100 YEARS SUDBROCK
CHRONICLE: 1922 – 2022
TEN DECADES SUDBROCK Furniture craftsmanship
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“A wonderful, honest, cheerful chronicle that made me smile, but also left plenty of room for deep thoughts. Simply amazing!”
(Dr. Annette Weeg, Neuenkirchen)
1922 - 1929
FOUNDATION & START
They are young and courageous: when 29-year-old Johannes Sudbrock and his 27-year-old wife Therese set up their own carpentry workshop in Wiedenbrück, East Westphalia, just two days after their wedding in 1922, times were difficult. The First World War left its mark on Johannes Sudbrock: Russian captivity, escape from Siberia. “It was a terrible time,” the master carpenter often told the family later. But now things were looking up – with his own business.
In an old half-timbered house in the center of Wiedenbrück, the son of a family of craftsmen and farmers who grew up in nearby Bokel – his father was also a master carpenter – produces living rooms and bedrooms, tables, chairs, cabinets, stairs, windows and doors – always to order, as was customary in those days. Johannes SUDBROCK knows his trade and he is talented.
At the age of 26, he was already allowed to call himself a factory master and technician. One year later, in 1920, he passed his master craftsman’s examination with the grade good. The best requirements for taking off. After all, craftsmanship has a golden base.
And it is also the time of the “Golden 20s”. But in the contemplative Wiedenbrück, there is not much sign of the variety shows, wicked nightclubs and parties that are visited and celebrated in Berlin.
On the contrary: hyperinflation destroys the financial assets of many Germans. The situation did not stabilize until 1924, when share prices collapsed in New York in October 1929 and the global economic crisis took its course.
So a lot is demanded of Johannes and Therese SUDBROCK and their carpentry workshop as well.
However, the young company founders persevere, which is probably also due to Johannes Sudbrock’s foresight – he is clever and educated – and the courage of his wife Therese. In 1928, they rebuilt the company headquarters and added a furniture store to the workshop – a wise decision. Now they can sell the furniture they make themselves.
The craft business is up and running and the company has made a name for itself.
Johannes SUDBROCK’s skills are highly valued – also in the following years: as a teacher at the vocational school, as district chairman of the furniture trade group in the retail association and later as head master of the carpenters’ guild.
Johannes SUDBROCK exudes an “incredible aura”. As a grandson recalled many years later.
Three children are born from his marriage with Therese: Hans (born in 1923),
Franz Josef (born in 1926) and Lieselotte (born in 1931). The second-born, Franz Josef, was to take over the workshop after the Second World War – and lead it to new greatness.
1930 - 1939
CONVERSION & SUCCESS
1940 - 1949
AWAKENING & CONFIDENCE
The years after the Second World War were years of new beginnings. Much is destroyed. New furniture is also in demand. So it is a blessing that Johannes and Therese Sudbrock are already running a specialist store right next to their carpentry in the same building – the Sudbrock furniture store. Therese runs the business with great energy and her husband Johannes also has his office here.
However, the Sudbrocks not only sell their own furniture in the store, but also furniture from other manufacturers – such as chairs by Lübke from the neighboring Rheda and hallway furniture from Franconia. Looking back, the business model with the store turned out to be a brilliant idea. The furniture store was to play a major role in the years that followed.
Johannes SUDBROCK saws, planes, grinds and work hard. He is now in his mid 50s. Working as a carpenter is becoming increasingly difficult. He suffers from heart failure. His doctor advises him to cut back. So one of his three children has to take over. But who?
The eldest son Hans studied architecture after returning from being a prisoner of war in France, and daughter Lieselotte was also allowed to study. She later became a vocational school teacher. Rather unusual for that time.
Remains his second eldest son Franz Josef. He has inherited the talent for carpentry, or to put it another way: he has discovered his father Johannes’ love of wood as a material for himself.
Thanks to his resolute mother, he is spared the war. She made sure that he did not have to go to the front because of an earlier knee injury. Franz Josef completes an apprenticeship as a carpenter.
He then began to expand his specialist knowledge at the Detmold carpentry college, where his father had previously taught as a lecturer. However, when his father could no longer manage everything on his own in the workshop, he had to abandon his additional training after two years and join the company sooner than he would have liked. It is the year 1948 – the start of the second generation. Franz Josef Sudbrock is just 22 years young. The years of the economic miracle lay ahead of him.
1950 - 1959
REACH & VISIBILITY
Franz Josef Sudbrock, as his sister Lieselotte later reported, combined his father Johannes’ fine sense of artistry and craftsmanship with his mother Therese’s business acumen. Therese remained the driving force, pushing for expansion at the end of the 1940s, and even more: for industrialization of the still comparatively small carpentry.
The trigger for this is a problem in the furniture shop: the hallway furniture from Franconia has too long delivery times. The SUDBROCK make a virtue of necessity. In other words, the family decides to build their own hallway furniture and sell them on themselves.
And another milestone for future growth follows: Even before 1960, Sudbrock presents itself for the first time at the Cologne Furniture Fair. With great success! Dealers from Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg and the Ruhr region enjoy to the design and quality of the furniture from East Westphalia. Sometimes the young boss gets behind the wheel of the delivery van himself.
Business was booming and the number of employees rises from five to 27 in just a few years. In the mid-1950s, the carpentry outgrew its previous location in the center of Wiedenbrück. And as the town of Wiedenbrück was unable to offer a suitable property, the company moved to Bokel – the birthplace of company founder Johannes SUDBROCK. The first 1200 square meter factory hall was built here in 1957 – another milestone for Sudbrock.
The carpentry becomes an industrial company. In rural Bokel itself, however, not everyone is happy about the move. Some farmers feared that the up-and-coming furniture company would take away their farmhands. A fear that was unfounded.
Franz Josef Sudbrock is also doing well in his private life. In 1955, shortly before moving from Wiedenbrück to Bokel, he met an innkeeper’s daughter from Emsland at a student party in Cologne to which his sister Lieselotte had invited him: Carola Hermes is studying in Cologne. She wants to become a teacher.
The two become a couple and get married. Although Carola Sudbrock successfully completes her studies, she never works as a teacher. Instead, she keeps her husband’s back free and opens an arts and crafts store called “Interkunst” next to the furniture store, which is considerably enlarged and modernized in 1958. Here she sells Danish design, porcelain and modern textiles. Later, she helps out in the office. As it soon turns out, Carola Sudbrock is the good soul of the business.
1960 - 1969
FORESIGHT & A SENSE OF PROPORTION
Franz Josef Sudbrock is a charismatic person who can inspire others. Under his leadership and with his vision, the company grew to around 70 employees in the 60s and 70s.
In the meantime, further production halls have also been built in Bokel. The entrepreneur decides that growth must continue to be achieved with a sense of proportion.
In the 1960s, Sudbrock recognized a trend that would give the company a further boost in the following years: the trend towards larger homes. People literally had more room for more furniture. This gave Sudbrock the idea of manufacturing spacious add-on wardrobe walls.
It was the birth of the 800 model – another milestone. “The 800 hallway furniture ran like crazy,” says a former employee, looking back on this time. Trucks of 800 hallway furniture leave the Bokel plant for the Ruhr area almost every day.
However, the partly high order quantities are not just a source of joy for company boss Franz Josef Sudbrock. He sees the danger of becoming dependent on individual customers and possibly having the price dictated to him. But he doesn’t let it come to that. The foresighted entrepreneur takes action – and reduces the supply.
Production at the factory is nevertheless running at full speed. Sudbrock rents halls for temporary storage, even a barn from the Bökamp inn towards the company.
One employee remembers: “A conveyor belt was laid across the road outside. And when a car came along, the rails had to be removed and then they drove on.”
1970 - 1979
EXPANSION & CUSTOMIZATION
The company becomes more international: in 1972, multilingual brochures are published for the first time.
Another milestone follows in 1977: SUDBROCK develops its first system program with the “Panama” hallway furniture model. This means that the customer decides individually on the size of the desired bodies – and thus on the size of doors, flaps and drawers. The motto is: maximum flexibility. The body is elegantly mitred – a special handcrafted feature that makes the furniture even more beautiful.
With the “Panama” model, Sudbrock becomes known throughout Germany and also among end consumers. By the way: the Janosch book “Oh, how beautiful is Panama” is published just one year later. A coincidence?
For Franz Josef Sudbrock, the company is his purpose in life. He knows every employee personally, often their families too. He treats everyone respectfully, fairly and honestly and always has an open ear for problems. In short: he is popular. But he also sets the highest standards for his employees – just as he does for himself. He hates negligence. On the other hand, he finds it difficult to accept criticism.
And so the transition to the third generation is not free of conflicts.
The marriage to Carola,born Hermes, and Franz Josef Sudbrock also produced three children:
Likewise three children are born form the marriage between Carola, née Hermes, and Franz Josef Sudbrock:
daughters Sabina (born 1959) and Christine (born 1963) and son Johannes (born 1961). Johannes was to take over the company in the third generation, as he had already worked a lot in the company during his vacations. His grandfather Johannes had always told him: “You’re going to carry on doing this. Initially, however, Johannes Sudbrock had other plans.
1980 - 1989
GENERATIONAL CHANGE
For Johannes Sudbrock, who bears the same name as his grandfather, it was always clear that he would one day follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. However, after completing his secondary education at the commercial college in Gütersloh, where he graduated with the general qualification for university entrance and served in the German army, he first moved far away – to Rosenheim, which is known for its Faculty of Wood Technology, but where Johannes Sudbrock studied something else: Industrial engineering.
Johannes Sudbrock is eager to learn and wants to gain practical experience, and not just in Germany. He works in Indianapolis in the USA for six months. Once in the land of opportunity, he gets himself an old pick-up truck and drives through the vast country, exploring the US states of Indiana and Ohio.
After graduating in 1987, he first wanted to get to know another company and his own worth. He quickly found a job – in technical controlling at a subsidiary of the Unilever Group in Kempten.
He stays there for two years and feels at home. Then, in 1989, the year the inner-German wall fell, his father contacted him – actually too early. The now 63-year-old furniture entrepreneur wants to arrange his succession.
He persuades his son to come back to Rietberg-Bokel. “We’re on vacation in Bavaria, we’re working here,” the senior tells the junior on the phone.
In the same year, Johannes SUDBROCK starts working in his parents’ business in Bokel.
1990 - 1999
THE SOFT
The junior sets standards: the “Novita” shelf system is introduced under his direction. This marks the company’s entry into the residential sector.
In 1994, Johannes Sudbrock, then 33, becomes Managing Director alongside his father, then 68. Over time, senior and junior Sudbrock had different ideas, for example about product strategy and investments. “Maybe my father just wanted to test me,” Johannes Sudbrock looks back today.
Franz Josef Sudbrock only changed his mind when Ferdinand Altebäumer, the then long-standing sales manager and mentor to the young boss, made it clear to the senior that his son might leave the company again if the conflicts did not stop. He withdraws from the operative business. In 2002, Johannes Sudbrock becomes the sole shareholder.
2000 - 2009
DESIGN & QUALITY
The company continues to develop under Johannes SUDBROCK, the grandson of the company founder of the same name. It becomes more modern.
External designers now provide ideas, but the development of the furniture remains within the company. The year 2005 marked a turning point in this respect: With the Programme “CUBO”, the furniture was given a purist touch – with a clear, straightforward and avant-garde design language. “We were suddenly able to build modern Italian furniture,” says Johannes Sudbrock, looking back with pride. “That opened many doors for us.”
SUDBROCK is becoming more diverse and now also builds smooth lacquered furniture in addition to veneered furniture.
In 2008, the company invests in an environmentally friendly water-based paint system. The furniture is given a new surface quality.
2010 - 2019
INTERNATIONALITY
Theres Sudbrock – with the same first name as the founder’s wife – was born in Bokel and has been with the company since 2005. She and her husband married in 1999 and have two daughters.
Theres SUDBROCK is gradually working her way into the areas of marketing and development. Now 50 years old, the trained artwork producer and cultural studies graduate also gained experience abroad and has further stimulated creativity in the company, introducing new colors and developing a new visual language. “Furniture as poetry” is her credo.
One of her main tasks alongside her husband is to present the furniture and living spaces in the right light in brochures, at trade fairs and online, or in other words: to define the visual style of the house.
Thanks to trade fair appearances in Cologne and Milan (since 2017), SUDBROCK also reaches an international audience. Sideboards, cabinets, shelves, tables, beds and hallway furniture, which are sold through specialist retailers in Germany, have long been popular abroad too. The furniture is exported to Benelux, Austria, Switzerland, France, Eastern Europe, China and other countries.
The plant is expanded again in 2015. The production area alone (i.e. excluding offices) is now 13,000 square meters, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery.
Since 2017, SUDBROCK has been operating as a comprehensive provider of individually plannable system furniture in the apartment, Bedroom and office sectors.
Sudbrock scores points above all with its extraordinary variety of colours and materials: there is a choice of lacquer, veneer, ribbed surfaces, glass, ceramics and fabrics. This makes every piece of furniture unique.
2019 - 2022
CHANGE & TRANSFORMATION
Johannes Sudbrock has set the course for many more successful years – but a serious illness throws many plans into disarray. In February 2018, Johannes Sudbrock was diagnosed with ALS, a neurological disease. However, he and his wife look to the future, inform employees, customers and dealers and strengthen the management team.
It will probably be a few more years before the fourth generation takes over the company. Daughters Maria and Eva are still in vocational training.
Johannes Sudbrock, who celebrated his 60th birthday last year, is still present in the company every day. “I’ve always delegated a lot,” he says, adding with regard to the SUDBROCK furniture: “It’s a matter of luck when you can sell things that you like yourself.”
In the third year since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Germany, the advantages of domestic production have become apparent for Sudbrock Möbel. The East Westphalian family business, which currently employs around 110 people, focuses on its core values such as quality and, above all, sustainability, both of which are deeply rooted in the company’s DNA. For example, SUDBROCK uses sustainable raw materials from the region. The tree trunks from which the furniture is made are carefully selected, as are all other materials used.
Sudbrock also attaches great importance to promoting young talent. “We are a successful training company,” says Theres SUDBROCK and adds: “Our trainees appreciate getting to know every department and seeing a piece of furniture through from start to finish using state-of-the-art machines and manual work.”
In the anniversary year 2022, Johannes SUDBROCK can proudly announce: “What sets us apart is our personal furniture craftmanship.” Sudbrock customers can design their own unique piece. And yet the Sudbrock style always remains clearly recognizable, for example in the lines, the feel and the processing details, emphasizes the owner. “We build our furniture for people who have a keen sense for these quality features and who demand more from their personal furniture than pure functionality,” emphasize Theres and Johannes Sudbrock.
At the same time, they are looking to the future. Sudbrock focuses on innovative technologies and sustainable production. And with their customers in mind, the owners want their “truly unique pieces of furniture” to showcase both timeless aesthetics and the personal touch of the furniture.
Johannes Sudbrock: “These are our roots. And that is our vision.”
