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The hardware maker is a pioneer in innovative and design-centric technology to ease use in the kitchen.
By Dianne M. Pogoda
Blum’s focus is firmly on the future.
The company known for hinges and hardware has always had its eyes facing forward. It engineered its transformation from blacksmith shop to manufacturer of advanced motion-technology hardware for living-in-place applications; it places a high priority on sustainability in sourcing and a safe, energy-efficient work environment for its employees, and partners with a local program to develop tomorrow’s workforce.
“Our products allow the designer’s vision to come to life,” said Karen Smith, brand communication coordinator. “Most of our products are concealed so they can go with any trend, and our box systems are available in several colors and heights to complement the overall aesthetic. Our products allow for special applications, such as wide upper cabinets with a lift system, wide or narrow drawers, garage appliances or wide-angle hinges. Blum even offers hardware for thin fronts.”
As an innovator in cabinet hardware and technology, Blum conducts extensive consumer research to discover what they like and what they’d change about their kitchens. They observe how homeowners use their spaces and report to the product development teams to solve common challenges.
“We keep an eye on design-forward regions such as New York and the West Coast to inform our product offerings, specifically product colors and solutions for modern cabinetry applications,” said Smith. “We want to stay relevant with cabinet trends while also serving more traditional markets, and continue to create products that change the status quo.”
The company’s research led to the development of the Aventos lift systems, Smith added. With Aventos, the door moves up toward the ceiling, rather than out like a traditional cabinet door. By getting doors up and out of the way, kitchen users can freely empty the dishwasher with the cabinet door open without the risk of bumping their head, or having to close one door to access a neighboring cabinet. It has also developed full-extension runners and rollouts to allow full access and maximize storage.
Blum also owns the rights to an Age Explorer suit. This suit, developed by the Meyer-Hentschel Institute in Germany, simulates physical limitations people experience as they age. It has bindings that limit the movement of your knees and elbows, special stitching in the suit that further limits flexibility, weights added to places that naturally lose muscle mass, gloves that decrease sensitivity in the fingertips, earphones that simulate hearing loss, glasses that simulate a decrease in visual acuity and a special visor that changes the way one perceives color and restricts peripheral vision. Blum’s researchers wear this suit for at least two hours when testing new products to experience these physical challenges, so they may develop products that can help users overcome the issues.
Blum is committed to sustainable practices to help ensure a healthy future for the planet. “Since its inception, Blum has always strived to review and reduce our environmental impact and use of natural resources,” said Smith. “Not only do we reduce waste and recycle as many materials as possible, but we strive to have a green facility, utilizing heat recovery systems, ground water cooling and efficient lighting systems.”
Blum achieved No Exposure status as an environmentally safe industrial site by implementing practices to sample, analyze and report stormwater runoff to ensure pollutants from the factory are contained. Additionally, the United Nations’ sustainable development goals help inform its philanthropic donations, choosing causes that closely identify with Blum’s values such as life on land and quality education.
Blum also looks to the future through workforce development by partnering with Apprenticeship 2000, a local manufacturing apprenticeship program that offers four-year apprenticeships in which Blum trains students for highly skilled technical trades. After graduation, students have a guaranteed job with Blum.
The company, headquartered in Austria, traces its roots to 1952, when blacksmith Julius Blum founded his company producing horseshoe studs. He quickly realized that cars were outpacing horses as a mode of transport, and adapted his automatic lathe to produce many items, opting to specialize in hinges. His philosophy was that everyone who handles a Blum product should see a benefit from it, from the cabinet manufacturer, dealer and installer to the homeowner. With this philosophy, Blum went from being a local hinge maker to an international producer of hardware and pioneer in motion technology.
Today, Blum employs nearly 10,000 people, operates four manufacturing facilities and generates annual sales of about $2.6 billion.
Smith said the company faced some supply-chain challenges during the pandemic and is working to restore order fulfillment capacity. It’s focusing on innovation for the U.S. market and will show new products at KBIS (Booth W4321) that are more design-driven and solution-based. “We also have a short-term goal to create a segment that can support designers and dealers in a different capacity than our current sales team,” she added, “and expand that team nationwide over time.”
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