Traditional values, today’s technology

The brand Stiegelmeyer stands for total comfort and safety in clinic and care – after a century in the business the company still has fresh ideas, as Julia Snow found out from Mr Stiegelmeyer.

With more than 80,000 beds produced annually the Stiegelmeyer Group is one of the leading players in the field of hospitals, care-giving facilities and home care environments. As a market and innovation leader the company is always aiming to meet the technological and aesthetic demands while increasing the efficiency of care-giving at the same time.

The company started out in 1900 with a small workshop near Herford, where company founder Johann Stiegelmeyer produced his first wire mesh mattress bases. After the production of the first hospital bed in 1910 the product portfolio expanded over the next decades, to include school furniture, space saving furniture and infant hospital beds. Significant advancements in bed manufacturing have been made in the 1960s with washable beds and in the 1970s with the development of a bed with an adjustable height.

As the equipment of care and nursing homes started to be an important business sector, Stiegelmeyer acquired the furniture factory Burmeier located in Lage/Lippe in 1989. Only five years later another expansion became necessary, and the company established additional production facilities, both in Herford and at Nordhausen, Thuringia.

Stiegelmeyer is certified to EN ISO 9001:2008 as well as satisfying the extended criteria of EN ISO 13485:2003 + AC:2007 for medical products. As part of a comprehensive catalogue of ‘green measures’, like the use of solar panels and energy-saving technology, for example, the company is ISO 14001:2004 accredited.

Production building in Nordhausen Stolter in Poland Rooted in Herford – international outlook

Global expansion gathered pace in the years between 2000 and 2006: two distribution companies were founded in France and Finland, and two more production facilities – both in Poland – were added to the overall capacity. In 2010 the group showed a turnover of around €120 million and employed about 900 people.

“Our main business is in Germany, “ says Mr Stiegelmeyer, “where we are market leader in many product areas. But we are active in 60 countries, and depending on the product line, export rates vary between 10 and 30 per cent. We see much potential in European neighbors such as Russia and the Middle East as well as South Africa where we have recently formed a subsidiary that will intensify our sales and service offering there.”

Wiki-Met in Poland

The Group remains a family owned company and combines the traditional value of a healthy family operation with a slim, modern company structure. “We are firmly committed to our location here in Herford.” says Mr Stiegelmeyer. “Both our headquarter and the production facilities are continually upgraded. Since 2004 investments in buildings and machines totaled €8 million, including the impressive Showroom in 2009 and the addition of 600m2 for production and logistics the year before that.” Already the company is planning further expansion investments nearby.

Taking care of customers

The company’s strong customer focus is reflected in the fact that Stiegelmeyer’s business units are organised to reflect the specific needs of different groups, explains Stiegelmeyer: “Beds are still our core product, but we have a whole range of additional products and services. Our CLINIC range is offering system solutions for hospitals, while CARE is dedicated to meet the needs of homes for the elderly or care homes. The HOME CARE segment includes everything needed for the care of elderly or disabled persons regarding beds and bedside cabinets.”

The remaining two business units are service offerings: ASSIST provides a comprehensive package of service, repair and spare parts that are helping to maximise the life cycle of Stiegelmeyer products. The newly emerging PROCESS area is best described as an expert consultancy that aims to optimize processes linked to the utilisation of beds in hospitals or care homes. “Our aim is to guarantee a technically and hygienically perfect bed in the right place at the right time, as economically as possible.”

Innovations improve safety

Product development takes place in Herford, with support from decentralised units across the locations. “Last year we developed a rising bed for nursing and rehab, the Vertica. This is a highly advanced product that presents an innovative step change, taking into consideration the development of intensive and early mobilisation of the occupants and patients technically and ergonomically. The bed won the renowned iF product design award in October 2011 in the ‘medicine / health + care’ category.”

“We offer digital innovations that are fully integrated into building and IT systems, to alert staff and turn on lights whenever a patient leaves the bed. Settings can be adjusted individually, i.e. for specialist dementia units or supported living environments, which creates completely new perspectives on patient and staff comfort and safety.”

Safely into the future

“We do have the ‘megatrend’ demographics working for us.”, Mr Stiegelmeyer says. “There will be more people needing care, and we see rising expectations of the patients and rising technical demands on nursing and rehab equipment. We are there to provide solutions for both: we make beds and equipment that are safe, comfortable and user-friendly for the patients. We also work in close partnership with hospitals and homes to ensure that they have the best technology, which not only enables them to run efficient processes but also provides safe and convenient working environments for their staff.” n