2000 - 2010
A decade of change
The year 2000 was marked by forward-looking changes. Three major milestones can be attributed to this year. For one, Hans Strothoff amended the organisational structure and founded MHK Group AG as a management holding company. At the same time, he laid the foundation for the future with the establishment of the non-profit MHK-STIFTUNG, securing with it the continued existence of the MHK Group beyond his death.
New marketing concepts and own brands
Moreover, Hans Strothoff integrated Germany's oldest furniture brand, WK WOHNEN, into the MHK Group in the same year, thus saving the long-established brand from disappearing from the German furniture landscape. An individual marketing concept was later developed for the DESIGNO brand, which belongs to WK WOHNEN, for the kitchen and furniture trade.
He set a third ground-breaking milestone with the introduction of the first exclusive MHK own-brand concept: elementa Küchen. For this marketing concept, the MHK Group united four high-performance manufacturers from the fields of kitchen furniture, electrical appliances, sinks and accessories.
MHK on course for expansion: Successful across Europe
MHK Nederlande and MHK Belgium soon became two of the Group's most important pillars of success. In 2006, the MHK Group expanded its foreign activities throughout Europe with the newly established service associations MHK Schweiz, MHK Iberica and MHK Österreich in Switzerland, Spain and Austria respectively.
Support for specialist kitchen stores
Hans Strothoff's aspiration had always been to strengthen the medium-sized kitchen trade also in its negotiating position with suppliers. In 2009, the Group expanded significantly once more with the founding of the Magnum association. The association is aimed at specialist kitchen stores and strengthens them with good purchasing conditions and beneficial services.