Nordmende
North Mende was a manufacturer of consumer electronics based in Bremen.
The beginnings in Dresden
In 1923, Otto Hermann Mende ( 1885-1940 ) in Dresden Radio H. Mende & Co. In the 30s Mende became one of the biggest German radio equipment manufacturers. After 1945, the Dresden factory was dismantled and since the GDR sat against the use of the company name Mende defended, the name North Mende was in West Germany from 1945 used. Martin Mende therefore founded 1947 in Bremen under the name North German Mende - Rundfunk GmbH, a new company, which started its activities in the former halls of the Focke -Wulf aircraft factory at the Diedrich - Wilkens Road (Bremen -Hemelingen ). North Mende was in the post-war period one of the leading German manufacturers of radios, televisions, tape recorders and turntables.
The 1970s
1969 took over Mendes sons the company. In the 1970s North Mende television were known for their innovative chassis which were heavily modular and network disconnected in the field of signal processing, as well as due to an elaborate final of the delivered equipment. However, both caused high costs, which soon proved to be a significant price drop on the exposed color television market at a competitive disadvantage.
In addition to color television sets (product Spectracolor ) for the mass market, who possessed a wood finish housing, North Mende built design-oriented television monitor in the look, the plastic housing were prepared in an elaborate Kunststoffblasverfahren. The devices are offered in many metallic finishes.
Top models were two devices with integrated pedestal:
- A stereo monitor unit with a bass speaker in the base and two stereo speakers that were mounted on the housing and could be pulled away from the screen. Because of the large "ears" ( speakers ) of the television has been factory internally as " Prince Charles" called.
- Another, available only in monaural device, in which under the 66 cm main screen, three 7- inch screens in black and white enabled monitoring multiple different signals.
1977/78: sold to Thomson -Brandt
1977 shares of the company to the French Thomson -Brandt Group were sold. A year later the family sold their remaining share of well - Thomson Brandt.
North Mende was always separated into two companies. One was the production company - North German Mende Rundfunk KG - and the other is the distribution company - North Mende Vertriebs GmbH & Co. oHG
While the dominance of Thomson, the production company changed its name several times: North German AG for consumer electronics & Co. oHG ( NAGFU ), later German AG for consumer electronics & Co. oHG ( DAGFU ). The DAGFU became the holding company of the Thomson German companies.
The production went on the German electronic works GmbH ( DEWEK ) resulting from the Süddeutsche Electronics GmbH ( Sewek ), the former SABA production company, has emerged. The late 1980s was the DEWEK with Norddeutsche Electronics GmbH ( NEWEK ), the Telefunken manufacturing company for electronics works Germany GmbH ( EWD ) merged. The EWD renamed later as Thomson Television Germany GmbH ( TTG ).
The Distributor ( oHG ) was dissolved mid-1980s. Sales in Germany was continued by the eponymous North Mende Vertriebs GmbH, which renamed itself in North Mende GmbH. The North Mende GmbH, together with Telefunken, the SABA GmbH, the TTG and other companies to Thomson Multimedia Sales GmbH merged mid-1990s.
The other, on the north Mende Vertriebs GmbH & Co. oHG participating company which North Mende Sales GmbH, was renamed in North Mende International GmbH by and held under the auspices of the European Consumer Electronics ( ECE) the trademark rights to North Mende for the export business, while the export business was perceived to be by the ECE. The North Mende International GmbH was the mid-1990s to the Thomson Consumer Electronics SA sold in Paris, changed its name to Thomson Consumer Electronics GmbH, acquired a stake in the DAGFU whereby the DAGFU in Thomson Consumer Electronics GmbH & Co. oHG renamed.
The 1980s
Through Thomson's entry at Telefunken in 1983, now all German Thomson - production under the name electronic works Germany ( EWD ) were continued.
While at Villingen -Schwenningen in SABA ( Sewek ) summarized the complete televisions Development and chassis production (printed circuit boards ) of Thomson and the TV production was abandoned, became the Bremen plant for the headquarters of color televisions assembly of German and European Thomson subsidiary brands. Only Telefunken was allowed to build their own devices with their own chassis because of its strong position in the German market.
Originally Thomson had planned to close the plant Bremen and complete abandon. The Group had not reckoned with the resistance of employees and the support of the Bremen Senate and the large media coverage. Since Thomson in Germany already had a reputation as a "job killer" and did not want to move again poor lighting, the company backed down. Instead, the production in Villingen- Schwenningen was closed and moved to Bremen.
Mid-80s then was also the Bremen Thomson 's work against the corner. 1987 took over the managing director, in a management buyout, the company. With the social plan funds of Thomson, a participation of state-owned Hanseatic industrial investments GmbH (HIBEG ) and credits leading Bremer banks televisions and plastic parts production have been, with a greatly reduced workforce, under the name EUR Part (planned name was first Eurotec ) continued.
The end of production
After Thomson late 80s no longer drew its plastic parts for the now shifted television production of Euro Part, the company plunged into a crisis from which it never recovered. Own developments could, in parallel to supply production, the market does not establish, so that the company despite rescue attempts by the Bremen Senate and several weeks of work occupation went into bankruptcy, as banks had terminated its credit lines.
The North Mende brand under Thomson
Immediately after acquiring the company separated Thomson production and sales into two companies. While production was controlled directly by the headquarters in Paris, the distribution initially remained independent. The production of audio equipment was set in Germany and moved to France. After closure of several factories in the Bremen area television production in Bremen and the kit center remained in Bremerhaven. The kit kits Center has been compiled for countries that demanded a share of domestic production ( local content ).
The main markets for North Mende were Germany and Italy. As a sales channel in Germany the qualified retail and export markets for the general importers was used. After the export activities of the Group brands in Northern Mende, Telefunken and SABA were summarized in 1987 under the auspices of the ECE GmbH in Hanover, the domestic sales for some years acted independently from Bremen.
Due to the fierce competition of aggressive price wholesale distribution shapes Thomson was forced early nineties, to arrange the domestic sales new. The distributors of the brands in Northern Mende, Telefunken and SABA were centralized in Hanover. It brand families emerged: SABA and Brandt ( France) as price-oriented brands for large forms of distribution, Telefunken as a quality brand for retail trade as well as North Mende and Thomson ( France) as a design- oriente brands for the upper price segment.
When the Thomson group was engaged in Germany, it has been avoided a long time to appear under the name Thomson, which was also expressed in terms such as company Sewek, EWD or DAGFU. In the nineties, a change occurred. Various companies were renamed with the name component Thomson. As a final consequence, the North Mende brand was taken off the market and replaced by Thomson.
North Mende today
Since the end of 2007 reappeared sporadically the brand name North Mende in connection with LCD televisions on. The Indian consumer electronics company Videocon has taken over from the French group Thomson, a television tube factory in the Italian Anagni and thereby acquired the trademark rights of the formerly traditional German brand North Mende. Since 2008, the Group uses the term Phillar North Mende. Especially in Italy North Mende design-oriented flat-screen televisions are sold under the brand.
Gallery
Earlier postwar television receiver model Panorama, 1953
Television receiver 59 sovereign, built on May 28, 1958
North Mende Rigoletto
Portable transistor radio Transita from the 1960s
Transistor radio Clipper Model 1966-68
Tape recorder (Weight: 17 kg )
Tape recorder ( Interior )
Portable radio recorder IDOL recorder 115A, 1973
Color television Color 6840 from the 1970s