We are the brand

That has been the Kufferath way for decades—until the combination of family name and location alone is no longer enough, and GKD becomes an internationally recognized brand.

“Kufferath,” of course. And since there are two of them and they are brothers, “Gebr. Kufferath”—what else? In the 1920s, people were perhaps not quite so creative. In nearby Bonn, a certain Hans Riegel founds a confectionery factory, and what does he call it? Haribo—for Hans Riegel Bonn. The dairy products manufacturer Ehrmann is established and named after its founder. The machine manufacturer Trumpf takes the same approach. And when the engine manufacturers Daimler and Benz join forces in 1926, what do they call their company? Correct.

In the big cities, you can already see the neon signs for Martini, Melitta, Nivea, and Persil. Companies are learning how to stage products and charge them with emotion. But a company as a brand? In 1925, when Gebr. Kufferath was founded, that’s still a distant thought. The fact that a company named Andreas Kufferath already exists—and that Josef previously traded under the name “Feld & Kufferath,” creating a clear risk of confusion—doesn’t seem to bother the founder. And so the company is named “Gebr. Kufferath Metallweberei,” with a subtitle reading “Mariaweiler b. Düren Rhld.” The company name can be found on numerous documents in the early years. Plain and simple, in black and white. At the time, a company brand is synonymous with the name and origin.

But just five years after founding the company, Josef Kufferath makes his first attempt at launching a product brand. He patents a dental prosthesis made of woven stainless steel and calls it TELA, a simple and memorable name. Unfortunately, TELA flops, though the name is certainly not to blame. People simply do not want metal mesh in their mouth. But that does not stop the company from increasingly thinking in terms of brand categories from then on. Before long, “Gebr. Kufferath” appears in a contemporary, curved font, mostly in blue and slightly slanted. And next to it – probably also copied from well-known brands – is a little man made up of the letters G and K. It does not take long for this little man to be given a name among insiders, a name that has endured for decades. The Juppemännchen, affectionately named after the nickname of the company founder Josef Kufferath, now appears on company documents and product sheets. As such, it represents the first ever “real” logo since the company was founded, adding a graphic signet to the Gebr. Kufferath lettering, which until then had stood on its own. In the 1950s, it features prominently at trade fairs and later even adorns the water tower in Mariaweiler. Accordingly, the added value of a word-image brand is recognized early on, and the first memorable logo is born. Today, only a bronze in the lobby of the Düren headquarters reminds us of the Juppemännchen. The brand story continues later…

A second product name, which also marked the launch of a completely new product segment in the late 1940s, achieved greater success than TELA: ALUTHERM. The anodized aluminum mesh is used to clad radiators in public buildings and hotels, and demand is high during the construction boom. The world receiver developed by Grundig – also a bestseller – is designed with Alutherm mesh. The company is looking for new ways to draw attention to the innovative product and finds them at the trade fairs that are now taking place again, first and foremost the International Hardware Fair in Cologne.

More and more products are given catchy names (trademarks such as MONOPLAN, ROTBAND, MICRODUR, DUOFIL, KUPLA, or later POROMETRIC, MEDIAMESH, CONDUCTO, VACUBELT, BLUEBACKER), and GKD is a regular guest at trade fairs such as Ifat, Techtextil, or Filtech. Over time, the trade fair booths evolve from colorless conversation corners into increasingly elaborate brand worlds.

As business becomes increasingly international, it eventually becomes clear that names are more than just words – and that “Gebr. Kufferath” is not only unfamiliar in some regions, but also difficult to pronounce in many languages. The outcome: As internationalization becomes ever more important, “GKD” is registered in 1997 as a word-image trademark in the official register of the Federal Republic of Germany, including the now widely recognized diamond pattern in the logo. GKD, the abbreviation for Gebr. Kufferath Düren, becomes more than just the new company name from this point forward. Manifested in the new logo, it also makes an impressive first appearance as an international brand. This takes the form of a bold, clean design of the three letters, framed by a dynamic contour line. All of this together gives the logo a sense of freshness, modernity, and conciseness, while at the same time underlining the sovereignty of the brand and the brand image.

This makes communication easier. Nevertheless, until well into the 2000s, GKD largely relies on the quality of its products and its international network, aside from product documentation and trade shows. Branding and marketing only start to play a greater role as the company develops from a product seller to a solution provider. From 2015 onward, this increasingly takes place with a focus on the climate-friendly transformation of many industries. “Products and solutions that contribute to a healthier, cleaner, and safer world” – this phrase is being used more and more often. It then ultimately leads to the vision “For a healthier, cleaner, safer world.” A bold statement that becomes both the brand claim alongside the logo and the foundation of a marketing strategy. This includes a consistent corporate design that gives the company a distinctive and unified appearance worldwide. The company’s website, launched in 1999, serves as its digital business card.

Tradition, innovation, and sustainability as corporate values are now the cornerstones of corporate communication and brand identity. This is how Lara Kufferath describes her entrepreneurial vision and business mission: “My goal is to lead the GKD Group into a sustainable and strong future. Through innovation and responsible corporate action, we want to contribute to a healthier, cleaner, and safer world.”

GKD – the three letters have long been a strong brand. Today, GKD not only stands for high-quality products, but also for pronounced solution and process expertise in the context of a very wide range of customer applications. The brand brings together 100 years of expertise in mesh technology and a commitment to uncompromising product quality, combined with a drive for innovation leadership across a wide range of future-oriented applications.