When it comes to sourcing the highest quality products for kitchen furniture, two key players make it all happen. Manufacturers and distributors play a vital role in the industry, and Häfele is proud to be both.
With over 100 years of experience in both making the products for its customers’ projects and delivering them where they’re needed, Häfele helps keep the kitchen furniture industry moving smoothly, from factory floor to finished install.
Häfele’s manufacturing roots
Häfele’s heritage is rooted in manufacturing innovation, with a strong focus on solving real-world industry challenges. Whether it’s speeding up the work of cabinet makers or enabling new design possibilities for furniture manufacturers, its priority is designing purposeful, intelligent products. Nowhere is this more evident than in its exclusive in-house solutions, which combine quality, function and reliability.
Minifix
Launched in 1983, one of Häfele’s most iconic innovations is the Minifix connector system, which offers a fast, secure and concealed connection using a hemispherical head based on a centric ball principle. Häfele produces a staggering 3.2 million Minifix connectors every day at its Berlin factory, with over 500 million units manufactured each year.
Service+
That same spirit of intelligent problem-solving continues through much of what Häfele does today, including its Service+ Customised offering. Whether it’s handmade wooden drawers or bespoke worktops, Service+ Customised enables furniture manufacturers and joiners to specify products to exact sizes, finishes and quantities. Products arrive on site, cut to precise measurements and pre-assembled as required, creating efficiencies in time and cost.
Utensio
More recently, Häfele has drawn on its century of expertise to create Utensio, its first-ever own-brand collection of storage solutions. Designed to blend style and elegance with intelligent, thoughtful functionality, the Utensio range features larder pull-outs, corner and base storage and now, the UK’s largest integrated bin solution. Developed with a ‘designed by experts, for experts’ philosophy, Utensio is ideal for furniture makers who demand precision, durability and ease of installation for their designs.
Fixtures and fastenings
Innovation continues in the form of multi-purpose solutions, such as the UC 16/64. A problem solver for any project, the polycarbonate connection device combines snap-in studs and clips with a latching nose and screw holes, making it suitable for a range of applications, from corner and surface connections to angled and double joints. It can also be used as an assembly aid, cable guide, spacer, and floor guide.
Another standout is IXConnect SC 8/25, a one-piece connector that requires no glue, dowels, or tools. It simply slots into an 8mm hole and expands to lock panels into place when pushed together, resulting in a concealed connection ideal for cabinets, drawers and furniture units. Both solutions help manufacturers save time, space and cost, streamlining processes without compromising on quality.
Strategic distribution
As a distributor, Häfele has built strong partnerships with leading brands to act as a one-stop shop for the kitchen furniture industry. These relationships also allow Häfele to leverage additional benefits for manufacturers; by gaining insight into buying trends, Häfele can shape its stock profile to better serve its customers’ needs. The company is so committed to its role as a distributor that in 2024, it invested in a £5m warehouse shuttle system, boosting stock capacity and enabling its ‘order by 5 pm for next day delivery’ promise, ensuring customers receive products whenever and wherever they need them.
Tools and consumables
Häfele has supported kitchen furniture makers for decades by supplying premium-quality hand tools and consumables that deliver reliable performance for every job. As well as screws, sealants and adhesives, and safety workwear, the company has developed strong partnerships with the likes of Wera, Mirka and Festool to offer the complete range of tooling needs. This is Häfele’s way of ensuring customers can get everything they need for their projects, all under one roof.
Sliding door solutions
Sliding door solutions offer furniture manufacturers design freedom, and Häfele’s partnership with Hawa takes that opportunity a step further. Slide and pivot systems, such as the Hawa Concepta, utilise a hinged system which can slide back into a concealed pocket. The doors help to completely close off areas of the home, such as hidden kitchens, breakfast stations or pantries, making them a valuable tool for kitchen furniture makers wanting an innovative solution for their designs.
Your perfect partner
Being both a manufacturer and distributor gives Häfele a unique, holistic view of the kitchen furniture market, with both roles feeding into one another. Häfele doesn’t only make and deliver the products its customers need. It spots emerging trends, develops new solutions and services to align with that, and works with the brands on the market that make a true difference to kitchen furniture projects. That’s why Häfele is the perfect partner to meet the evolving needs of today’s manufacturing and joinery businesses.
