Business Profile – Greenfield Kitchens

This issue we caught up with Greenfield Kitchens owner Joe Grünleitner. As the surname suggests, Joe is originally from Germany – Nürnberg, Bavaria to be precise, but luckily for us Joe made the move to Plymouth many years ago where he now owns his own bespoke kitchen manufacturing and installation company, Greenfield Kitchens.

Joe started his career in the high tech sector, however after changes in the local market in 2004, and after realising his true talents lay in his extraordinary craftsmanship and his attention to detail, he moved into the bespoke installation business. It wasn’t long before Joe realised that he could harness all of his talents and create something far greater, so after refining some of his ideas along with a grant and business plan, Joe managed to build a unique, high-quality kitchen and furniture company based right here in Plymouth.

The name Greenfield means a lot to Joe. “My surname is Grünleitner – the first part of the name means ‘green’ and the second part means ‘rolling hills’. It’s better than my business being known as ‘German Joe’!” he laughs.

Joe made the move to England in 1997 while studying Microelectronics at university in Germany. At the time he was given the option of completing his Masters Degree abroad in the UK, so Joe jumped at the opportunity for adventure and moved to the UK to start work designing chips for mobile phones and telecom applications with a company based in Plymouth. He’s always had a strong belief in a good, hard-work ethic, so it was no surprise when he was offered a position with the Plymouth based company towards the end of his studies. Joe continued working in his trained field, however in 2004, the company fell into disarray and staff redundancies became evident.

“The entire sight had to be closed down, there were certainly other positions available to me but most of the jobs that suited my qualifications were on the M4 corridor between Bristol and London. I liked Plymouth so it was a clear decision for me when I decided that I definitely wanted to stay in Plymouth where I was happy!”

After looking at several options Joe realised that he was free to focus on anything he liked. He had always been very good with his hands and crafting skills and loved doing that type of work, so it was not long until he made the decision that he should work for himself.

Despite Joe’s background in technology, he admits that he’s always loved DIY, learning most of what he knew while living in Germany.

“Quite often in Germany you would rent a flat that would come with no carpets or kitchen,” said Joe, “so you would install your kitchen yourself, usually with friends. I had helped out so many people doing that and in turn learnt all those skills.”

Being an engineer, Joe has been trained to think things through logically, to try to avoid any potential problems that may occur. If anything does happen he has the engineering mindset to figure out how to assess and solve any issues and how to avoid them in the future.

“I found a government ran course to help setup small businesses and through this I managed to secure a government grant to get my business off the ground.”

All of his work came via recommendation due to Joe’s incredible German craftsmanship and fine attention to detail. It’s been a successful few years for him with his business seeing rapid market growth as it has become firmly established in the local community, but Joe’s work life hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Being self-employed and starting up a company rarely goes without a few set-backs, and for Joe, it was his personal life that was affecting him.

Joe explains, “Life isn’t smooth, my first born died 11 years ago and I went through a divorce a few years later which was another set-back, I nearly ended up bankrupt. Although being very stressful you have to focus on the future and I now have two beautiful children who mean the absolute world to me!”

Through all that Joe had been through, divorce and recession, it was his focus and sheer determination that has helped the launch of Greenfield Kitchens in 2013. It’s the high-quality products and excellent workmanship at a very reasonable price that now makes him stand out amongst his competitors. Joe explains, “Buying direct from me, the manufacturer, keeps the cost down for the customer. As it’s a growing business I am able to procure materials for a very good price, and as I don’t have a fleet of vans or a showroom I am able to pass any savings onto my customers.”

Joe went on to explain, “Most of my customers come to me via recommendation which is how I started everything. Although it was very slow at first people are starting to recommend me so business is growing very fast.”

If any potential, new customers ask to see examples of Joe’s work, he will take them along to the homes of previous customers, who are more than happy to show-off their kitchen or bathroom. Joe’s customers speak very highly of him, as they are constantly impressed by the time and effort he puts into every job.

“The next step for me is bigger manufacturing machines, because my work is increasing. I’m investing in speed and efficiency, making it quicker to actually produce the kitchens. If a customer says, “I want it next week” I want to be able to say, “Yes, I can do that”.”

He is constantly progressing and growing his company, regularly visiting exhibitions to learn more and to bring ideas back to his business. “The only way to learn is to ask questions, and if every day you learn something new, you will never cease to grow. The day I stop learning will be the day I retire.

“I’m quite a driven person, and I always knew what I wanted in life. When I would like something I always find a way to achieve it. It’s key to believe in yourself, especially if you’re selling your own products. You’ve got to believe that you will succeed. It’s been three years since I started Greenfield Kitchens and I’m now back-to-back with work which shows that hard work pays off.”

It seems that Greenfield Kitchens is the place to head to for anyone who wants time, care, craftsmanship and quality put into the work they have done in their home and we can honestly say that Joe Grünleitner is the man to do it!

Visit: www.greenfieldkitchens.co.uk

Call: 01752 548648 / 07789 900445

Email: info@greenfieldkitchens.co.uk