved products and concepts for storage space planning in kitchens. Blum has won several awards in product quality and design. In 2013, the furniture manufacturer received the

European Inventor Award The European Inventor Award (formerly European Inventor of the Year Award, renamed in 2010), are presented annually by the European Patent Office, sometimes supported by the respective Presidency of the Council of the European Union and by the Eur ...

in the "industry" category for its hinge system Blumotion. The invention assures that doors, drawers and lift systems close gently and silently.

Apprenticeship training

Blum Austria started its own

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

system in 1970. The four-year program is a combination of class participation and practical training in the company. Students are able to learn high-tech professions in metal and plastics processing. Vocational training is common within central Europe, as young people are split at the age of 15 either to academic schools or to apprenticeships. Eight training programs are currently offered: In 1995, Blum USA introduced the in-house training program "Apprenticeship 2000" according to the Austrian model. The company cooperates with businesses in the community and the

Central Piedmont Community College Central Piedmont Community College (Central Piedmont) is a Public college, public community college in Charlotte, North Carolina. With an enrollment of more than 40,000 students annually, Central Piedmont is the second-largest community college ...

(CPCC). As of September 2019, the company had trained 363 apprentices, 21 of which were in the United States. Blum apprentices frequently take part in global competitions like

WorldSkills WorldSkills is an international charity that organises world and national championships for vocational education, vocational skills and is held every two years in different parts of the world, and also hosts conferences about vocational skills. Wo ...

, in which they have received several certificates of excellence. Blum is actively involved in a variety of initiatives with educational and training organisations, such as the

Buckinghamshire New University Buckinghamshire New University (BNU) is a public university in Buckinghamshire, England, with campuses in High Wycombe, Aylesbury, Uxbridge and Great Missenden. The institution dates from 1891, when it was founded as the School of Science and A ...

Foundation Course for kitchen designers.

Environment

Blum started to install

energy management systems An energy management system (EMS) is a system of computer-aided tools used by operators of electric utility grids to monitor, control, and optimize the performance of the generation or transmission system. Also, it can be used in small scale sy ...

as early as 20 years ago. The company has been certified to several international standards, including

ISO 14001 The ISO 14000 family is a set of international standards for Natural environment, environment management systems. It was developed in March 1996 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ...

ISO 9001 The ISO 9000 family is a set of international standards for quality management systems. It was developed in March 1987 by International Organization for Standardization. The goal of these standards is to help organizations ensure that they meet ...

and

ISO 50001 ISO 50001 Energy management systems - Requirements with guidance for use, is an international standard created by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It supports organizations in all sectors to use energy more efficiently thro ...