AUSTRIA – UK kitchen manufacturer Omega PLC and Austrian fittings specialist Grass recently announced a wide-ranging collaboration.

The goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of both companies and, in times of rapid changes in the furniture industry, to combine strengths and jointly master the challenges that lie ahead.

“Albert Einstein once said that sharing knowledge is critical for progress. Forming the right alliances for progressive furniture concepts is therefore a logical and appropriate step,” says Grass Group CEO Albert Trebo, commenting on the background to the forward-looking partnership. “Omega’s key competence is crafting quality kitchens. Our key competence is developing functional movement systems. Together, we’re a unique team of furniture specialists who can herald a new era in furniture making and marketing.”

The brand partnership is aimed at enabling both companies to develop new furniture concepts, to ensure the manufacture of optimally matched furniture elements and functional components, to create the perfect offer for the relevant target groups, and to explore new sales channels – while preserving their unique brand attributes.

“Growth is only possible if you create the right conditions,” says Albert Trebo. In this respect, both brand partners are equally well prepared. Over the past seven years, Omega has invested some £25 million in the automation and expansion of its manufacturing base in South Yorkshire. In addition to an in-house paint spraying facility and a wide range of new automated manufacturing equipment, a new 76,000 sq. ft. warehouse has been built, enabling capacity to be doubled. Grass also invested in mid-2018 around 100 million euros in a new distribution and logistics center covering 43,000 m2 in Hohenems, Austria. For the company belonging to the Würth Group, this is the biggest investment in its history and reflects the fact that the specialist for movement systems is setting its sights on growth.