Rational appoints Klee as MD

24 Sep, 15

Export director Thomas Klee to lead Rational and introduce brands for entry and upper-end

German kitchen furniture manufacturer Rational has appointed export director Thomas Klee as managing director. However, he will continue to be responsible for the export market.

Klee has 20 years’ experience of the kitchen industry, having started his career with the Wellmann group and worked for both Poggenpohl and Rational.

He leads the business which is set to augment its Rational brand with a lower-end proposition Mahlzeit, set to launch in April, and which means ‘mealtime’ in German.

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Klee explained the introduction of the entry-level Mahlzeil was “to ease pressure” at the lower-end of the Rational brand. He stated: “We are going to target 20-30% away [from Rational], with lesser features and a restricted range of units. It will still have a range of doors, but [they will also] be limited. Generally [it will be] a more simple product.”

At the same time, Rational will also be targeting the higher-end of the market with a Karim Rashid-designed kitchen, which will be launched at I Salone in Milan.

Klee stated the kitchen would target “the top third” of the market and pointed out the kitchen would be designed to be sold, not as a marketing activity to raise the profile of Rational.

“Crazy is okay, if it’s channelled, but it needs to be sellable”, Klee explained. “I don’t want a PR gag.”

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