People tend to purchase cheap appliances because they don’t believe they should, or can’t afford, a higher priced item. However, over time those cheap appliances break and the person is forced to buy yet another cheap appliance. Pretend for a minute that on a small scale, you purchase a cheap hand mixer for $15. It breaks a few years later. You buy another $15. Again, it breaks a few years later, so you buy yet another. Already you have spent $45 for a cheap product. Will that product ever improve or will you throw away $15 every few years? Why not just buy a quality mixer that costs, say, $79 and will last you for a long, long time? It may not seem like much, that occasional $15, but think about a classier item, such as an espresso maker? Perhaps you buy a $40 product that breaks down over time the same way as a hand mixer. After a few years that money quickly adds up and you have to deal with a broken product over and over when you could have invested in a product like a Bosch espresso machine and in addition you’ll find it backed by a two-year warranty. Likewise, products like Bosch espresso machines don’t just save you money in the long run, but the results you get out of them are top-quality which is exactly what you deserve.
Bosch History
Bosch is one of the ten largest companies in Germany with a fascinating story so it’s no wonder that coffee from your Bosch espresso machine tastes so delicious. All that German engineering and design offers a lot to every machine. Indeed, the company started out as an automotive equipment company in Stuttgart in 1886 by a man named Robert Bosch. A good leader, he paid his employees well above the standard and allowed them freedom and creativity in order to get the best performances and quality from them. A good choice on his part, the company soon became a world leader when it came to automobile ignition systems. The booming automobile industry in the United States at the time lead to 70% of the company’s sales by 1914. The First World War hampered sales a great deal due to the American embargo on German goods.
When the war ended, Germany was wounded, disorganized, in need of help, and most of its people out of work. A depression hit and businesses were forced to close their doors – but not Bosch. Due to Robert Bosch’s smart business tactics and well organized structure, the company continued to push through the depression all the way until the 1930s when Hitler grew to power. The military began to request numerous products related to electronic and other mechanical persuasions. Purchasing a radio manufacturer in 1933 and reorganizing the company to adjust for economic growth in 1937, Bosch continued to prosper until German expansion again thwarted outside trade.
In 1942, Robert Bosch died and dictated in his will that the company’s ownership be divided between the Robert Bosch Foundation and the rest of his family. However, this did not actually happen until 1964 when World War II ended and Germany had stabilized. Hans Walz took over the company and managed to keep it together despite its location in West Germany. Cut off from many major trading partners, the company continued to work with smaller foreign markets and researched new methods of automobile fuel injection and the improvement of other parts.
It was in the 1950s that the company could finally reopen its doors to the rest of the world to show them what they had done during their confinement. Not only did the company again prosper, but it began diversifying its products to include household appliances. Washing machines, kitchen appliances (no Bosch espresso machines just yet!), and dishwashers all slipped into the product line by the year 1964. They didn’t stop there either. Looking to spread out to as many markets as possible, they started manufacturing power tools for the average Joe. Hans Walz retired in 1962 and was replaced with Hans Merkle who had a keen eye for market conditions and paid close attention to pollution and fuel economy, understanding that both would eventually come into play when it came to automotive sales. He led the company into making necessary changes in order to reduce pollution and improve fuel economy with new products. Merkle proved to be right on the money. When the United States put new antipollution laws into place, vehicles with the company’s new fuel injectors leapt in popularity and after the OPEC oil crisis, the injectors were worth their weight in gold.
The company expanded overseas to Japan, Malaysia, Turkey, Spain, and eventually the United States. When new competition reared its head, the company quickly acted to look into newer and better products in order to stay ahead of the game, such as the development of the ABS (Antilock Breaking System). As technology improved and time passed, the company continued to focus mainly on improving automobile features and conditions while developing various products for the home. Despite strong competition, a tough strike during 1984, and other various hindrances, the company steadily moves forward and continues to expand in various parts of the world.
However, when the 1990s appeared on the horizon, they began to face difficulties that lead to a decline in sales not seen since 1967. They had developed a reputation for inflexibility and high prices. Buyers suddenly turned elsewhere for goods, leaving the company to figure out new methods of improving itself. They added new products (there’s your Bosch espresso machine!) cut costs as well as jobs, choices that eventually helped the company to stabilize enough to make at least one more purchase that allowed them to provide complete break systems as opposed to parts only.
What Bosch is Known For
The company continues on to this day, focusing mostly on automobile parts, but a few sectors remain steady with their production of kitchen equipment and small appliances. Keeping an eye on markets, they made sure to add in new items when necessary, such as when gourmet coffee appeared on the radar, they used their skill to provide consumers with Bosch espresso machines. The company makes sure to live up to the expectations of its buyers when it comes to quality. They want satisfied customers and know that they are nothing without them. Not only are products made to last, but customer services and sales merits are expected to be well above the norm.
