Rope manufacturer Karl-Heinz Köhler is “Berlin family entrepreneur of the year 2013”
The association Die FAMILIENUNTERNEHMER awarded the “Berlin family entrepreneur of the year 2013” prize to Karl-Heinz Köhler.
The Berliner Seilfabrik company has set itself the goal of designing “lively playgrounds” which are as varied, safe and durable as possible. The individual play landscapes are designed on the modular principle using a play rope specifically developed by the company.
“With his Berliner Seilfabrik, Karl-Heinz Köhler promotes Berlin’s good reputation all over the world by building rope playgrounds high in educational value as well as of high technical quality and standard and by thus shaping public spaces worldwide,” emphasizes Marl Lorenz, board member of DIE FAMILIENUNTERNEHMER in Berlin, in his laudatory speech.
Stefan Schröter, regional chairman of DIE FAMILIENUNTERNEHMER for the district of Berlin, says: “Karl-Heinz Köhler will become “Berlin family entrepreneur of the year” because he managed to ensure long-term success for his family-run business steeped in tradition by innovatingand opening up new business areas.”
Berliner Seilfabrik GmbH & Co. has its roots in a company producing ropes for the Berlin elevator industries, which was founded in 1865. At the beginning of the 1970s, a whole new business area was opened up and the first few space nets were developed as rope play equipment.
Since then a comprehensive range of product has come into being, with which the about 50 employees of the company achieve an annual turnover of almost 10 million euros and can offer an interesting, distinctive design for any field of outdoor play. Domestic and foreign patents prevent the product range from imitation and prove the technical know-how of Berliner Seilfabrik GmbH & Co. The family-run business has an export share of more than 70 per cent and is a member of the German, European and US standards committee.
Karl-Heinz Köhler took over Berliner Seilfabrik in a management buy out in 1995. Since then the company has been family-owned. “Having been born in Berlin, it goes without saying that we have our company and as many manufacturing processes as possible located in Berlin to strengthen our city’s economy,” emphasizes Karl-Heinz Köhler. “Therefore we focused on Berlin when looking for space for an expanded company in 2006 and built a new production hall with adjoining offices on our former neighbouring plot in Reinickendorf.”
The “Berlin family entrepreneur of the year” prize has been awarded since 1986 by the association DIE FAMILIENUNTERNEHMER – ASU, regional district of Berlin. Award winners are outstanding entrepreneurs of the city. As the political lobby for more than 180,000 family-run businesses, DIE FAMILIENUNTERNEHMER (formerly Arbeitsgemeinschaft Selbständiger Unternehmer – ASU) pursue the values of freedom, property, competition and responsibility. The family entrepreneurs in Germany employ a workforce of about 8 million in all industries and achieve an annual turnover of 1,700 billion euros.
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