J.Köhle; why I think they are such a wonderful company

I hold a weakness for companies with a solid history. If it is a family run business, even more so!
In our series about the J.Köhle company, let's dive a little into their beautiful world.

A long history

J.Köhle was founded in 1872. It soon started to make a name for itself. As we learned before, it was by popular demand that they had driven towards a niche that would become their focus, the specialty. Clasps. It was in 1919 that the Köhle family took over the business. And from then on it's been all and only about clasps.

Creating jewelry clasps

This German company prides itself on creating clasps of outstanding quality. And they have done so with an open mind towards innovation and technical developments, thus keeping them always cutting edge in design and functionality. The company today creates premium quality clasps in virtually all price ranges but did you know they also create necklace clips and pearl necklace shorteners?

Truth be told, as much as I have grown to appreciate and really look at clasps, due to my years living in Valenza -where jewelry manufacturing was happening all around me and where so many designers and manufacturers influenced me on how to observe and look at jewelry really- I still had this idea that a clasp manufacturing company isn't really innovative or high on design and innovation.
Instead, the J.Köhle company proved me wrong! Margit Kühnel, sister of the owner of the company; Karina Ratzlaff, travels to many tradeshows all over the globe and really keeps a finger on the pulse when it comes down knowing what the Köhle customers really want. By conducting surveys and listening and observing, she brings that kind of insight back to the company.

J.Köhle and more

Although J.Köhle is all about clasps mainly, they do create some exquisite, well-made jewelry too. Such as pearl rings and earrings and they also manufacture superior quality wedding bands, which are distributed through the G. Kühnel Company. J.Köhle is adding a growing number of OEM ( I looked it up, and it means Original Equipment Manufacturer) products to its already extensive range of products. 

Working with J.Kohle means:

Quality and design, it's all essential, but when it comes down to working together, nothing beats a great customer-manufacturer relationship. Making contact with your supplier in a smooth, efficient and pleasurable way, creates a platform for a reliable, longlasting relationship.
J.Köhle has a very competent sales team, that talks directly over the phone with customers, giving them also personal consultation. The staff members, all of them qualified experts in the field of design, manufacturing, sales, and logistics is there to assist customers cooperatively and kindly.
This may seem obvious, but everyone who works with others knows it isn't. Excellent customer experience starts at point A and should be all through the very end of the experience or journey if you like.

J.Köhle mindful and wonderful

It is, great customer experience, something I personally work with a lot, doing research about best practices and writing about that in trade magazines f.e. It is what I try to teach, or inspire every time I am talking to a company, training staff or writing about it. Having a great product isn't enough. Having a great sales team, isn't enough, having a beautiful reception hall, or store entrance isn't enough. Where the customer experience starts (often online) and where it ends, should be all consistent.
And here is what I also like about J.Kohle company; they are mindful of their responsibility for the health of the environment. Having clean air and pure water as their highest priority. They are in compliance with the German Ethics Code and the CIBJO Ethics code. Interesting detail: Karina Ratzlaff is head of the German CIBJO delegation! More about the CIBJO Ethics Code here. They truly live and work by these guidelines.
How beautiful it would be if all brands and companies in luxury and jewelry would do the same!

 

J. Köhle GmbH & Co. KG
Stolzestr. 3
75175 Pforzheim, Germany

Telephone: +49(0)7231-6002- 0
Telefax: +49(0)7231-6002-44
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 



 

Clasps, J_Köhle, Köhle

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