family business
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The crème de la crème
A family-run company, Clarins’s business strategy is to improve products rather than discontinue them. This has won it a loyal following and set it apart from other cosmetics giants.
Beating the drum
Miele, the German appliance manufacturer, has thrived for over a century. Its success lies not just in high-quality products but in the family values upheld by four generations of Mieles and Zinkanns.
We are family
As part of our exploration of dynasties, Monocle meets two families who have built cultural powerhouses up from the ground: the Bonniers’ huge Swedish media machine, and the Glimchers’ art gallery empire.
From the same tree
Maruni Wood Industry, a family business, faced shifting fortunes for years. A reluctant family member returned to his roots, only to discover he was the natural saviour of the company his great uncle founded.
Heir Ways
A thriving family-run airline, Kenmore Air has flown to the islands of the Pacific Northwest since it was founded in 1946.
Top of the glass
For five decades, a German family business has refined the 'perfect' glass washer. By leveraging employee expertise, this simple, non-electric device is now sold in more than 50 countries worldwide.
Raining supreme
For our series investigating the secrets of success, Monocle visits Austrian company Doppler, Europe’s biggest manufacturer of quality umbrellas. Its top product has been handcrafted in the same way since the 1940s.
Turning the tables
Carl Malmsten was one of Sweden’s greatest furniture designers. Thanks to his grandson, Jerk Malmsten, his legacy continues, with the brand being revitalised for a new generation of admirers.
Ebneter & Biel
For almost a century, a family-run business in St Moritz has embroidered napkins, tablecloths and bed linen. A personalised item can take up to a year, carefully stitched by a septegenarian seamstress.
Chip off the old block
Rønning Ski has produced wooden skis in Skotterud, Norway, since 1936. As others die out or move abroad, Rønning keeps modernising the traditional wooden ski and finding new fans among a younger generation.
