Mourning for Georg Nolte Sr.

At the age of 84, Mr Georg Nolte Sr. passed away peacefully last Sunday, surrounded by his family. With his passing, the German kitchen and furniture industry loses one of its most influential visionaries and strategists. For more than 60 years, Georg Nolte helped shape nolte’s development into one of Germany’s largest kitchen manufacturers, driven by a pioneering spirit and keen business acumen.

Firmly rooted in East Westphalia, where he was born in Rheda-Wiedenbrück in 1941, Georg Nolte gained his first experience in the industry at a very early age. In 1921, his grandfather laid the foundations for the family’s furniture business with the Produktenwerk. Georg Nolte began his career in the family business at nolte Küchen in Löhne. In 1966, he moved to Germersheim in the Palatinate, where he took over the management of Nolte Möbel. In 1983, his father, Konrad Nolte, entrusted him with overall responsibility for the group of companies. With insight and passion, Georg Nolte developed it into one of the country’s leading kitchen and furniture brands.

On turning 75 in 2016, Georg Nolte stepped down as chairman of the supervisory boards of his companies and withdrew from the day-to-day operations of the furniture group. Today, the interests of the owning family are represented by his children Maren Schmitt-Nolte, chair of the advisory boards, and Georg Konrad Nolte, chairman of the supervisory board of the holding company Nolte GmbH & Co. KGaA.

Georg Nolte was not only an outstanding entrepreneur and recipient of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, but also a passionate and versatile sportsman. He showed exceptional talent from a young age: at just 17, he became European waterskiing champion, laying the foundations for a lifelong passion for equestrian and motor sports, where he impressed with the same dedication and discipline. As a successful GT40 driver, he demonstrated his skill and determination on the racetrack. He was also a successful racehorse owner. A particular highlight was winning the 2006 Grand Prix of Aachen with Noltes Küchengirl, ridden by Marcus Ehning. Georg Nolte was an inspiring personality in every aspect of his life.

“Georg Nolte was a family entrepreneur through and through, respected and admired far beyond the boundaries of our industry,” says Manfred Wippermann, Managing Director of Nolte Holding, who worked closely with Georg Nolte for decades. “He not only built a successful group of companies, but was also a constant source of ideas and inspiration for the entire German furniture industry. On behalf of all our companies’ employees, we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”