BORA is heavily investing in customer proximity and opening a new site in Herford (Business press)

BORA, a manufacturer of innovative premium built-in kitchen appliances based in the Bavarian town of Raubling and Niederndorf in the neighbouring state of Tyrol, is investing even further in customer proximity and opening an architecturally spectacular new site in Herford just in time for the ‘Küchenmeile 2023’. In addition to a large flagship store for BORA products, the approx. 2,000-square-meter building also houses exhibition space for other partners from the field of interior design, a show kitchen and a restaurant. From mid-September, visitors to the site will be able to check out the brand and product experience worlds as well as the ‘BORA principle’. BORA Herford will become a communicative hub and a font of inspiration for end customers from the fields of construction, home living and furnishing, all in close proximity to key retail partners. The architectural message of the new-build perfectly reflects what matters to the BORA brand: entrepreneurial courage and a high level of innovation in order to design extraordinary products for extraordinary cooking experiences.

For BORA, the market leader for cooktop extractor systems, a presence in the central German metropolitan region for kitchen furniture in eastern Westphalia is the next logical growth step. “We want to be close to our retail partners and enable as many prospective end customers as possible to enjoy the BORA Experience in person. As such, we still fully support the decision made in 2021 to invest in the Herford site”, explains BORA founder and CEO Willi Bruckbauer. Right next to the B 239 bypass and near the A2, the new showroom and flagship store are visible to around 30,000 vehicles per day and can be easily accessed by all visitors – not just from Germany but also, within a manageable day trip radius of up to 350 km, from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

In Herford itself, the positioning of the project on an around 10,000-square-meter site at the edge of the town is regarded as a positive signal for the business location and thoroughly welcomed. “Our new site is primarily being constructed by companies and trades from the Herford and East Westphalia areas,” explains Willi Bruckbauer.

A sustainable company site with added value for the region When designing the new location in Herford, particular focus was placed on enabling sustainable business operations and thus on the site’s long-term preservation. The ecological footprint of the new-build is being kept to a minimum. Soil sealing has been intentionally avoided and electric charging stations have been installed in the car park. Thanks to the use of renewable energies by means of geothermal resources and the coverage of most of the roof with photovoltaic modules, the building complies with the KfW 55 standard for energy-efficient structures – the BORA Herford site only requires 55 percent of the energy of a conventional new-build. Heating and cooling panels in the ceilings are used to heat and air condition the interior. Any excess energy is stored in the water in a 200-cubic-metre sprinkler tank installed on the site. Depending on its usage, the BORA building in Herford will be a ‘nearly zero-energy building’ (NZEB).

Non-mainstream success BORA develops and produces innovative premium built-in kitchen appliances with impressive design standards. The German-Austrian company group positions its portfolio internationally with the claim ‘More than cooking.’ Since Willi Bruckbauer founded BORA in 2007, the company has been committed to revolutionising the kitchen as a living space by questioning the ordinary. Its mission: to offer extraordinary products for extraordinary experiences. The story began with the innovative cooktop extractor systems, which use intelligent technology to draw cooking vapours downwards and are continually developed through BORA’s own drive for perfection. After the expansion of the product range to include the BORA X BO, a professional steam oven for your home, and the associated BORA multi-drawer, investments will be made in new categories in the future to enable the perfect cooking experience.

BORA products are characterised by outstanding performance, simple cleaning and simple operation. Thanks to their timeless design, they fit perfectly into any kitchen, where they provide fresh air and a clear view. Back in 2009, two years after its establishment, the company received its first award within the scope of the innovation contest “365 Orte im Land der Ideen”. This was followed by the “Deutscher Gründerpreis” and numerous Red Dot Awards, Plus X Awards, German Design Awards, Iconic Awards, German Brand Awards, Good Design Awards, iF Design Awards and many others.

Teamwork makes the dream work

BORA has been active as a main sponsor in cycling since 2015 and the professional cycling team BORA – hansgrohe has been participating in the UCI World Tour, the Premier League of international cycling, since 2017. The decision to sponsor cycling was very much deliberate. Sponsorship is an excellent way to make a brand better known and bring it to life. For BORA, however, the commitment to sponsoring cycling is more than just a tool forgenerating awareness, it is completely authentic: the team and the sponsor share the exact same values. Both stand for reliability, dynamics, courage, performance and national identity. Both love what they do, are not afraid to blaze trails and never shy away from competition.

Acting considerately and sustainably with regard to the environment, other people and health goes without saying. Willi Bruckbauer summarises the decision as follows: “We are combining things that belong together: sport, health, a cosmopolitan outlook, team spirit, ambition and energy. These values are all part of BORA’s DNA, and that makes the circle complete. You wouldn’t believe how many people around the world we’ve encouraged to get involved in cycling through our commitment to the sport – even our staff and retail partners. The cycling team is the perfect ambassador for taking the revolution onto the road.”

BORA facts & figures

Year of establishment: 2007  Founder: Willi Bruckbauer (b. 1966 in Rosenheim, Germany) master joiner, owner of werkhaus Raubling (exclusive interior design and furnishings) and founder of BORA  Employees: over 500 worldwide  Sites: Raubling (DE), Niederndorf (AT), Sydney (AUS)  Flagship stores: Munich (DE), Herford (DE) Retail partners: 8,000 worldwide  Sales markets: over 60 countries in Europe plus Australia and New Zealand

Contacts for press enquiries about BORA

neumann communication Communication partner in relation to the opening of BORA’s Herford site bora@neumann-communication.de

BORA Public Relations pr@bora.com

BORA Vertriebs GmbH & Co KG Innstrasse 1 A-6342 Niederndorf