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Jan Poulssen (Maastricht) and Karsten Müller (Herford) found JAKA in Stemwede-Wehdem. The company starts with 15 employees, producing 440 wardrobes a day exclusively for the Dutch market.
The PERFEKTA 50 kitchen range launches in Germany, followed by the BADLIFE bathroom furniture range in 1974 – the first steps beyond wardrobe production.
The company is renamed pro-norm Jaka-Möbel Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH und Co. KG.
The OPTIFIT kitchen range launches with 8 fronts and 40 unit variants. The name comes from the English phrase “it fits optimally”. That makes OPTIFIT older than Amazon.
Swedish group Skane Gripen AB acquires JAKA. Under Poggenpohl Holding, JAKA and Pronorm increasingly focus on kitchen and bathroom furniture.
The company is renamed OPTIFIT Jaka-Möbel GmbH. MARLIN is launched for pre-assembled bathroom furniture sold through furniture retailers. EUROFIT is founded as a sales company for DIY stores and mail-order retailers. Certification to DIN EN 14001 follows.
Nobia AB acquires the Poggenpohl Group, including OPTIFIT and MARLIN. More than 1,000,000 cabinet carcasses are delivered to England and France. OPTIFIT introduces a 3D kitchen planner.
Leo Brecklinghaus and Sonja Schumacher acquire the factory from Nobia. JAKA-BKL GmbH is established with a clear commitment: furniture made in Germany has a future.
An 800 kWp photovoltaic system is installed to supply the factory with electricity. Investment in new production lines follows. The jasani sales channel is launched for pre-assembled bathroom furniture sold through specialist bathroom retailers.
