GERMANY - Leo Lübke is the new President of the Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM). The general meeting unanimously elected the 59-year-old entrepreneur as the successor to Elmar Duffner.

Lübke is the managing partner of upholstered furniture manufacturer Cor Sitzmöbel Helmut Lübke GmbH & Co. KG. Lübke has been a member of the VDM Executive Committee since 2011 and has served as Vice President since 2020. He also chairs the Association of the German Upholstered Furniture Industry. His term of office as VDM President is three years.

Leo Lübke thanked his predecessor Elmar Duffner for his enormous commitment during the challenging coronavirus period. "Elmar Duffner has left a big footprint and an excellently cultivated field. He has led this association with a professional hand and vision through a time characterized by special challenges and has brought the industry closer together."

The German furniture industry has been experiencing declining demand for months. Until August 2023, the industry's incoming orders in terms of volume were around 10 percent below the previous year's figures against the backdrop of high inflation rates and a declining construction industry. For 2023 as a whole, the industry is expecting a drop in turnover of 5 to 7 percent with total revenue of around 18 billion euros.