Innovation ecosystem Maschinenraum welcomes WIK Group as a new member of the network

Essen / Berlin

WIK Group, developer and manufacturer of electrical appliances, becomes part of Maschinenraum. As a B2B-oriented family business, WIK is an important development and manufacturing partner for many internationally renowned brands.

Maschinenraum, an alliance of about 65 family-owned companies as well as university partners and other innovators, works together on the digital transformation of the German SME sector. WIK would like to use its membership in this diverse network to give and receive impetus on topics such as the circular economy, the shortage of skilled workers and employer branding. 

Founded in 1951 by Wilhelm Kruk, the family-owned company has specialized in household electrical appliances for many decades. Innovation has played a major role for WIK from the very beginning. In total, WIK's engineers have designed several hundred system solutions to date. The company focuses on the development and manufacture of appliances in the areas of Coffee Systems, Kitchen Appliances, Beverage Systems and Personal Care Devices, as well as material and component solutions for the production of sustainable appliances. Today, WIK relies on a holistic, modular approach that accompanies its customers from the product idea through manufacturing to after-sales support. Around 4,000 employees are currently working on this at five locations on two continents.

Exchange is the key to future viability

"We are undergoing a transformation toward a regenerative business model. In the modern world, we see this as the only way to remain competitive in the long term. We are already further along than many others, but there are still some steps to take along the way. We prefer to take them in a community rather than alone," says Christoph Dörn, CEO and member of the owner family of WIK. "In the commodity sector, we additionally face a special challenge for innovation: there are hardly any real innovations anymore. Improvements in terms of performance, material or features can be achieved, but real breakthroughs have become rare. This makes it all the more important for us to get impulses from other industries."

"WIK's future-oriented thinking and the company's innovation mindset complement our network perfectly. I am very pleased that the family-owned company is joining Maschinenraum and opening up for exchange with our members," says Tobias Rappers, Managing Director of Maschinenraum.

About Maschinenraum

Maschinenraum, a shared ecosystem from SMEs for SMEs, unites German SMEs and family businesses to boldly shape the future. Already 65 family-owned companies - including Viessmann, Fiege Logistik, STIHL and Mast-Jägermeister - have joined Maschinenraum in order tobjointly drive the digital and sustainable transformation of medium-sized businesses.

About WIK

Founded in the 1950s, WIK Group is a service and manufacturing group for household electrical appliances headquartered in Hong Kong.
WIK develops and manufactures electrical appliances with sustainable standards and at the highest level for OEM customers, i.e. under their brand. Since then, hundreds of system solutions have been designed and developed and millions of products have been manufactured.
With now 4,000 employees, including 350 engineers, WIK Group has become a global full-service development and manufacturing partner for many international brands.