Manufacture for highest demands
Companies and their managing directors always want optimal framework conditions from politics and administrations. David Halbe has it much easier than his colleagues: He takes care of it himself. And with great success. For decades, the name Halbe has stood for picture frames that are as high-quality as they are easy to use. The company from Herrenwiese in Kirchen has even made it into the ARD news program. Nevertheless, Halbe and its approximately 70 employees have not lost even a millimeter of their grip on the ground.
The third-generation company Halbe-Rahmen now received a visit from District Administrator Dr. Peter Enders and Lars Kober, head of the Altenkirchen District Economic Development Department. Also present was the mayor of Kirchen, Andreas Hundhausen. The occasion was the 75th anniversary of the company. This could be celebrated as early as 2021, but due to the pandemic, the personal congratulations had to be postponed. David Halbe also began his story in 1946. At that time, his grandfather Hubert Halbe opened a small Christian bookstore and sold, among other things, holy pictures there. The wooden frames for them were assembled in the kitchen. It was the nucleus. The big breakthrough came in 1973: son Heinrich Halbe developed the revolutionary magnetic frame and patented it. "Not much has changed from the basic idea to this day," reported son David Halbe.
While sales representatives and the photo trade were initially very skeptical, museums and art lovers quickly recognized the potential of the frames. And so it came to pass that Halbe set up a direct sales organization without middlemen. In the following years, the magnetic frame was regularly further developed and adapted to the respective requirements. The products from Kirchen are characterized not only by their simple, timeless elegance, but above all by their extreme durability. Customers now include corporations, galleries, museums, artists, photographers, as well as schools and administrations. Halbe-Rahmen received great media attention when it furnished the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo. Among other things, the world-famous "Scream" is protected by a frame from the Altenkirchen district - which then also led to the Tagesthemen report. But also an artist like Damien Hirst, superstar of the British art scene, knows the name Halbe.
Economically, the company is doing very well: "We have doubled our turnover in the last five years," Halbe explained. Just recently, the largest order in the company's history was received, with a volume of one million euros. The online store plays an important role in this success. Every day, 500 to 600 frames are produced in the manufactory - factory would be the absolutely wrong term - and exclusively "on demand", on specific order. The average length of service of the employees is 20 years - another sign that they feel valued here. So it is also a matter of course for David Halbe to take advantage of the opportunity now created by the federal government to pay employees a tax-free bonus.
District Administrator Enders and Economic Development Manager Kober were deeply impressed by the innovative strength of the local company and at the same time praised its loyalty to the location. The only problem: Halbe-Rahmen would like to expand spatially, but the Sieg on one side and the steep slope below the Hardtkopf on the other side set natural limits. However, should a building application be submitted, the representatives of the administration promised full support in the approval process.
Source: Altenkirchen district