ewe-FM-kitchens up: renaissance of the “food”

The past 15 months have been characterized by home office, exit restrictions and the lockdown of the catering trade: These developments have made Austrians want a new kitchen. The Wels-based kitchen manufacturer ewe-FM-kitchens is also benefiting from this trend. “In a year-on-year comparison, we have recorded an increase of 60 percent in orders,” said ewe managing director Andreas Hirsch yesterday at a press conference in the ewe showroom in Pasching. Compared to 2019, there was an increase of 50 percent.

1200 kitchens of the three brands ewe, FM and Intuo are produced in the plants in Wels and Freistadt per month. In order to meet the demand, capacities are being expanded. According to Hirsch, however, the bottlenecks in certain raw materials are currently confronting manufacturers with major challenges: “It is a problem with the supply chains.” The shortage of steel affects the availability of fittings. The situation is even more difficult with chipboard, which is so important for the furniture industry.

Previously there was a kitchen delivery time of five to six weeks, now it is around three months, says Hirsch. Watch the market closely: in the medium term, there could be price increases of up to three percent.

350 employees are employed, the turnover in the past financial year was 60 million euros. The kitchen market is stable with 140,000 kitchens sold, says Hirsch: He puts the market share of the company belonging to the Swedish Nobia Group at around twelve percent.

Solutions for economic areas

Every kitchen is made to measure, says ewe product manager Robert Deixler. 96 percent of the wood used comes from Europe.

There is currently strong demand for the classic “food”: Many houses do not have a cellar, and customers are planning a pantry to store groceries. The new “store4more” concept was also presented, with which the range is being expanded: It offers solutions for the utility room and the utensils stowed there (washing machine, dryer).