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Karl-Friedrich Förster, the company's founder, and managing director Jörg Helweg look back on the company's beginnings and its success story.

KFF can look back on a successful company history and towards the future. The company's aim has always been the development, production and distribution of modern furniture based on clarity of design and using a combination of metal, wood and leather.

Karl-Friedrich Förster, the company's founder, and managing director Jörg Helweg look back on the company's beginnings and its success story.

Chair FM. Design: formmodul

KFF celebrates 25-year anniversary | Industry News

Chair FM. Design: formmodul

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KFF has become 25 years old. Would you have expected this when you originally founded the company?
Karl-Friedrich Förster: So, twenty-five years have passed. The standard cliché on such occasions is to say: "Doesn't time fly!" But time hasn't just passed – it has also enabled something to grow. How young we were then, how carefree and naive?! But it was just these characteristics, in particular the last two, which were the precondition for setting a little wheel within the overall economy into motion.

Soft Low Chair Big. Design: Mika Tolvanen

KFF celebrates 25-year anniversary | Industry News

Soft Low Chair Big. Design: Mika Tolvanen

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Why did you decide to build furniture, and chairs in particular? In your mind what are the features of a good chair?
Karl-Friedrich Förster: Just as with fashion, the whole field of furnishing requires a sensuous feeling for the right materials and pleasure in trying to express emotions and impressions in form and colour. Or to express it in a more down-to-earth way: enjoying designing things! These are the things I've always enjoyed working with, and this is where I saw my opportunity. In contrast my technical and commercial abilities are not going to set the world on fire – but this hasn't mattered so much because I've always been lucky enough to have capable and dependable colleagues to support me right from the beginning.

Jörg Helweg: When I think of a chair for the private dining table, a chair which could also be used in a restaurant, the product has to appeal to me emotionally – in other words it simply has to look good. If in addition it is comfortable and good value for money, then it's a good chair. It goes without saying that only the best materials will be used in combination with first class craftsmanship, because customers who spend a lot of money deserve to enjoy the product for many years.

Chair Baltas. Design: Hauke Murken, Sven Hansen

KFF celebrates 25-year anniversary | Industry News

Chair Baltas. Design: Hauke Murken, Sven Hansen

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In the first few years it probably wasn't so easy. Did you receive any support?
Karl-Friedrich Förster: During the early stages I received a lot of help from different sources, for which I am eternally grateful. It would be impossible to name them all here, but those people who helped me know that I won't forget them. Our most important 'thank you' goes to the many customers who have again and again put up with difficulties and problems, and kept their faith in us in spite of everything.

How did the idea for your first chair, »Sinus«, arise?
Karl-Friedrich Förster: Here I must mention a little story – one day Thomas Gräper said to me: "Karl, why don't you design a chair!" – an apparently insignificant remark, but it turned a switch in me and had major consequences.

Chair Mood. Design: formmodul

KFF celebrates 25-year anniversary | Industry News

Chair Mood. Design: formmodul

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What contributes to the quality of KFF's products?
Jörg Helweg: We specialise in seating and are one of the few manufacturers whose production is still almost exclusively in Germany. This enables us to use our many years of experience and provide guarantees for the high quality of our products. For example, as early as the R&D stage the furniture from our »Glooh« family was especially designed for use in furnishing offices and similar buildings. The greater demands and stresses of use in such buildings were taken into consideration just as much as our characteristic design. Before the start of production all our products are tested at our company in accordance with very demanding criteria.

Stool Free with vats. Design: Klaus Nolting

KFF celebrates 25-year anniversary | Industry News

Stool Free with vats. Design: Klaus Nolting

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What are your wishes for the next 25 years?
Karl-Friedrich Förster: I don't just regard the past 25 years as an achievement – on the contrary, I expect them to prove the stimulus and obligation to many more years of successful work. It would be great if we could all retain a large amount of our original carefree and naive attitude, not just so that we will continue to have the visions but also the will to implement them. It's my wish for our little company to remain a vibrant hub for good ideas.