»I don’t think of a specific industry for the brand, because the vision for Ligre is broader.«

Originally from the first one. I grew up quite secluded in the countryside. There was no television at home and everything was very down-to-earth. My parents didn’t smoke, didn’t drink, and had no affinity for anything extravagant. I had a very solid upbringing, very close to German sobriety and German reality. The world I’m now experiencing didn’t exist at all during my childhood.

I don’t think of a specific industry for the brand, because the vision for Ligre is broader. Right now, at the beginning, we have very specific homework to do to build the brand, and this task initially involves further developing the first product family. Otherwise, it is based on the expertise and opportunities that I see in the market areas that go beyond the kitchen appliance industry.

For me, the family business was a fantastic learning opportunity for understanding all the technological possibilities. I had already been with the family business for several years and had experienced the limitations of being a B2B supplier. In 2018, as part of a collaboration between my company and customers from the coffee machine segment, I got to know this market in more detail and saw a white spot. That was the decisive momentum, because my desire for freedom and love of creativity was ultimately always in search of a new perspective.

Exactly. This type of refined aluminium surface wasn’t used at all in the portafilter machine sector. Until then, everything was very masculine, with lots of chrome and mostly in a retro look. I saw the opportunity to take a completely different approach and develop a unique, sensitive product. It was important to me to appeal to multiple sensory perceptions and to bring something feminine into the product that hadn’t existed before.

We identified great potential there, too. Our goal was to make the technology more efficient and functional, and thus more sustainable. There was a huge gap. It’s important to note that one of the key technologies in the portafilter machine, the so-called “brewing group,” is designated E61. It’s named this because this technology actually dates back to 1961, and there have been just a few innovations in it since then. We challenged the status quo, put a lot of development effort into it, and ultimately our persistence was rewarded. We expect to be granted five patents, which is fantastic!

In addition to the technological challenges, I realized over time that the path I began to take with Ligre created a completely different culture, as well as different processes and dynamics, right from the start. Especially in direct comparison to the culture that had been shaped at Gronbach for six decades, from which we initially started. This realization quickly led to the conscious decoupling of Ligre from the Gronbach context.

In this context, I agree with Anna Wintour, who once said that you absolutely have to follow your own beliefs from within to be successful. I quickly realized that this was the only way it would work for Ligre, and I quickly began to consistently define and manage the brand values and the associated work culture.

However, I must honestly admit that at the very beginning of the development, I wasn’t 100 % aware of everything that was coming my way. But maybe that’s a good thing. My gut feeling and the trust I had in my own inner calling helped me immensely to overcome hurdles, especially in the initial phase.

Culture is extremely important to me, and I am a relatively strict guardian of our culture. To this day, I conduct every staff review myself because I want to know if there’s a good match between the brand’s values and those of the employees. My set of values is written down and communicated in a binding manner.

Currently, I’m still enjoying the fact that we’re very well-organized and have an excellent team. However, I’m aware that, once we reach a certain size, this is no longer as feasible as it is today. Therefore, I’m intensively involved with topics related to leadership and policy deployment.

I think the experience of the launch phase is still ongoing, because we’re constantly taking new steps and trying new things. Change is our constant. At the same time, the positive feedback fills me with pride, and the market success is a great encouragement for my team and me. We listen carefully and we closely observe how dynamics develop in the industry and are excited to have now become part of this cosmos. At the same time, we must always stay true to our own pace; that is and remains a very important credo.

We are currently exploring other markets where we see potential for Ligre. In Europe as well as beyond. At the same time, we are continuously working with the R&D team to expand our portfolio. The anticipation is definitely very high!