INDUSTRIAL DYNASTIES IN NORTH RHINE WESTFALIA: THE VORWERKS - BEATING, BRUSHING, DUSTING

The Vorwerk & Co KG was founded in 1883 by a family from Wuppertal. At the top of the company today is Dr Jörg Mittelsten Scheid, the great–grandchild of Carl Vorwerk.

The company managed to get a foot in the electrical industry around 1929 by developing a handy mini vacuum cleaner using the engine of a gramophone's turning mechanism. In 1930 the vacuum cleaner was patented under the name of Kobold. The Kobold was a revolutionary development reducing a cleaner to a mere engine, dust bag and handle and yet remaining powerful. As its compact exterior did not speak of its powerful interior the Kobold soon became a shelf warmer. That's when Werner Mittelsten Scheid came to the rescue. He had learned when in the USA about direct marketing. The Kobold was sold in 1930 Germany exclusively door–to–door and soon sold like hot cakes. Today 350 000 vacuum cleaners are sold that way a year and this although the appliance costs a proud 853 euros. Vorwerk is the third biggest direct–marketing company in the world.

The group employs currently 52 000 employees and consultants. They sell products like Thermomix, the ironing system Feelina, fitted kitchens and water filters door–to–door and other services. In addition there are 435 000 consultants for cosmetics. Together that makes something like half a million people in the world that are professionally connected to Vorwerk. The film illustrates the present and past of a company that writes its success story, since several generations, with the production of everyday gadgets. The film interviews Jörg Mittelsten Scheid as its central time witness. He, who is eloquent and liberal minded, has been running the company for the past 37 years and retires as personally liable partner from the management by the end of this year. The attraction of Vorwerk is the door–to–door policy, a very tough business, as you are in the thick of it the moment you get your licence as a sales representative.

A film by WDR, 2006
45 min. documentary

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