User:Julius Blum GmbH/sandbox

Julius Blum GmbH is an international company that produces hinges, lift- and runner systems and appropriate assembly tools for the cabinet making and furniture industry.

The company, commonly referred to as Blum for short, is based in Höchst, a municipality in the Austrian province of Vorarlberg. Production facilities are mainly located in Austria, but the company also has production plants in the United States, in Poland and in Brazil. Blum is a family-owned company. It is one of the largest companies and employers in Vorarlberg.

History
Julius Blum himfself founded the company on 1 March 1952 and originally produced horseshoe studs (sort of spikes for horses). Not long after, in 1958, Blum produced its first furniture hinge, the ANUBA hinge and sold it in Austria. 1964 saw the production of the first very own Blum hinge and marked the start of the production of concealed furniture hinges. A year later, the company started to export its products to countries outside Austria. Blum expanded into another segment in 1966, adding roller runners for drawers to its product range.

Blum established its own programme of vocational training in 1970. Today, Blum’s apprenticeship programme is a flagship training scheme. Its apprentices win numerous international competitions every year.

The company has grown over the years and continued to develop new products which are mainly used for kitchen furniture. To this end, Blum has applied for more than 1,000 patents to date.

Sites
Blum mainly produces its fittings systems in the Province of Vorarlberg, Austria, where the company has its headquarters in the municipality of Höchst, in the Rhine valley. Currently, Blum has seven plants in Vorarlberg. Plants 1 to 3 are in Höchst; Plant 4 in Bregenz, Plant 5 in Fussach, Plant 6 in Gaissau and Plant 7 in Dornbirn.

The company also has production plants outside Austria: in the United States and in Brazil. Blum’s US plant is located in Lowesville, North Carolina; its plant in Brazil is in Embru in the state of São Paulo.

In 2012, Blum’s Greek representation in the capital Athens was converted into a subsidiary, Blum Hellas. This means that a further subsidiary has been incorporated into the Blum Group.

A packaging and logistics centre was opened Swarzedz-Jasin, Poland in 2006. Products are sold worldwide by subsidiaries, representations and branch offices. Operations have been expanded in Russia and a new office and warehouse were opened in a more convenient location close to Domodedovo airport (south of Moscow) in 2007. Plant 7 was put into operation in Dornbirn in August 2009. Plant 7 is mainly intended as a Logistics Centre for Vorarlberg in order to promote the transfer from road to rail.

Vocational training
Blum has attached special importance to vocational training ever since the company launched its own in-house training scheme in 1970. The scheme is based on the concept of dual vocational training which means that apprentices not only receive on-the-job training in plants but also attend a vocational training school.

Currently, the company offers vocational training in the following seven technical trades:


 * Mechanical engineer
 * Toolmaking engineer
 * Plastics engineer
 * Electro engineer
 * Metal cutting engineer
 * Production engineer
 * Design engineer