Wissmann Celebrates 90th Anniversary – Recipe For Sustained Success
FurnitureAndFurnishing.com was recently in Israel to partake in the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Wissmann Group, the country’s largest furniture company that is engaged in retail, wholesale, projects and international trade. We were given a peek of the recipe leading to the success and longevity of the business.
In conjunction with its 90th anniversary celebrations, Wissmann Holdings organised a special 2-day program for international suppliers in July. The response was overwhelming. A total of 61 people from 10 countries signed up.
During the program, participants were led on a tour of company operations covering its main logistics centre in Bar Lev, north of the country and a flagship store located in Jerusalem with sightseeing thrown in. Throughout the visit, the group was warmly received by the various department heads including the top management.
The program culminated in a grand party held at the Tower of David, a historic and prestigious venue in the old city of Jerusalem on the last day. 600 guests were in attendance including the mayor and deputy mayor of Jerusalem.
The first official item of the two-days itinerary was a visit to the Wissmann group’s new “Shomrat Hazorea” store located in Netanya Furniture Center “SOHO” in the greater Tel Aviv area. It is one of nine stores under the brand and caters specifically to the mass market.
In addition to going through the various categories of products on the showroom floor, the group witnessed a ceremony with company owner-brothers Arie Wissmann and Nachum Wissmann inviting a local senior Rabbi to affix a Mezuzah at entrance of the new store, a common Jewish religious practice. Accordingly the goal of a Mezuzah is to protect the venue and those inside from physical and spiritual harm. This is followed by ribbon-cutting to officiate the store’s opening.
Later in the morning, the group visited Wissmann’s Bar Lev logistics centre in the North of the country. We were received by Kfir Wissmann, who is responsible for the group’s IT, systems and processes as well as supply chain management. He is second son of Arie Wissmann, the company president.
At the logistics centre, the group also met other heads as well as members of the other departments. For example we met Amital Wissmann, younger sister of Kfir, who takes care of the company’s fast growing eCommerce business. Koby Ben Simon, the co-CEO of the company, a professional manager who is instrumental in development of the Bar Lev logistics center, also spoke to the group. Every department and individual seem very well versed in their roles and what their jobs entail.
Built on 12 acres of land a little more than 3 years ago, the Bar Lev logistics centre is the largest of the company’s 3 warehouses with storage capacity totalling 250 containers HC. Accordingly, it also houses IT, sales and marketing, customer service, logistics planning departments and features an in-house photography studio while the import department works out of Jerusalem.
According to Kfir Wissmann, the actual construction of the Bar Lev centre took just 7 months with ample pre-planning, an astonishing feat! Its designs were guided by 4 key principles: Capacity Maximisation, Efficiency, Stability and Computerisation. As business continues to grow, expansion of the warehouse is already in the pipeline with adjacent land already acquired.
Deliveries nation-wide to end consumers and the more than 100 retailers its wholesale business serves are made by a fleet of 20+ big trucks daily.
The group returned to Jerusalem in the late afternoon to visit Wissmann’s flagship location, a 2,000 sqm store in the city first established in 1971.
Two brands are featured at the Jerusalem store: The first is Wissmann, an up-market brand providing premium quality furniture and customisation products. The second brand is Shomrat Hazorea that caters to the mass-market.
The two owners-brothers Nachum and Arie Wissmann were present at the store to meet and chat with the group. Also present was Eilon Wissmann, the eldest son of Arie. Eilon is responsible for purchasing and marketing for the Shomrat Hazorea brand.
The group walked the showroom floors and spoke with retail representatives to understand the needs and preferences of the end customers.
Day two of the Wissmann tour was a pure experience of the company’s warm hospitality. The group was led on a tour of the old city of Jerusalem by Amnon Darel and Carmit Boas, 2 of the company’s seemingly all-rounder and high-energy import managers.
First stop was the city municipality where we were received by the Deputy Mayor who gave a briefing on the city and its development.
This was followed by coverage of various historical sites led by a professional tour guide. They include the Western (Wailing) Wall, the holiest place where Jews are permitted to pray owing to its proximity to the Temple Mount; Jaffa Gate, containing an interesting mix of the Christian-, Muslim-, Armenian- and Jewish quarters; The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which marks the spot where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.
The grand finale is the Wissmann Group’s 90th anniversary party held in the evening. Many VIPs such as the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of the city of Jerusalem were amongst the 600 guests who attended the party held at the Tower of David, a historical site located near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. The President of Israel sent a congratulatory video message.
In addition to a good spread of sumptious cuisine and free flow of drinks, guests present were treated to an evening of entertainment and fun.
During the party, both Arie and Nachum Wissmann received a distinguished award in recognition of their tremendous contribution to the Israeli industry. Additionally, Arie also received the very prestigious International Furniture Leadership Awards under the category of Outstanding Leader.
A company started in Jerusalem in the year 1932 by Leo Wissmann is today 90 years old. Under the leadership of his sons Arie and Nachum Wissmann, the company expanded through the years and grew from strength to strength. Today members of the third generation help their fathers manage various key functions of the business alongside professional managers.
From the observations made during the short tour of company facilities and operations, meeting its talented work force with clear understanding of each’s job scope and responsibilities, learning about its great track record and market dominance and the relentless effort to improve and better serve customers, we will surely be seeing Wissmann products in more and more Israeli homes and beyond.
