Thank you for 95 years!
Since 1927, the name koziol has stood for happiness and design, and the original products continue to inspire people worldwide. This November, the company will celebrate its 95th birthday – a great opportunity for koziol to thank all employees and partners, customers and companions, critics and friends, and of course the loving fans.
To no one’s surprise, the design brand is not slowing down in its anniversary year, because inner values are more important than ever in times like these. The company has dared a visionary brand relaunch: koziol is now "The Sustainable Brand".
Since its founding, the family-owned company from Erbach in the Odenwald forest has produced exclusively in Germany out of conviction, guaranteeing resource-saving and environmentally friendly production, as sustainability has always been a core value of the brand. In the past two years, a great deal of energy and considerable investment has gone into making this corporate philosophy even more tangible in the current collection.
For example, koziol has been climate-neutral since 2021. An impressive 70% of the CO₂ emissions can be conserved through the company's own measures, while 30% is compensated for by reforesting a forest on the German island of Rügen with new, climate-resistant tree species and maintaining the existing population. These trees are already fully grown and thus absorb a maximum of CO₂.
The biggest visible innovation is the conversion of almost the entire collection to biocircular koziol organic material. This revolutionary new plastic is made from used vegetable oils from the catering industry, giving them a second life. In addition, wood fibers from Swedish paper production, which come from FSC®-certified (FSC-C159458) cultivation, are added to the material. For the first time, there is a material that comes from renewable resources and at the same time is approved for contact with food.
The new material is only one facet of the current transformation. Numerous intelligent reusable solutions for everyday life have also been added to the range and meet modern needs for a more sustainable life. Whether it's meal prepping, glamping or the sustainable coffee to go – the koziol range offers a wealth of sustainable and beautiful solutions for an appreciative approach to food and our environment. These products quickly become real favorites, with their unique combination of emotion and function, in popular colors and long-lasting quality – as always, Made in Germany.
Production takes place in the Odenwald, but the design comes from all over the world. The koziol designers live and work on all continents and let their personality and culture nuances flow into their designs. The claim at koziol is to make things so beautiful that you want to give them to your best friends. Ideas for friends – the allusion is not accidental in the company name. It is objects that often surprise, arouse curiosity, and sometimes even tell whole stories. Be it through naming – étagère BABELL was inspired by the Tower of Babel or be it through the unique functionality of the cutlery set KLIKK, which challenges the brain when connecting the pieces. The designs are unique and timeless. Many koziol classics have been in the collection for more than 25 years. Longevity is the most beautiful and best form of sustainability.
It all began with ivory: Most stories end in the bedroom, but koziol's story begins right here. On November 27th, Bernhard Koziol, only 19 years old, registered his trade as an ivory carver and set up his first workplace in his bedroom. In his workshop, he first created costume jewelry from ivory, mother-of-pearl and amber. The necklaces, brooches and bracelets were popular fashion items of the roaring twenties. The small business grew quickly, and he was soon able to employ staff and move to a new location. At the beginning of the 1930s, he began to produce the jewelry from thermoplastics, which were brand new at the time. The rest is history.
How it continued: Stephan Koziol, the youngest son of the company founder, joined the company in 1979 and turned the product range upside down. Under his direction, the brand developed its own distinctive design language, which is loved all over the world and regularly honored with awards.
The brand has reinvented itself several times over the decades. Products and materials have changed with the latest research as well as the spirit of the times, but the craftsmanship and values have always remained the same: koziol has been making beautiful things for a better life since 1927.
"In principle, we think like a start-up. Only with 95 years of experience," says CEO Stephan Koziol about the new orientation of the brand and strategy. "And with this great expertise, we are also unique in the market. We help our customers to act more sustainably and stand for unique, award-winning products, responsible use of resources and environmentally friendly production. Happiness is sustainability!"
Happiness is also loyal employees who make many successful products possible in the first place with their knowledge and fun in experimenting. These are the many customers, partners, and fans, who with their enthusiasm, but also their criticism and needs, have contributed a great deal to the further development of the brand and to making it what it is today.
The company is optimistic about the future, and Daniel Koziol, the third generation of entrepreneurs is already working on the development of the brand and continuing the tradition of the family business responsibly and with fresh ideas.
"We appreciate every person who contributes to our success and are grateful for our entire team, which is made up of dedicated employees, the best engineers and technicians, and designers from all over the world," says the young CEO. "Our goal is to inspire with our contemporary design and provide a glimpse into a future with responsible production, ethical behavior, circular thinking and organic aesthetics."
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