“The Lion’s Den” investor Ralf Dümmel in a FIRE&FOOD interview

Ralf, why did the DS Group take over Landmann?
Landmann is the oldest German grill manufacturer and, unlike its major competitors, has its origins in Germany. Landmann can look back on a successful history. The brand stands for excellent and long-lasting quality and its recognition in Germany is extremely high. We believe that there is a lot of potential here that has not been fully exploited in the past.
We are currently working on integration into the corporate group, which mainly concerns logistical and strategic decisions, and are relying on many synergy effects here. Among other things, we are currently in the process of rebranding the brand and will launch it this year. Our team is working hard on the product range in order to return the Landmann brand to the market position it deserves: as a strong and reliable brand that stands for quality, versatility and focus.

In your opinion, does the barbecue market still have potential?
The grill sector is a market that is growing slowly and there is already a serious competitive environment in the industry. But the market also offers potential for optimization. It is now important to move with the times and recognize trends in good time, or to create them and, above all, to implement them quickly. We want to offer customers transparency and ease of use. Create a product world that offers something to suit every taste and every life situation.
We want to bring innovative and high-quality new devices to market quickly, successfully and with a good price-performance ratio. In doing so, we benefit from the synergy effects and can combine the strengths of our companies: The DS Group's flair for innovation meets the proven tradition and quality that we know from Landmann.

What innovations do you bring to the market?
Our development team is currently working intensively on innovations and new products that we will be bringing to market in the coming barbecue season and in 2023. In the long term, we want to give the brand more focus and profile and show what range of products Landmann has. The focus is therefore on a versatile full range - everything that the "barbecue heart" desires, from a single source.
In the area of ​​innovations, we focus on topics such as cleaning, cooling, heat distribution, additional grill functions and in the area of ​​accessories we focus on highlights.
We are currently working hard to bring a new accessory system onto the market in 2021.

What do customers actually want?
We know, especially with a fresh perspective from the outside, how difficult it is to find your way around a multitude of grills. End consumers today are hardly able to recognize a good price-performance ratio. The grill market can quickly become overwhelming due to the large, varied range on offer. Our mission is not only to offer a full range, but also to educate and create transparency on the subject of grilling. We want to support you in deciding on a device, according to the motto: We help customers to find out what "grill type" they are, which product best suits them and their lifestyle, and how they can get the most out of their grill.

Is the grill market highly competitive?
Today we are the largest grill supplier in Germany. The big players in the competitive environment come mainly from abroad. We know that the potential here has not yet been exhausted. The quality of our products can keep up with the competition and we do not have to hide behind our products. In the future, Landmann will focus on the essential core range, respond to market needs, reposition the brand and combine the DS Group's sense of innovation with the proven tradition of Landmann.

Where does Landmann produce?
The DS Group recently bought Landmann. You can't tackle all the issues at once and now we need to work through the issues step by step. Landmann produces in the Far East, just like its competitors. But the "Made in Germany" issue is a concern for the entire DS Group. We are currently examining whether we can relocate parts of our production to Europe, particularly Germany, in the future. As part of this, our modern logistics center in Gallin is also being expanded for Landmann. We are currently investing over three million euros in a new hall to ensure smooth logistics. The Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania location is perfect for this - and perhaps it will also provide us with an answer to the question "Made in Germany" in the future.

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