On Miele
The Miele company was founded in 1899 in the village of Herzebrock. Miele is almost 120 years old. Our products looked different 100 years ago. The washing machine was made of wood and had manual control. The first device our company made was a machine for the production of butter. My great-grandfather came up with such an idea because he lived on a farm and saw how difficult it was to get butter. These machines broke down quite often, and my great-grandfather said: "I have an idea how to improve them." Then he merged with Reinhard Zinkann, who was engaged in sales while my great-grandfather was in charge of production. In the very first year of this collaboration, the production was a success. Thus, it all started in a small town with an idea and a huge desire to work. They moved to Gütersloh in 1907, where we are still based today.
We employ more than 20 000 people. To date, the company produces 16,000 kinds of different products. We have kitchen appliances, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers and professional equipment, which varies from laundry machines to sterilization and washing equipment for hospitals.
Our main office is in Gütersloh. 8 of 12 factories are located in Germany. We have invested heavily in existing plants to expand them and adapt for interesting new products that will appear this and next year. Most products are exported from Germany to different countries and sold there. Since our production is concentrated in Germany, we respond to orders very rapidly. We quickly contact the management team, thus, we do not have prolonged communication. Miele is not the biggest manufacturer, so it is not easy for us to open a new plant. We would like to efficiently make products in one place, and then export it to other locations.
The main audience of our brand includes people who are ready to pay a little bit more for high quality. As a rule, this is mainly the older generation. They are financially stable and know what high quality means. Our customers do not want to think too much about a washing machine. Therefore, they buy a Miele washing machine and use it for a long time without problems. If they have issues, we offer excellent service. For our customers design is important, because, as opposed to the past, we now have the concept of an open kitchen where the kitchen and the living room are combined. This means that kitchen appliances should look much more pleasing to the eye than they did 50 years ago. The preferred colors also change. Miele adapts to the various needs of the market. We always say that our instruments should look beautiful not only today but also after 5, 10 and even after 15 years. We always work for an elegant European design.
Our company also takes into account local cultural peculiarities. People have different needs. Some simply have different variations of recipes for one dish, while others have a completely different cuisine. Therefore, we must imagine: if we cooked with them, what dishes would we prepare? This is what we put emphasis on. For example, we have ovens with automatic recipes and step-by-step instructions. Of course, automatic recipes differ in Australia, South Africa, Switzerland, and Germany. Although the Austrians and Germans speak the same language, for some vegetables there are different names. So, for Austria, we use other names. You also need to pay attention to the consumer and pay attention to how he or she cooks a dish.
On Astana
This is my first time in Astana and in Kazakhstan. It is a clean and organized city. There are many impressive buildings here.This year we celebrate the tenth anniversary of Miele products in the market of Kazakhstan and in honor of this we opened the first Miele center where people can see, touch and test our equipment. That is why I came here. Until now, we only had partners who resold the Miele technology, but now our first official store has opened.
When we planned to open a business here, we tried to compare the figures and determine the potential. Kazakhstan has a high growth potential.
Despite the fact that we are only beginning to work in your country, we did not have many difficulties. The typical problem our company faces is that when we expand, it is also necessary to develop and expand our organization. Not only do we sell goods, but we also provide services. Therefore, we must educate people about this. When companies open to new countries and cities, they need to look for special places where they could be based like various offices and showrooms. One should also pay attention to customers that look for high quality. People generally like to have high quality products and keep up to date with the latest technologies. Thus, we decided that Astana is an excellent location for the Miele Center.
I am here for one day only, but I hope that I will come back, as we plan to open another Miele store in Kazakhstan. The only question is how to organize your schedule when you have 49 countries with different shops, centers, exhibition halls, and openings.
I plan to try your national cuisine here because the taste of national cuisine differs depending on where you are - in the country itself or abroad. One simple example: when you go to China, the food there is different from what you would eat in a Chinese restaurant in Germany. I prefer to eat real local cuisine. In addition, the food tells a lot about the culture of the country.
