Media / Press Releases
As a family enterprise, the well-being of children and families all over the world is a subject close to Vorwerk’s heart. That’s why the company endorses the most important job in the world, that of the family manager, as well as supporting SOS Children’s Villages and helping members of the Vorwerk family in emergency situations.
Wuppertal, 6 May 2008 – Vorwerk is a family enterprise, and as such does its best for families each and every day, both with high-quality products that lighten the load of family managers, leaving them more time to spend with their loved ones, and with individual services and competent personal advice. And that’s not all; Vorwerk’s own values, corporate culture and sense of commitment are very much modeled on family values and on the way caring families look out for one another.
In its famous TV commercial “I manage a successful, small family business”, Vorwerk coined the expression “family manager” and swung the spotlight on the most important job in the world. After all, mothers and fathers who manage a family do an extremely demanding round-the-clock job, but receive little recognition for their efforts. Since 2004, Vorwerk has been expressing its respect for the people who take care of the household chores and raise children with the Family Manager of the Year award. In addition to this, Vorwerk has been collaborating with the Allensbach Institute of Demoscopy since 2005 on the Vorwerk family survey, which compiles facts and figures on the situation of families and on family work in Germany.
The Vorwerk Family Fund Helps Children in Need
Families give security, strength and a sense of safety and belonging. Yet for many children, a protective home and loving parents, even regular meals, medical care and schooling, are not something to be taken for granted. That’s why Vorwerk backs the Hermann-Gmeiner Fund, which supports SOS-Kinderdorf worldwide. SOS Children’s Villages provides for children in need and gives them a home. Contributing to such hugely important work is something very close to our heart as a family enterprise,” says Dr. Jörg Mittelsten Scheid, Chairman of the Vorwerk Advisory Board. “That’s why we set up the Vorwerk Family Fund in 2002, which now raises funds all over the world in aid of SOS Children’s Villages.” The Family Fund thrives on the creativity and commitment of the Vorwerk employees and sales advisers. These Vorwerkers raise money – with raffles, charity runs and sports competitions, to name just a few – or donate the odd cents on their pay check every month. What they give is then doubled by the Executive Board. Donations totaling more than 500,000 euros have so far gone into the building of family houses in two children’s villages, one in Hyderabad, India, the other in Moín, Costa Rica. The Vorwerk Family Fund has set itself a particularly ambitious goal to mark the company’s 125th anniversary: to finance the building of an entire SOS Children’s Village in Vietnam. A site has already been located and the foundation stone will be laid in a few months’ time.
The Vorwerk Family Sticks Together
In a family, everyone helps each other. That’s also true of the Vorwerk family. In 2002, when floods ravaged East Germany and a number of the company’s employees lost house and home, the “Vorwerkers help Vorwerkers” campaign was launched to raise funds for the victims. In 2004, when the devastating tsunami hit Southeast Asia over Christmas, and again when the Mexican state of Tabasco was inundated by torrential rainfall last year, the Vorwerk group raised money worldwide to relieve the suffering of the Vorwerk employees and sales advisers affected, and to help them return to normal. “Families stick together,” says Dr. Jörg Mittelsten Scheid, explaining why the group is committed to helping in so many ways.”
About Vorwerk
The Vorwerk & Co. KG family enterprise was founded in 1883. The holding company’s registered office is located in Wuppertal, Germany; the headquarters of the various divisions are in Wollerau, Switzerland (Divisions Kobold, Thermomix, Feelina), Westlake, USA (Division JAFRA Cosmetics), Singapore (Division Lux Asia Pacific), Hamelin, Germany (Division Carpets) and Wuppertal (Division akf group, HECTAS Facility Services, Engineering).
At the head of the corporate group are Managing Partners Achim Schwanitz and Peter Oberegger. Other members of the Executive Board are Wolfgang Bahlmann (Human Resources), Eberhard Pothmann (Finance) and Jochen Sarrazin (Controlling). Vorwerk’s core business is the worldwide direct sale of high-quality products. Vorwerk is one of the “unknown giants”. Worldwide there are around 560,000 working with Vorwerk, of whom some 30,000 are sales advisers in the business of selling household appliances and more than 500,000 working for JAFRA Cosmetics. Vorwerk generates a business volume of more than 2.3 billion euros a year and operates in over 60 countries.
Photo material and further press releases can be accessed in the press section at www.vorwerk.de.
Reproduction free of charge. Voucher copies requested.
Vorwerk Commitment: Caring for Families Around the World
As a family enterprise, the well-being of children and families all over the world is a subject close to Vorwerk’s heart. That’s why the company endorses the most important job in the world, that of the family manager, as well as supporting SOS Children’s Villages and helping members of the Vorwerk family in emergency situations.
Wuppertal, 6 May 2008 – Vorwerk is a family enterprise, and as such does its best for families each and every day, both with high-quality products that lighten the load of family managers, leaving them more time to spend with their loved ones, and with individual services and competent personal advice. And that’s not all; Vorwerk’s own values, corporate culture and sense of commitment are very much modeled on family values and on the way caring families look out for one another.
In its famous TV commercial “I manage a successful, small family business”, Vorwerk coined the expression “family manager” and swung the spotlight on the most important job in the world. After all, mothers and fathers who manage a family do an extremely demanding round-the-clock job, but receive little recognition for their efforts. Since 2004, Vorwerk has been expressing its respect for the people who take care of the household chores and raise children with the Family Manager of the Year award. In addition to this, Vorwerk has been collaborating with the Allensbach Institute of Demoscopy since 2005 on the Vorwerk family survey, which compiles facts and figures on the situation of families and on family work in Germany.
The Vorwerk Family Fund Helps Children in Need
Families give security, strength and a sense of safety and belonging. Yet for many children, a protective home and loving parents, even regular meals, medical care and schooling, are not something to be taken for granted. That’s why Vorwerk backs the Hermann-Gmeiner Fund, which supports SOS-Kinderdorf worldwide. SOS Children’s Villages provides for children in need and gives them a home. Contributing to such hugely important work is something very close to our heart as a family enterprise,” says Dr. Jörg Mittelsten Scheid, Chairman of the Vorwerk Advisory Board. “That’s why we set up the Vorwerk Family Fund in 2002, which now raises funds all over the world in aid of SOS Children’s Villages.” The Family Fund thrives on the creativity and commitment of the Vorwerk employees and sales advisers. These Vorwerkers raise money – with raffles, charity runs and sports competitions, to name just a few – or donate the odd cents on their pay check every month. What they give is then doubled by the Executive Board. Donations totaling more than 500,000 euros have so far gone into the building of family houses in two children’s villages, one in Hyderabad, India, the other in Moín, Costa Rica. The Vorwerk Family Fund has set itself a particularly ambitious goal to mark the company’s 125th anniversary: to finance the building of an entire SOS Children’s Village in Vietnam. A site has already been located and the foundation stone will be laid in a few months’ time.
The Vorwerk Family Sticks Together
In a family, everyone helps each other. That’s also true of the Vorwerk family. In 2002, when floods ravaged East Germany and a number of the company’s employees lost house and home, the “Vorwerkers help Vorwerkers” campaign was launched to raise funds for the victims. In 2004, when the devastating tsunami hit Southeast Asia over Christmas, and again when the Mexican state of Tabasco was inundated by torrential rainfall last year, the Vorwerk group raised money worldwide to relieve the suffering of the Vorwerk employees and sales advisers affected, and to help them return to normal. “Families stick together,” says Dr. Jörg Mittelsten Scheid, explaining why the group is committed to helping in so many ways.”
About Vorwerk
The Vorwerk & Co. KG family enterprise was founded in 1883. The holding company’s registered office is located in Wuppertal, Germany; the headquarters of the various divisions are in Wollerau, Switzerland (Divisions Kobold, Thermomix, Feelina), Westlake, USA (Division JAFRA Cosmetics), Singapore (Division Lux Asia Pacific), Hamelin, Germany (Division Carpets) and Wuppertal (Division akf group, HECTAS Facility Services, Engineering).
At the head of the corporate group are Managing Partners Achim Schwanitz and Peter Oberegger. Other members of the Executive Board are Wolfgang Bahlmann (Human Resources), Eberhard Pothmann (Finance) and Jochen Sarrazin (Controlling). Vorwerk’s core business is the worldwide direct sale of high-quality products. Vorwerk is one of the “unknown giants”. Worldwide there are around 560,000 working with Vorwerk, of whom some 30,000 are sales advisers in the business of selling household appliances and more than 500,000 working for JAFRA Cosmetics. Vorwerk generates a business volume of more than 2.3 billion euros a year and operates in over 60 countries.
Photo material and further press releases can be accessed in the press section at www.vorwerk.de.
Reproduction free of charge. Voucher copies requested.
