Elmar Duffner retires

Meanwhile, information is reaching editorial offices in new ways… Shortly before the long weekend, Elmar Duffner, Managing Director & CEO of Vivonio Furniture Group and VDM President, published the following statement on his LinkedIn profile:

“Now dare to do something new once again and look for another big challenge in life. This thought may sound a bit crazy when you’re in your early 60s, because some people are counting the days until retirement. But I am still curious and not yet finished with my joy of creating and moving. That’s why, after almost 10 years, I have decided to go in new directions and hand over the CEO reins of Vivonio Furniture Group to my successor Gernot Mang on May 1, 2023. In the future, I will accompany the Vivonio Furniture Group in an advisory capacity, but I would also like to set new and different impulses outside the company. I will remain involved in the furniture industry – not least through my activities as President of the Association of the German Furniture Industry and as a member of the Advisory Board of the “Imm Cologne” trade fair in Cologne.

Together with the management team around Niels Ackermann and Erik Kolb, we have achieved a lot during this time. I can proudly say that Vivonio Furniture Group, with its seven subsidiaries today, has become a major player in the European furniture market. Through organic growth and targeted, strategic acquisitions, we achieved a doubling of net sales from 185 million euros to 380 million euros in 2022. Last year alone, we were able to increase sales by 13 percent.

The step is not easy for me, but I think this is the right time for a handover. My great thanks go to the outstanding colleagues for their cooperation and support over the past years. I wish you all continued success and personal satisfaction in your work.”