We Shape Home
Interview with Nina Hamann-Hensel, Managing Director of Möbel Hensel GmbH
The pandemic has made many people realize that their own four walls are more than just a place to live and spend the night. They are a home, an important retreat. This is exactly where Möbel Hensel GmbH from Essen starts. 'We help customers have a more beautiful home' is the motto of the family business, which now looks back on an almost 80-year history.
"My grandfather founded the company in 1946," explains Managing Director Nina Hamann-Hensel, who leads the company in the 3rd family generation. "Initially, he manufactured the upholstered furniture himself and quickly earned a good reputation for the quality of his products. He first displayed his furniture in the window of a residential building."
Quality and Customer Orientation
Back then, the foundation was laid for a sustainably successful family business that has been successful for decades with quality and customer orientation. The main pillars of the business today are kitchens and furnishings for living rooms, bedrooms, and dining rooms. Always located in the high-quality market segment, the company has always placed value on durability, quality seals, certifications, and good working conditions.
"Sustainability is part of our DNA and not just a buzzword," says Nina Hamann-Hensel. "We are a member of the Europa Möbel Verbund, which has also been committed to sustainable issues for years."
Recognizing the signs of the times, Möbel Hensel is consistently driving digitalization forward to optimize inventory management and business processes. "For example, we want to digitally integrate assembly protocols," explains the managing director. "Of course, many of our products can also be found in our digital showroom. But we keep finding that our customers are interested in the tactile experience on site. They want to touch the furniture and have personal conversations."
A Business with Values
Since Nina Hamann-Hensel joined the family business in 2004, she has set various important impulses to re-adjust the exhibition, assortments, target groups, and also the strategy of the company. In light of the current challenges, she looks forward with confidence and commitment to the future.
"I am fortunate to be able to rely on a great team that remains loyal to us even in difficult times," the entrepreneur explains. "Our business is a people business and it will stay that way. It is important to me that we remain true to our values, in dealing with our employees, customers, and business partners. Of course, AI will also become a topic in the furniture industry and will certainly provide good impulses in some areas, for example in internal processes or kitchen planning. But in the end, it is about people creating places of comfort. They should think of us first and value us as an honest and reliable partner in furnishing, who offers a comprehensive care-free package."