VISIONARY WITH FORESIGHT
The VOSSEN success story is inextricably linked to one name: Burghardt Vossen.
The entrepreneurial free spirit revolutionized the terry towel exactly 100 years ago!
Great revolutions usually begin with equally great visions. It was a similar story with our company founder Burghardt Vossen, who developed revolutionary ideas at a young age - as far as the production of terry towels was concerned. Little did he know what a boom he would trigger. Burghardt Vossen, who was born into a family of grain distillers in Gütersloh in 1895, initially completed an examination as a master distiller. After graduating from high school and business school, he studied economics and law and then founded his first company: A screw factory, which grew to 150 employees within a few years. On a trip to England, he finally made the discovery that would fundamentally change his life and that of many others: For the first time, he came into contact with terry towels, which were already widely available there and were a luxury product that was not yet affordable for the masses in Germany at the time.
Enthusiastic about the idea of making terry towels an affordable everyday product for everyone in Germany too, he immediately set about realizing this vision on his return. On May 6, 1925, the time had finally come: Burghardt Vossen started production of his first terry towels in Gütersloh, Germany, using machines that he had partly converted himself. Six employees, including his sisters Cilly and Lina, worked in his weaving mill. His company was soon successful and the business grew rapidly. Burghardt Vossen continued to tinker and designed special machines to significantly shorten the production process.
In 1927, in cooperation with a Swiss machine factory, he developed the first automatic terry toweling machine, which was four times more powerful than conventional machines and also made it possible to feed in several colors. Business began to boom: barely a decade after the company was founded, the number of employees rose to 400. Production was already running in three shifts and VOSSEN was producing towels around the clock. The boss was also actively involved. It is said that at the time, Vossen stayed in a small hut right next to the production facility so that he could help out quickly if there were any problems in the factory. It goes without saying that the company also worked through the weekends - until the Second World War brought this successful run to an abrupt end.
After the end of the war, the success story continued. In 1951, Burghardt Vossen was able to record another successful milestone for himself and his company: He invented the house and bathrobe made of terry cloth and applied for a patent for it. The robe, which until then had been made of expensive silk and precious materials, became a commodity for the masses and has remained an integral part of many people's everyday lives to this day. This innovation finally made VOSSEN the market leader for terry towels in Europe and allowed the company to expand rapidly.
A PERSONALITY WITH LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
In 1950, the 25th anniversary of the Burghardt Vossen weaving mill was celebrated and the company founder proudly claimed "We are who". In his speech to mark the anniversary, he encouraged every employee to continue to give their best. He concluded the commemorative publication with the words "My thanks go to all those who have entrusted themselves to my leadership. All my strength belongs to my work and my loyal employees." Burghardt Vossen's relationship with his employees must have been consistently respectful and exemplary. Excerpts from a letter written to him by his employees on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the VOSSEN company express their gratitude for being able to work for him and his vision.
"If we are working for your plant with unusual love and special impetus, the most significant reason for this lies in your personality itself. Your work radiates those positive values that repeatedly give us the strength to help build and expand your life's work with iron skill and a joyful heart. You are a role model for us and will remain so."
THE JENNERSDORF SITE IS CREATED
In addition to the production facility in Gütersloh, other locations followed in Germany, as well as in Jennersdorf, Austria, where the plant was built in 1963 where VOSSEN still produces towels today. In the 1970s, his son Norbert Vossen took over the business. At its peak, the company employed around 3,500 people. The success story came to a halt in mid-1990, as towels from Asia began to compete with the local towels. On December 10, 1996, the company filed for bankruptcy. All locations, with the exception of Jennersdorf, were closed. Burghardt Vossen died on July 4, 1981, shortly after reaching the age of 87. He was undoubtedly one of the pioneers of the German textile industry, especially the terry towel industry. Burghardt Vossen was an extraordinary personality. He did not believe in dwelling on the past; looking back meant going backwards. We have to look to the future, "panta rei", which in ancient Greek means "everything is in flux, nothing is permanent", was his motto.
"When I achieve something, I know that my life has meaning,"Burghardt Vossen once said.
