Grundig ( , ) is a home appliances and consumer electronics brand. It is owned by Arçelik A.Ş., the white goods (major appliance) manufacturer of Turkish conglomerate Koç Holding. Originally a German consumer electronics company, Grundig GmbH was founded in 1945 by Max Grundig and was headquartered for the most part in Fürth until its insolvency in 2003.

The Grundig company helped fuel the post-war economic miracle of West Germany and it grew to become one of the leading manufacturers in the world of radio, TV, recording and other electronic equipment in the following decades. In the 1970s, Philips began acquiring Grundig's shares, leading to complete control in 1993, but Philips divested Grundig by 1998. Grundig filed for bankruptcy in April 2003 after years of losses and strong competition from cheaper Asian competitors.

Most of the former Grundig business was acquired by a Turkish-British joint venture of Beko and Alba in 2004, who relaunched the Grundig brand for consumer electronics as Grundig Intermedia GmbH, whereas Grundig's car radio division was acquired by American company Delphi Corporation. In 2007, Koç Holding (parent company of Beko) acquired full ownership of Grundig and put the brand under its home-appliances subsidiary Arcelik A.Ş. The legacy society was eventually merged with Arçelik's other brand to form Beko Germany GmbH, currently based in Eschborn near Frankfurt, which functions as the German and North European headquarters of Arçelik.

History

thumb|Radio kit Heinzelmann (1945)

thumb|Grundig melody boy 400 radio

thumb|Grundig TK42 tape recorder

Grundig began in 1945 with the establishment of a store named Fürth, Grundig & Wurzer (), which sold radios and was headquartered in Fürth, northern Bavaria. After the Second World War, Max Grundig recognized the need for radios in Germany, and in 1947 produced a kit, while a factory and administration centre were built at Fürth. In 1951, the first television sets were manufactured at the new facility. At the time Grundig was the largest radio manufacturer in Europe. Divisions were established in Nuremberg, Frankfurt and Karlsruhe.

In 2013, Grundig launched its home appliances (white goods) product range, becoming one of the mainstream manufacturers in Europe. Parent Arcelik A.Ş., has more than 27,000 employees worldwide. Grundig has manufacturing plants in several European cities that deliver their products to more than 65 countries around the world. The marketing of "Majestic-Grundig" radios continued until Wilcox-Gay went out of business at the end of 1961.

In 1957, Grundig purchased a majority stake in Triumph-Adler as well as in Adlerwerke. In 1958, Grundig acquired both companies outright and merged them and Grundig's dictation machine division to form Triumph-Adler-Büromaschinen-Vertriebs-GmbH.

1960s

A plant was opened in 1960 to manufacture tape recorders in Belfast, Northern Ireland, the first production by Grundig outside Germany. The managing director of the plant, Thomas Niedermayer, was kidnapped and later killed by the Provisional IRA in December 1973. The factory was closed with the loss of around 1000 jobs in 1980.]]

1990s

In 1991, Grundig entered the telephony equipment market starting with its cordless telephone. In 1993, the Grundig TV was based on a 16:9 picture format for signal transmission. In 1995 and 1996, the company included 3-D sound systems, TVs, satellite receivers and other initiatives that included interactive user guidance. However, Philips divested of its investment in the company by 1997–8. although it retained the license to use the Grundig brand in the UK until 2010, and in Australasia until 2012.

In 2007 Grundig Mobile announced the U900 Linux-based mobile phone.

At the end of 2007 Turkey's Koç Holding took full ownership of Grundig Multimedia, the parent company of Grundig Intermedia GmbH in Nuremberg.

2010s

The company continued on to produce entertainment electronics, electrical, and home appliances. The company entered the white goods sector in 2013, thus becoming the EU's only consumer electronics company covering the full range.

Present

Grundig Intermedia was merged with Beko into Beko Grundig Deutschland GmbH, moved again to Eschborn, still in the Frankfurt metropolitan area, and renamed Beko Germany GmbH in late 2023. Worldwide, the Grundig brand employs 1,600 people in production, research and development and sales. The brand is organized into three product groups: consumer electronics, small domestic appliances and large household appliances. Grundig continued its Bundesliga Official Technology Partnership in 2014. The Grundig logo was a permanent display item during all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 broadcasts from 2012/13 until 2014/15.

Grundig is also the name sponsor of the Norwegian Women's and Men's Handball Leagues.

Furthermore, Grundig continued its sponsorship with Fenerbahçe's women's and men's volleyball teams, and sponsored many international golf tournaments in 2014.

Grundig launched the Respect Food initiative with the goal of underlining the seriousness of the food waste problem to reduce global food waste which is the second topic of the UN's 2030 sustainable development goals.

Products

Grundig offers household appliances and electronic goods.

  • Television: Grundig offers a wide range of televisions based on LCD technology as well as models with an OLED screen.
  • Radio: Grundig produced several ranges of transistor radios. These included the small portable "Yacht Boy" radios for mariners, with FM, LW, MW, and up to 12 SW bands for worldwide coverage. The Satellit range radios were the most robust and sophisticated of the Grundig radio range.
  • Audio: Grundig audiovisual product range offers HIFI Systems, soundbars and Bluetooth speakers.
  • Home appliances: manufactured by Grundig include fridges, freezers, ovens, stoves, hobs, hoods, microwaves, warming drawers, washing machines and dryers. Grundig's small domestic appliances include coffee machines, toasters, tea makers, kettles, mixers, blenders, other kitchen helpers, dishwashers, steam irons and vacuum cleaners.
  • Personal care products: Grundig extended its product range and offers hair dryers, hair stylers, shavers, body scales, foot massagers, manicure and pedicure sets, toothbrushes, facial saunas and ultrasonic cleaners.

See also

  • Grundig Business Systems
  • Video Compact Cassette - VP-100 VTR

References

  • Official Grundig AG website
  • AAGF Amicale des Anciens de Grundig France
  • Grundig Radio Boy — History of Grundig, 1945–1997