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21. February 2020
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A quarter century of good ideas for homecare

Burmeier has been the "homecare brand" in the Stiegelmeyer-Group for 25 years

Stiegelmeyer will be 120 years old – but this is not the only anniversary that our group of companies will celebrate in 2020. The cheerful birthday cake on the calendar of our subsidiary Burmeier announces another celebration: For 25 years Burmeier has been very successfully serving the homecare sector with beds and furniture.

Similar to Stiegelmeyer, the anniversary date is also a matter of definition for Burmeier, as there have been several important milestones and changes in the company's history. In fact, Burmeier will be 90 years old in 2020. The company was founded by Wilhelm Burmeier in Lage in East Westphalia as early as 1930. However, at that time there was no talk of care beds: For almost 60 years the family business produced corner benches, chairs and tables for private dining rooms. And thus, Burmeier was taken over by Stiegelmeyer in 1989, initially with the intention of producing homelike seating furniture for retirement homes. 

New requirements after reunification

However, German reunification changed these plans. "After the reunification, there was suddenly a huge demand for beds with wooden frames and bedside cabinets in East German nursing homes. This is why Burmeier became a supplier of wooden elements for our plant in Herford," recalls Ralf Wiedemann, Managing Director at Stiegelmeyer. Care beds with a wooden look were relatively new at the time. Up until the 1980s, nursing homes in the West had also mostly bought hospital beds whose metal was coated in bright green, orange or brown. Now there was a high demand for wooden beds. Stiegelmeyer and Burmeier met this demand with, among other things, the "Model 5020", which later became our "Classiko".

Five years later, another political development led to a change and brought Burmeier onto its current course. On January 1, 1995, the nursing care insurance came into force in Germany, thus changing the supply with homecare beds. While social welfare and welfare centres were often responsible before, health insurance companies now financed the beds. Since then they have been provided by the medical supply stores.

Fresh brand for new partners

Stiegelmeyer was suddenly faced with completely new partners in this flat-rate system and made a decision that proved to be extremely successful: Burmeier appeared on the scene as a fresh "homecare brand" and impressed the partners with modern products and first-class service. The bed names Arminia, Teutonia and Fortuna at that time were based on the Roman-Germanic history of the Teutoburg Forest, but they were based on the most modern technology and comfort of the 1990s.

From the Fortuna the Dali emerged in 2004. This model was the prelude to Germany's most successful care bed series. The fact that Burmeier was able to celebrate the 1,000,000th bed sold at REHACARE 2017 is mainly due to the Dali. As the most popular model in the flat-rate system, it provides comfort and support for everyone: a large height adjustment range, protection through integrated full-length safety sides, intuitive operation and a comfortable sitting position. The Dali series makes an important contribution to alleviating the tough challenges of homecare and relieving the strain on everyone involved. The innovations of the latest Dali generation, such as the wireless handset and the management of functions via app, also serve this purpose. The machine washable Dali wash sets a new standard of hygiene in homecare.

In addition to the Dali, Burmeier always kept an eye on people who have special needs or would like to afford extra comfort in their private lives. Heavy-duty beds such as the Allura II or the Vertica homecare mobilisation bed allow people to take part in everyday life again who would otherwise hardly be able to have a conversation at eye level due to their excessive weight or limited mobility.

Attractive offers for private customers

Beds for private customers are of increasing interest. A model such as the Regia offers individual elegance and evolves with its owners, from a stylish bed for the elderly to a fully equipped care bed. In an aging society, such support is the key to a long, self-determined life. Burmeier Managing Director Reiner Rekemeier says: "Most people want to live in their own home for as long as possible and to be cared for there. Especially people suffering from dementia benefit from the familiar surroundings. Burmeier's products are developed to make everyday life much easier for everyone involved".

Mr. Rekemeier and his team start into the new 20s with enthusiasm and optimism. They are ready to master the challenges of caring with ever better products, user-friendly digitalisation and an excellent price-performance ratio. Already in the coming months there will be exciting news from the company with the green triangle. Stay tuned – the next 25 years have begun.

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