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Menden. Harald Hotop has been appointed Managing director of Kludi (www.kludi.com), the fittings specialist from the Sauerland region, with effect from the 1st of November 2023. The 48-years-old is moving from Cologne-based Megabad GmbH, where he has been Managing Director since 2019, to the fittings manufacturer headquartered in Menden. He will form the management team there together with Frank Holtmann-Wibberich and Can Yildirim, who has also been appointed Managing Director as of 1 November 2023.
"With his many years of experience both in the sanitary industry and in specialist wholesaling, Harald Hotop is the ideal addition to the management team to continue to drive forward the transformation of Kludi together with Frank Holtmann-Wibberich and Can Yildirim," emphasises Abdallah Massaad, Group CEO of RAK Ceramics, to which Kludi has belonged since 2022. With his profound knowledge of the market and the industry, Harald Hotop is ideally placed to establish Kludi as a reliable and predictable market partner in the long term. "This is the basis for embarking on a new era with Kludi and jointly developing the company into a leading premium brand in the sanitary industry," says Abdallah Massaad.
Dedicated growth strategy
The systematic further development of Kludi and the planned expansion of its market position are in line with the growth strategy of the RAK Ceramics Group. It is aimed at strengthening the company's presence in its core markets and concentrating on core products. Kludi plays an important role in this, as it gives RAK Ceramics the opportunity to drive forward its expansion into European markets and strengthen its own position in projects across the entire sanitaryware and fittings business.
Great potential
After initial professional positions in international consulting companies, Harald Hotop worked in various functions for Ideal Standard before joining the management of Megabad. "I am very much looking forward to the exciting and responsible task of successfully advancing the initiated transformation of the company and the Kludi brand together with all employees," explains Harald Hotop. "If we all work together, I see very great potential for Kludi to become one of the most important and innovative players in the bathroom industry in Europe in the medium term with the support of our shareholder.”
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Kludi – the Shape of Water
Kludi GmbH & Co. KG, a family business founded in Germany’s Sauerland region in 1926, represents almost 100 years of experience in the development and manufacture of high-quality bathroom and kitchen fittings. As a long-established fittings specialist, we are committed to producing products that combine outstanding ‘Made in Germany’ manufacturing quality, maximum functionality, innovative technologies and top-class design in a unique way. Kludi has never ceased to drive product development within the bathroom and kitchen sectors with its groundbreaking solutions. The Menden-based SME has some 170 inventions and 100 patents to its name, as well as numerous prestigious design and innovation awards. In 2022, Kludi was named one of the TOP 100 Innovators in the German SME sector.
The Kludi Group employs around 600 people in its sales and production companies, located in Europe, Middle East and Asia. Kludi fittings are manufactured in the company’s fully integrated main manufacturing site in Menden, as well as in Hornstein (Austria), Diósd (Hungary) and Ras Al Khaimah (United Arab Emirates). From here, they are exported to over 100 different countries around the world.
Kludi has been part of the RAK Ceramics Group since 2022.
Further information:
Kludi Corporate Communications
Press Agency
KommunikationsKonsortium
Dr. Carsten Tessmer
Am Tief 24, 26409 Wittmund, Germany
kludi@kommunikationskonsortium.com
Kludi GmbH & Co. KG
Arndt Papenfuß
Am Vogelsang 31–33, 58706 Menden, Germany
presse@kludi.de
